Rhett Biglands Biography

Rhett Biglands announces his retirement from football after having endured successive reconstructions to his left knee from rupturing his arterior cruciate ligament twice.

"The last two years have probably been the most difficult of my life but, in saying that, I've had 10 years on an AFL list, so I'm very thankful for having the opportunity to be involved with the best game in the world," Biglands said.

"I think the time is right. I've sort of known, in consultation with others, that the second reconstruction was always going to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"You've got to look after your body with the way it's been hammered over the years. You've got to make sure that your lifestyle after footy is good enough to do what you want to do."

Rhett Biglands will undergo a second reconstruction on his left knee after results showed that his anterior cruciate was not in a stable condition.

Biglands is now expected to miss another full season of football.

"We are extremely disappointed for Rhett," Crows coach Neil Craig said.

"The way he went about his first rehabilitation was exemplary and the club will do all it can to help him through this latest setback."

Rhett Biglands faces the prospect of another knee reconstruction after a suspected torn anterior cruciate ligament on the same left knee that he injured in the preliminary final in 2006.

Biglands' injury places his career in jeopardy while increasing the responsibility on young Crows ruckmen, Ivan Maric and Jonathon Griffin, to shoulder the ruck load in 2008.

Crows Rhett Biglands and Trent Hentschel, who both underwent knee reconstruction surgeries at the end of last year, set their sights on playing in Dubai against Collingwood in February.

Biglands is fully recovered while Hentschel, who suffered a more severe injury, has made promising progress in his rehabilitation.

"It would only be a selection issue with Rhett," physical performance manager Stephen Schwerdt said. "He's been into full training right from the start of the pre-season."

"Trent's still got a few boxes to cross off, but its still six or seven weeks until Dubai," Schwerdt said with regards to Hentschel.

"He's had a couple of little, minor soft tissue problems, but that's not unexpected. We're really happy with the way he's progressed."