Roulstone, 28, recently told Tiger officials that concussion concerns meant he had played his last game of football.

Rand-Walbundrie coach Daniel Athanitis said Roulstone was left with little choice after specialists told him he could risk long-term damage if he suffered another concussion.

“Dean will be sorely missed but you can’t afford to take any risks when it comes to your health,” Athanitis said.

“Although he was only at the club for one season, he had a big impact both on and off the field and in my opinion was in the top handful of players running around in the league.

“He actually got knocked out early on in last year’s grand final and can’t remember much of the game.

“Nobody at the club knew at the time and he played out the rest of the game.

“But he has been suffering a bit of memory loss and headaches and has been told to give contact sports away or risk further damage.”

Roulstone joined the Tigers last season from Eastlake and made the weekly trek from Canberra with Demon teammates Mark Kimball, Justin Mesman, Ben Maiden, Shaun Allan and Tim Gray.

The classy recruits were instrumental in the Tigers making the decider, which they lost to Henty.

Roulstone finished fourth on the goalkicking table with 54 goals despite playing predominately as a centre half-forward.

Kimball, Mesman, Maiden, Allan and Gray have recommitted again for this season alongside another Eastlake recruit, Hayden Armstrong.

The Tigers also signed classy Eastlake midfielder Aaron Wiles before Christmas, but he has since changed his mind and will remain in Canberra.

“Hayden should go a long way to filling the hole left by Dean’s retirement,” Athanitis said.

“He is only 23, is a 197-centimetre centre half-forward and won the NEAFL Rising Star in 2011 and represented the league’s under-23s.”