WHEN Scott West's career began he played a position called "centre", and particularly well as it happens. When his end came yesterday it was because there was no longer room in his team's onball division.

Such is modern football, that the work once done by three is now performed by 10, but in all the changes to the game the constant of old legs battling in a young man's game remains.

West played just four games this year after carrying his body through 14 previous seasons that had been as durable as they were decorated. He entered Tuesday's meeting with the coach secure in his own mind that he was capable of playing on next year but slightly uneasy whether that assessment would be shared by Rodney Eade.

The club might revere him along with Chris Grant and E.J.Whitten, but their careers too had ended.

"(I felt) sadness I guess, a little bit of anger, but some genuine sadness because playing football and playing at this football club has meant so much to me over so many years," West said.

"It's inevitable that your career's going to end, I honestly didn't think it was going to be yesterday, but it happens to everyone.

"The meeting was cut a bit short because of the emotions that I had. I was able to go home and reflect and just gather my thoughts."

With time to calm himself and quietly sit long into the night with his captain Brad Johnson, West reconciled himself to the decision and yesterday joined the club at the press conference.

But for now, he has not closed the door on the possibility that another club will approach him and wonder whether the 33-year-old seven-time club champion might be deserving of one last season. He knows in all likelihood that will not happen, but why close your mind to the possibility?

Asked what rationale he had been given, West said: "Too old. It was just where the group's at — we have got a lot of talented players coming through, we have got a young group. They have had a terrific year."

West was surrounded in this moment by those closest to him. His teammates filed into the press conference in funeral silence. His parents and brother sat together with former player Steve Wallis. His wife mustered his four children to the side of the room as their dad contemplated whether coaching might be the next step.

Eade, sitting to his left, reckoned West to have one of the sharper minds for football and an excellent ability to convey those thoughts to others, so figured him an ideal future coach.

Johnson is now the last man standing of the five stars who were the champions of the Bulldogs of the past decade and more — West, Johnson, Grant, Luke Darcy and Rohan Smith.

"As a player he was the best I have seen, him and Granty were on an equal par with how they could lead," Johnson said.

West might as easily have captained the Bulldogs when Johnson was chosen, he might also have won a Brownlow several times when others were narrowly preferred ahead of him, he might too have won a flag. But he does not leave the game a diminished figure for not having done so.

As Eade observed: "Scott West has been synonymous with this club and I don't use the word lightly — he has been a champion. His record speaks for itself."