The 32-year-old, who admits he initially "umm-ed and ahh-ed" over hanging up his boots before realising he shouldn't have to talk himself into a ninth season in the AFL, told his teammates last week he wasn't after a contract for 2011.

He wanted to finish his career, move to the Gold Coast with wife of two years Rita and their 10-month old son Ignatius, and restart his life in his "second profession" as a physiotherapist.

He thought about waiting to see who would coach the Dogs next year before making the ultimate call, but then realised even if he delayed the decision, his heart wouldn't be in it if he chose to go on.

"Obviously with where the club is going and with my age, as soon as I started thinking about it, I thought it was time to hang up the boots," he told afl.com.au this week.

"It's certainly not something you can have second thoughts about once you start thinking about it.

"It's not something you can do if you have any doubt. It's not easy out there.

"I'll be a year older and probably a bit slower while everyone else gets faster. It's time to go and see the real world."

Hudson admitted he almost fell into his career in the AFL "by accident", after he caught the eye of then-Adelaide recruiting manager James Fantasia while playing for Werribee in the VFL.

He was 24 when picked up by the Crows in the 2003 National Draft, was working as a qualified physiotherapist and had lived in both Victoria - where he was born - and Queensland, where he was raised and where his and Rita's families are today. 

He spent four seasons with Adelaide, the third of which was ruined by an anterior cruciate ligament tear on the eve of the 2005 finals series that required a reconstruction.

Hudson was then traded to the Bulldogs at the end of 2007 after contract negotiations with the Crows broke down.

"I'd always played sport and I'm pretty lucky James pulled my name out of the hat," he said.

"Without being picked up by Adelaide I wouldn't have got the chance so there's a spot in my heart that thanks Adelaide for giving me the opportunity,"

"It's been a different road into AFL but I've thoroughly enjoyed it and I've got eight years out of it.

"People aim to play one game and I've played 100 or so I'm pretty happy with that."

Last week, he told his Bulldogs teammates he wasn't going on, and found the discussion surprisingly hard before they unceremoniously told him it was time for him "to find a real job".

The popular ruckman was promised a farewell game the day he retired, which he said hadn't been a priority for him but was more than pleased to have been gifted the opportunity.

Still, after retiring in a typically low-key fashion, he says he's also happy to let Barry Hall take the fanfare after the clash with Fremantle on Saturday.

"I'm blessed the club wanted to give me another game. I'm just happy to play one more time," he said.

"I'll certainly sit back and play second fiddle to big Barry.

"He's had a stellar career and I'll just play alongside and hopefully steal the win and stand in the background and get in a couple of photos."

Hudson and Rita will commence the journey to Queensland in the next month or so. They've bought a house on the Coast, and Hudson was in the process of selling their car this week.

He says he will enter into a private physiotherapy practice, after keeping up his trade with two afternoons a week working at Whitten Oval's Physioplus, and has no interest in pursuing a job at a club having "seen how hard they work".

He will also look to continue playing football at a lower level, with some of the mates he left behind in Brisbane shortly before his career took off.

"I'll no doubt get convinced to run around again," he said.

He thinks he's leaving the club's ruck stocks in good shape, and tips Will Minson to play a bigger role next year as Jordan Roughead and Ayce Cordy continue to develop.

"Roughy and Ayce are going to be great players in the future," he said.

"The quickest way they'll learn is to be out there and I think Will will be able to give them a lot of support if not take over the main role."

While he's disappointed with the way the season panned out for the Dogs, he can't help feel excited for the next phase in his life, which will officially commence about 5pm on Saturday evening.

"It's a strange week when you know you're paying your last game but I'm excited and sort of a bit sad at the same time," he said.

"The only thing I've missed out on is a bit of travel, but at the same time, I've got to experience playing footy for a living and it's probably the best job I'll ever have."

Jennifer Witham covers Western Bulldogs news for the AFL Website. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.