SYDNEY Swans defender Leo Barry has confirmed he will retire at the end of 2009 after 15 seasons at the club.

Barry, whose towering mark in the dying seconds of the 2005 grand final helped to end the Swans’ 72-year premiership drought, will play out the rest of the season and boost his current total of 235 games.

A two-time All-Australian who was co-captain of the Swans from 2005-08, Barry said it was something of a relief to finally announce his departure from the game after an injury-plagued final season.

He underwent surgery on a persistent knee problem in January and struggled to regain full fitness.

A mid-season return was aborted when his knee flared up after his first reserves game, but he managed to return for the round 20 clash against Geelong at ANZ Stadium.

“It’s been such a big build up and it’s been sort of a relief to tell everyone,” Barry said on Tuesday. 

“It’s been a really frustrating year personally… but I’ve just really tried to focus on getting back to play.

“Hopefully with the group we can win a few more games by the end of the year.”

In front of the club’s entire playing roster and staff, Barry told of his pride at being involved in one of the Swans’ most successful eras.

“At the end of ’02, when Roosy took the club over, there were similarities to where we are at the moment. Everyone was expecting us to drop off a cliff and finish 15th and 16th,” he said.

“But the group had a real resolve. To play finals six years in a row, two grand finals and four preliminary finals – it’s a real credit to the group and I’m proud to have been a part of that journey.”

That era was defined by the Swans’ intense rivalry with the West Coast Eagles, which peaked in the ’05 and ’06 grand finals.

Barry created his own small piece of football legend in the first of those epic deciders, taking a game-saving mark to ensure the Swans won their first premiership since 1933.

“To be part of such an amazing rivalry against West Coast… those rivalries are really hard to develop and aren’t regularly seen,” he said.

“Over that two or three-year period, to be involved in those really tight contests, whether they were home and away games or finals, was extraordinary.

“That will be the main thing I’ll think about – the rivalry against West Coast.”

Swans coach Paul Roos said Barry’s ability to hold down a key defensive post was remarkable, given his relatively slight stature.

“When you look at his stats – 185cm and 88kg – what he’s done on the football field is quite extraordinary when you consider he was playing against guys like Alastair Lynch, Fraser Gehrig and David Neitz, often giving away 10 or 15cm and 10 to 15kg every single week,” Roos said.

“What I’ll remember about Leo is his incredible competitiveness, his absolute self-belief and his drive to be successful. We’re certainly going to miss him at this footy club.”