Jaden McGrath has chosen to step away from AFL football after losing his desire to play at the highest level.

The 20-year-old this week signed a formal release from his contract, which ran until the end of the 2018 season.

McGrath, from Kerang in country Victoria, said a combination of injury and loss of motivation had led to his decision.

“It’s a difficult choice to make but I want to be honest with myself and with the Club – and I just don’t have the desire to continue at the elite level,” said McGrath.

“Football is something I love and I want to get back to a place where I can enjoy the game again.

“I’d like to thank my family and friends for all their support, and the Club for giving me an opportunity to have a crack at AFL footy.”

McGrath, drafted at the end of 2014 with Pick 73, was a standout at the start of his first year at the Club, playing the first three games of the 2015 AFL season before being diagnosed with a stress reaction in the navicular bone in his foot.

The injury kept him out for the remainder of the year but he was offered a two-year contract extension, which he signed in December last year, before more injury setbacks during last season limited McGrath to just the two NEAFL games.

Lions Football General Manager David Noble said the Club backed McGrath and wished him well in the future.

“We really appreciate Jaden’s honesty and as a Club we are committed to support him as he settles into life outside football,” said Noble.