Retiring legend Justin Hodges has admitted he almost retired five years ago when an Achilles injury finished his 2010 season.

“To be honest there were a couple of times (thought of retiring) – I would be lying if I said there wasn’t,” Hodges told The Courier Mail.

“With my Achilles, the first one, there were times I thought ‘This is too hard’.

“The passion of playing football drove me to come back. The second one happened and that sunk me.

“I knew how hard it would be to come back and that being older it would be more difficult. That wasn’t the way I wanted to go out.

“I wanted to go out on my terms.”