Richmond's triple premiership hero Dylan Grimes is retiring from the AFL, saying he remains forever indebted to the Tigers.

The 33-year-old has managed just five games this season because of a back injury — the latest in a string of ailments to trouble him during his decorated career.

Grimes played only 26 games in his initial four seasons with Richmond because of persistent hamstring injuries and says the Tigers could easily have delisted him.

"The club had plenty of reasons to throw in the towel with me over many years with surgeries, form slumps or whatever (else)," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

"There is a part of me that has had a chip on my shoulder for my entire career to try and repay the debt I felt like I owed the club.

"Almost everything good in my life, I have because of here, so thank you."

Grimes went on to play 234 career games, was renowned as among the league's best backmen, and featured in Tiger premierships in 2017, 2019 and 2020. His retirement follows that of triple-premiership teammate Dustin Martin earlier this year.

The versatile defender won Richmond's club champion award in 2021, was an All Australian in 2019, and was also the club's co-captain for two seasons.

Grimes is also a two-time winner of the Tigers' prestigious Francis Bourke Award, a player-voted gong given to the teammate who best upholds the club's trademark values.

Remarkably, those achievements came after Grimes was overlooked in the 2009 national draft — the Tigers recruited him via the pre-season draft.

"I will miss the thrill of the contest and I will miss the incredible feeling of playing in front of the best fans in the world," he said.

"But I leave with no regrets and just a sense of pride for everything we have achieved together."

AAP