North Melbourne backman Shannon Watt will retire at the end of this season after seeing his spot in the team being taken over by the young defender Scott Thompson.

"The young boys are playing really well. Scotty Thompson's been brilliant this year and he's probably pushed me out of the side, which is great for the club's future," he said.

"As much as I'd love to have been playing seniors, I've still enjoyed the year at Ballarat. If I wasn't still enjoying my footy, I wouldn't play out the year just for the sake of it."