St Kilda forward Fraser Gehrig has conceded he's desperately struggling for form and fitness and acknowledged that his playing future will be decided in a meeting this week with senior coach Ross Lyon.
Gehrig, who announced his retirement after Round 22 last year only to change his mind weeks later, has already been dropped to the VFL this season and came under intense media scrutiny for his seven-possession, one-goal performance in Friday night's loss to Collingwood at Telstra Dome.
The 32-year-old, refused to concede on Channel 10's Before the Game that his time had come, but he spoke like a man who knows the end is nigh.
"The body probably hasn't responded the way I would have liked it to," Gehrig said.
"The club knew and I knew at the time when I decided to come back that I would need a lot of things to go right for me and that's why they took the punt."
"I've played five games and they haven't been the greatest games, to be honest."
Gehrig said he finished off 2007 in good form, but came into the new season a bit underdone.
He said he believed the game had become 15 per cent faster in the space of one season and agreed he was struggling to keep up with the intensity required.
"I don't think I've been contributing enough to the side," he said.
"I'll have a chat with Ross (Lyon) … we'll work out what the future holds."
Asked whether he wants to play on, Gehrig said, "yes, I do, but … I'm struggling at the moment and whether I go on, I don't know."
"We'll see what the future holds when we chat during the week."