In 2006-07, just as Australia was celebrating a 3-0 series sweep to that point of the Ashes series, the futures of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Justin Langer were about to be decided, while West Australian Damien Martyn had quit after the preceding Test in Adelaide, with one suggestion being he did not want to put up with speculation about his future through his home Test.

As he sipped on a beer in the dressingroom, McGrath was told by then national selector Merv Hughes that it was time to move on once that campaign was over. McGrath's Test career came to an end in Sydney but his international career would last until after the subsequent World Cup.

Warne made up his mind in Perth it was time to end his Test career, something which would have happened earlier after the 2005 Ashes series had Australia won.

Langer's future was also in the balance in Perth that summer but would only be clarified after the subsequent Melbourne Test.

Ricky Ponting would play the last of 168 Tests against South Africa at the WACA in 2012, having announced pre-match that this would be his last. And England spinner Graeme Swann would sulk after England again conceded the Ashes here in 2013-14 and quit.

Overall, there have been 41 internationals who have played their last Test at the WACA, including former Australian captain Graeme Yallop in 1984. He would go on and join the rebel tour of South Africa.

Now we have Mitchell Johnson realising his time as an elite cricketer was up. What's in store for next season?

Perth, by the way, is proud of its water. A sign at one of the one taps near the nets proudly declares this was the water former Test opener Justin Langer drank.

Brothers in arms

There was a touching moment before play when Brett Lee, now with Channel Nine's commentary team, embraced a relaxed-looking Johnson when he took to the field for the warm-ups. Lee, No.5 on Australia's list of all-time wicket-takers, and Johnson, having just replaced Lee at No.4, have been Australia's two best quicks of recent years, and each enjoyed cranking up the speed gun and intimidating batsmen when in their heyday.

Johnson, 34, didn't make his Test debut until he was 26. Lee's last Test (against South Africa at the MCG in 2008) was when he was 32 but he famously debuted against India as a 23-year-old.

Where are you?

Surely, Johnson's retirement on Tuesday would have been the perfect opportunity for the WACA and Cricket Australia to throw open the gates for a gold coin donation, ensuring more than 10,000 were on hand to say goodbye to their adopted fast bowler. Instead, only a few thousand bothered to show up.

Memories

Trent Boult's delivery to Johnson in the last over before lunch reprised memories of the WACA deck of 1996-97 when the West Indies were in town. Boult's delivery clipped a major crack and all but rolled along the pitch. Luckily, for Johnson, it was wide of off stump. Unlike when Curtly Ambrose served up a grubber to Greg Blewett back in the day and had him heading back to the pavilion for a duck after his stumps were rattled.