It’s never easy to walk away from the game you love, but for Nathan Broad, he can do so knowing he got the most out of himself, leaving no stone unturned.

The three-time premiership player and three-time Francis Bourke Award winner has achieved the game's ultimate successes over his 11-year tenure at Punt Road.

Through it all, Broad has stayed grounded by staying connected to his “why”…words etched into a rock back in 2019, gifted to him by three-time premiership-winning Richmond coach Damien Hardwick.

“I’ve actually got my rock here, which Dimma gave us. The date is 28th of the 9th, 2019, so before the 2019 Granny,” Broad said.

“He just wanted us to write down, ‘the why’, why we play the game because it's bigger than just football.

“So mine back then was the Richmond Football Club, is why I have played the game and then it updated on the 25th of the 6th, 2020.

“I met my wife now, Tayla, and so I added her to there, and then I've added my daughter Samara, so that's the reason why I play the game, and since then it's been awesome.

“A lot of us boys still carry our rocks in our bag, every game, and I put it up on my locker every game so I can look at it.”

Now the 33-year-old has called time and is ready to focus on what is most important to him - his family.

“Footy has been amazing, but it’s also not everything…my purpose and my 'why' changed a lot over my career, now it’s my family,” Broad said.

“My wife is from Perth, I’m from Perth, so we are going to go back there and raise a family and enjoy some quieter times, but it’s exciting.”

Broad will play out the next two games, running out for the last time on the MCG against St Kilda in Round 23.

The walk from Punt Road to the ‘G is something Broad will miss fondly, a unique experience to Richmond players.

“This place is incredible. You've got the MCG right there and, on the weekend, it was a sunny, beautiful day, you're walking from here to the MCG. It doesn't get much better than that,” Broad admitted. 

“There’s not many clubs in the AFL where you can do that, and I can see why this place is a destination Club because there's so many amazing things that you get to do like that, and that'll be one of them, walking across on game day with the boys.”

A competitor through and through, Broad will go down as one of Richmond’s toughest and most reliable defenders, always putting his body on the line for his team. It's an aspect of the game he always prided himself on.

“I love competing…I love competing with the backline,” Broad said.

“It’s just something I love every week. Getting a role and being given a job, and it fuels the blood, gets me going, so I'm going to miss that side of it.”

Despite hanging up the boots in just two weeks, the legendary Tiger believes the Club is on the right track with the next generation of players poised to lead the way.

“I see it in this group now. People want to come at us outside these four walls, but we just got to block it all out,” Broad said.

“I know this young group, they're amazing talent, and they're going to do some amazing things. We're never as far away as you think, and if they keep going on the right track and keep having a crack at training like they are, success will be around the corner very soon for them.”