RooTube: Grant Retirement Announcement
RooTube: Denis Pagan Tribute to Grant
RooTube: 1999 North Smith Medal Tribute
RooTube: Grant Career Highlights Part 1 | Part 2

AHEAD of his 300th game, retiring Roo Shannon Grant isn't promoting himself as the man with a recipe for longevity – but he has put in the time to have some idea of what leads to a long career.

Since arriving at North Melbourne at the end of 1997 Grant's durability has been the highlight of a career that has included a premiership, Norm Smith Medal, Syd Barker Medal and three runner-up finishes in the latter – the club's best and fairest award.

In each of those 11 seasons he has played no fewer than 18 games – the poorest return was in 2006, when a knee injury struck out the last four matches.

Nothing can be read into his 10-game debut year at the Sydney Swans, with 48 across the two that followed.

"Just your work-rate, your work ethic," was Grant's suggestion of what takes players to these milestones.

"That's probably the biggest thing I've taken out of it, especially the way the game's going now. It's so much quicker, it's so much stronger, it's so much faster and, if you don't have an enormous work-rate and a work ethic to do the yards out on the track, you're not going to get anywhere."

Even at 31, an age that most elite-level players fall short of, Grant's farewell should follow a 22-game season.

Sure, he recognises he can't recover from matches like he used to, but feels the game has evolved since his career surged at the turn of the decade.

"It's really catching up with me," he said. "You've really got to be on your toes and it's just constant. I think we've really adapted well to it as a team and I think we'll continue to do that.

"I probably won't miss the core sessions that our fitness guru Paul Turk gives us. The gym sticks and the early morning recoveries down the beach throughout the winter.

"[I] say that now, but 12 months down the track or two years down the track you probably will [miss it]."

Times have changed for North Melbourne too, with the club complementing its on-field strength with off-field stability.

And Grant looks forward to seeing that blossom in his retirement.

"You look at the work that (chairman) James (Brayshaw) and (CEO) Eugene (Arocca) have been able to do since they've come on board," he said.

"You look at the way the group, as a playing group, is continuing to improve, there's an enormous amount of scope.

"I think if you're a member of this football club or a supporter of this football club, the future looks pretty bright."