Henry Playfair Biography

Henry Playfair retires after injuring his back, bringing an end to an injury-plagued career that saw him play 68 games for the Swans and Cats.

"When I found out I'd done some damage to my back it was a bit of a shock. At first I didn't know what it meant for my season, and then I spoke further to the doctor and the physio and it looked like my season was over,'' Playfair said.

"I then had to make a decision about next year, and coming off the troubles I've had previously with hamstring injuries over the past couple of seasons, the back was another indication that my body is not up to it at this stage.''

Swan Henry Playfair says his career was close to over after a serious hamstring injury saw him delisted by Sydney in 2009 before being drafted as a mature-aged rookie in 2010.

"The club had told me they were going to delist me so any slight problem I had - even a slight setback for two weeks - doesn't look good in the coaches' eyes. They're going to say 'your hammy's not up to it'," he said.

"It all had to go smoothly and it was really do or die. The pre-season was pretty rigorous so any tear when I was sprinting would spell the end. It's been a good move to have the surgery and I guess it has paid off to this point."

The Sydney Swans have delisted Luke Ablett and Henry Playfair, allowing them to nominate for the NAB AFL Draft although Sydney coach Paul Roos says there is a chance they may be re-drafted.

"We've delisted them to give them a chance elsewhere but both of them are still training here," Roos said.

"We'll assess them against how many picks we want, and what Luke or Henry brings compared to a young player coming into the list."