BRISBANE Lions stalwart Nigel Lappin is being urged to consider a coaching future after he announced his immediate retirement yesterday.

The triple premiership winner confirmed his 15-year career had been ended by a persistent Achilles injury that kept him to just four games this season.

"Nigel's always had a great empathy for his teammates, and he knows the game, he's got a great empathy for the game," Lions coach Leigh Matthews said at the Gabba announcement. "I believe he understands the game too, more than most players.

"Nigel I'm sure has never thought of any possibility that he would go on and be a coach of any shape or form, but now the playing door has closed, you open your life up to possibilities, and that's obviously one of the distinct possibilities."

The quietly spoken 279-game veteran wouldn't rule out a future as a coach, but said he would first take a holiday to spend time with his young family. "I always thought I'd just walk away," Lappin said.

"But when you get to the end, it's sort of hard to walk away from something that's been a really big part of your life."

The four-time All Australian remained composed as he reflected on his career, and was watched on by the club's entire playing and coaching personnel in an obvious display of respect.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who has played just 22 matches in the past three seasons due to injury, said he was "bitterly disappointed" the way his career had come to an end.

"It's hard not to live in the moment, and for me at the moment I haven't been able to get what I want out of footy," Lappin said.

"So at the moment I'm sort of frustrated by what has happened this year. But my career as a whole has been really successful."

A badly broken leg in 2005, an ankle reconstruction in 2006 and the Achilles problem had worn Lappin down, after he had been known for his durability in his earlier days.

"Mentally I was a little bit tired," he admitted. "I was waking up and not really looking forward to playing footy as I had in previous years, and you just get the feeling it is time."

Lappin said he would "float around" Lions training until the end of the season, showing his dedication to the club had not waned. "It does go really quickly, but I'd like to be here right to the end," he said.

A member of the "fab four" that led the club to three consecutive premierships from 2001, Lappin said the club's first was the sweetest.

He will forever be remembered for his courage in the 2003 decider, when he took the field with a fractured rib suffered in the preliminary final.

The Lions will pay tribute to Lappin before their must-win clash against Carlton at the Gabba on Saturday.

■ North Melbourne stopper Brady Rawlings has a personal score to settle in Sunday's clash with Geelong at Skilled Stadium.

Rawlings, expected to get the job on Brownlow medal favourite Gary Ablett, said he was embarrassed with his effort the last time the two faced off.

Ablett destroyed North's Ed Lower before dominating Rawlings for the rest of the game to finish with 39 disposals, seven clearances, 12 inside-50s and two goals.

"I was a little bit embarrassed with the amount of attention that he got after that game because he was so good, and the fact he did a lot of it against me was a little bit embarrassing," Rawlings said.

"But I think a lot of players in the league had the same situation I had during that night during the year.

"You feel a bit helpless at times because he's that good a player. If I get him, I'll be trying my best to shut him down and hope my teammates can give me a bit of help."

Rawlings was instructed to not tackle Ablett but corral him during that round-11 encounter. He's unsure whether he would repeat that approach. "I'm not too sure how we're going to go about it, last time it didn't work too well," he said.

Captain Adam Simpson said the Kangaroos could not afford to focus too heavily on Ablett, given the Cats' all-round strength. "If you fall into that trap, you're in a bit of trouble," he said.

AAP