RETIRED Collingwood utility Leigh Brown said he spent every last ounce of his energy on the field in his final AFL game.

The 29-year-old was playing in his 246th match in the Grand Final against Geelong, and at times was used by coach Mick Malthouse in a negating role on star defender Matthew Scarlett. 

When pitted against Scarlett he was the most important Collingwood player on the field, quelling the veteran backman's creative influence.

While he couldn't assess his personal performance post-match - "They won, I don't know what to say" - he said he at least knew he'd given all he had in the premiership decider.

"I'd like to think I go out every week and give it everything I've got," he said after the 38-point loss.

"It doesn't necessarily always pay off and I've had my fair share of criticism, but I'd like to think every week I've gone out and given it my all and tried to play my role for team.

"I felt like I had a crack today. but unfortunately it didn't come off."

Standing near Brown in the rooms post-match was captain Nick Maxwell, who was red-eyed and emotional at the thought of not winning the match for outgoing coach Malthouse.

"It's just a numbness. I don't think it will hit home for a while, how much of an opportunity we've let go and how we can never make it up, no matter what happens from here," Maxwell said.

"It's the numbness more than anything and a sense of guilt for letting Mick [Malthouse] down."

Brown retired at the start of last month with aspirations to move into coaching as early as next season.

He said he had felt good physically throughout the finals series and had enjoyed the lead in to his final game.

"Knowing this one was definitely my last, I felt really good on the track all week and I felt good going into the game," Brown said.

"It would have been nice to have finished with a couple more goals and a win but we didn't get there."

Brown said he would take time to reflect on his career when the dust settled on Saturday's loss.

"Now I'm just really disappointed with the result and shattered really," he said.

"We all dreamed to win and we were lucky enough last year and it would have been super again, but it wasn't meant to be and we're pretty flat.

"I guess there will be time to reflect later on down the track."

Brown also thanked Malthouse, the man Maxwell focused on when he made an emotional plea to the players at three-quarter time when they trailed by just seven points, for giving him a third chance at football after he was delisted by North Melbourne after six seasons.

"He's been super for footy in general. He's an amazing man and I owe a lot to him and Geoff Walsh for giving me that chance to come to Collingwood when it was all over, and then Mick's given me a lot of roles I've been able to go out and play most of the time," he said.

"It's been fun and just disappointing to end on this note."

Brown wants to remain in the game and now will look for an assistant coaching role.

"I haven't really thought about it too much, to be honest," he said.

"I guess over the next couple of weeks we'll sort that out and go from there but I'm really keen to stay involved in a coaching capacity somewhere, so we'll worry about that after the next couple of days."

Jennifer Witham covers Collingwood news for the AFL Website. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham