THE career of Swans midfielder Nic Fosdike appears to be over, with the 2005 grand final star and 10-year veteran believed to have decided to no longer battle with a recurring knee injury, and retire from AFL football.

The injury, which impacts on the 28-year-old's ability to train and be fully prepared for games, hampered his 2008 season, a year where he managed to play just one senior game.

He has been a conspicuous absentee during the club's pre-season, not attending their training camp on the Central Coast in December, and again not being present when the players returned from their two-week Christmas break last Monday.

Despite still having a year to run on his contract, the Herald understands Fosdike and the club are close to agreeing to terms on a financial agreement, and he has played his final game in the red and white.

Sydney's general manager of football Andrew Ireland said last month that Fosdike was weighing up the decision whether to play on or retire because of the knee problems, but when contacted yesterday he could not confirm whether the midfielder had reached a decision yet.

"As I've previously mentioned, Nic is obviously having some problems with his body, and we're working with him on the matter, but at this stage, we haven't got to the point of making an announcement on Nic's situation just yet," Ireland said.

One of the sticking points would have been that the Swans cannot just pay out Fosdike's contract, because it would factor into last season's total player payments, pushing the club over the salary cap limit, and subjecting them to possible fines or other sanctions. The club and Fosdike would have to reach a commercial agreement acceptable to both parties, and it is believed that deal has - or is very close to being rubber stamped.

Fosdike was drafted by the Swans at overall selection No.3 in the 1998 national draft, and the South Australian went on to play 164 senior games with the Swans. As the club continues to blend youth such as Craig Bird, Jarred Moore and Pat Veszpremi into their senior line-up, Fosdike's expected departure will mean that seven members of the 2005 grand final winning team have now left, with Ben Mathews and Nick Davis departing at the end of last season.

One premiership player who isn't going anywhere just yet though is Irishman Tadhg Kennelly, with the club scoffing at a report in an Irish newspaper that the defender had held talks with the Swans earlier this week and was heading home and "return to [County] Kerry full-time within the next two weeks".

"Even Tadhg was amazed with the article," Ireland said.

While they are keeping Kennelly, another Irishman, rookie Kyle Coney, has decided not to embark on an AFL career. Despite spending six weeks pre-season training with the Swans late last year, Coney did not return to Sydney this week and plans to continue playing Gaelic Football.