Karmichael Hunt says he left no stone unturned, but believes the game didn't see the best of him as an AFL player, lamenting his body just wasn't built for the different demands of Australian rules.

After months of speculation, Hunt ended his four-year AFL career on Thursday, saying the time was right to leave Gold Coast and take up another challenge.

At a packed farewell press conference on Thursday, Hunt spoke in front of his GC SUNS teammates, club staff and a scrum of journalists, saying an injury-riddled past two years had caught up with him.

He said he fell in love with Australian rules, but his failing body told him enough was enough.

"I couldn't see myself… getting through another pre-season," Hunt said.

"What these boys go through year in, year out, in terms of physicality, and the demands they put on their body is second to none.

"I survived four of them (pre-seasons) - I certainly wasn't looking forward to undertaking another."

Hunt suffered a broken toe, staph infection, concussion and hamstring problems in 2014.

The 27-year-old said he was proud of his 44-game career following his switch from rugby league where he was a household name after winning a premiership with the Brisbane Broncos and representing both Queensland and Australia before the age of 20.

While having no regrets, Hunt felt his body left him short of showing his best.

"My understanding and my ability to execute by foot and hand is way better now than it was back then, but I haven't had the chance to prove that," he said.

"In terms of knowing that I've been able to chip away and get better every year, I'm pretty happy.

"I love the game. If I was fit and able to run the kilometres these boys do at pace, I dare say if I was in form … I'd stay.

"It's just not to be. My genetics suggest I should be playing another game. I pushed it as hard as I could, I left no stone unturned.

"I did kilometres on the road in the off-season continuously trying to get myself ready to play football, but at the end of the day I needed everything to go right and I just couldn't find that continuity."

While Hunt has been rightfully lauded for his work in showing his young teammates what it took to be a professional sportsman, he said he had learnt just as much from them.

"I wanted to get myself out of the comfort zone I was in at the Broncos," he said.

"I could have kept turning up to the Broncos at Red Hill and continued to play great football and continued to chip away, but I knew back then as a professional I wasn't getting any better. I wasn't learning anything new and I wasn't learning how to look after myself like these boys do.

"My knowledge on diet was poor, in hindsight. For me to come across, everyone says I was able to give a helping hand to these young boys and their development, but me looking at them, and seeing how they prepare and what they eat and what they put their bodies through to get in peak condition - I'm grateful to them.

"As a league player, the demands aren't so great. For me to say I was able to do that and play 40-odd games, that makes me proud."

With his decision made, Hunt said he did not want a farewell game and preferred the position in the SUNS’ round 23 team go to someone younger or in form.

He did not want to speculate on his future, but said an announcement would be made in the coming days.