"The signs were there last year and three of the last four years have been tough with my broken leg, stress fracture, my ankle and then groins, so it wore me down and I was always fighting against it," Carr said.
"It has been a great honour to represent the Fremantle Football Club over the last eight years and this is the day I'm retiring as a footballer full stop.
"I've had enormous opportunities to come back and play with Fremantle after growing up barracking for East Fremantle and to pull on the purple jumper and give it my best shot is something I'll cherish forever.
Despite his contract running till the end of 2009, Carr says it is best that opportunities be given to his teammates.
"I don't want to be someone that is standing in the way of other guys that need opportunities to prove themselves.
"Guys need to get games into them so that this time next year this club is ready for a tilt at the finals, so I didn't want to stand in the way of that.
"The guys that step in are young blokes with fresh legs and it's hard to compete with them as an older midfielder in the AFL.
"I'm excited for the guys that are going to be given opportunities at the club and we have some talented players here. The club can turn it around and I'm confident they will under Mark's coaching."