Fremantle great Peter Bell has thrown his support behind Dockers superstar Matthew Pavlich making his own decision on whether to retire before the end of this season.
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Pavlich, 34, is playing his last year in the AFL after 17 seasons becoming the Dockers greatest ever player.
He is in constant discussions with coach Ross Lyon on whether to continue playing as Dockers powerbrokers monitor a 350th game milestone and tribute send-off later into Fremantle's horrible season after starting it as title contenders.
Pavlich should be allowed to make any final call to retire, according to Bell, who ended his glittering AFL playing days midway through 2008 with Fremantle out of finals calculations.
"My advice would be to make the decision that you feel right with in consultation with the football club," Bell said on 6PR.
"If Pav wants to play out the season, then absolutely we should allow him to do that and enjoy the great career that he's had, although it's difficult circumstances now.
"But if it feels like it's the right thing to move on in discussions with the footy club, then I'm sure he can do that.
"That's the decision I came to."
Bell played 161 games with Fremantle after 123 at North Melbourne as a key member of the Roos 1996 and '99 premiership outfits and this year joined Fremantle's board of directors.
His decision to quit was to allow first-year coach Mark Harvey to blood emerging young talent.
Pavlich has played nine of the Dockers 10 losses this season, averaging around 12 possessions and four marks a game, with 11 goals in total.
He had just eight possessions against gun St Kilda defender Sam Fisher in last Saturday's 34-point loss to the Saints but did show great endeavour and spirit.
Pavlich has played 344 games and is constantly under scrutiny whether to continue playing or stand aside as Lyon stringently tests his playing list and develops emerging key forward Matt Taberner.
Taberner, 22, turned in probably his finest outing among 36 senior games against the Saints, with 13 touches and two goals.
Bell points to his decision to retire once finals were out of the Dockers equation as now a similar plight for his former teammate, with a priority to heighten evolution of emerging talent in plans to rebuild the playing list over the next few seasons.
"That's the decision I came to," he said.
"We weren't going to play finals, there was going to be a massive list churn and there were younger players that were desperate for an opportunity.
"I decided by me staying on and clogging up a position in the team, I was probably denying someone a chance to make an AFL career.
"It doesn't necessarily mean it was the right thing or the way that Matthew Pavlich or the current Fremantle footy club will see it."
Lyon said he would sit down and listen if his former captain proposed an earlier date to hang up his boots but that situation had not arisen.
"300 is the magical number and after that I think it becomes irrelevant," Lyon said of the milestone.
"The big thing for Matthew has been to win a premiership. Clearly that's not going to occur.
"You don't want to talk people out of retirement.That [being approached by Pavlich] hasn't occurred, so it's just hypothetical."
