That was the career crossroads facing Jayden Pitt last year when the ex-Fremantle youngster was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. And while Pitt was forced to prematurely end his promising playing career, the 21-year-old isn't finished with football just yet.
Pitt, the 20th pick in the 2010 draft, was forced to retire at the end of last season after being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a serious condition which can lead to heart failure, in March 2013.
A routine electrocardiogram picked up an abnormality with Pitt's heart, and further tests showed the muscle was enlarged.
Speaking for the first time since he retired, Pitt said he was told by specialists that his life was in danger if he continued to play football.
"I had no symptoms," Pitt told AFL.com.au.
"A lot of people who have it don't have symptoms but obviously some people do, and that was the most frustrating thing.
"I wasn't having any symptoms, but they were telling me I couldn't play. I felt fine and completed pre-season, so that was disappointing.
"I had to wait for mum and dad to come over. We all saw the specialist together in Perth, and at that stage I was told I couldn't play football."
A devastated Pitt returned to his hometown of Geelong with his family to deal privately with the news that his AFL career was over in just its third year.
To his credit, Pitt didn’t spent too long dwelling on his condition; instead he chose to look at the positives.
"I was pretty emotional and devastated at the time, so were my mum and dad, but I guess I couldn't really do much about it," Pitt said.
"How I saw it was not to be too greedy or selfish. I have been lucky enough to do what I wanted to do in life and that was to play AFL. I did that, so I can't be too greedy.
"For [my AFL career] to be cut short is obviously devastating, but as a lot of people have told me there's more to life than football. It's about enjoying life. Not everything is about playing AFL football."
Pitt continues to see a specialist in Melbourne every six months to monitor the size of his heart, but is now able to enjoy a relatively normal life.
"I can now do whatever I want except play football; I'm still able to do some of the things I love like surfing, and playing golf," he said.
"The hardest thing for me was discovering what to do next. I caught up with a few career counsellors through the AFLPA who have been really good. Obviously [Fremantle] has been really good as well."
While Pitt's playing days are over, he's not been lost completely to football. In addition to starting a primary teaching degree at Deakin University, two weeks ago Pitt joined his older brother Matt at Leopold football club as a development coach.
While he's not sure if he will pursue a career in coaching, Pitt told AFL.com.au he is enjoying being involved again with a football club.
"I just wanted to stay a part of football, it's that team environment that I really love in football," he said.
"I spoke to a couple of other clubs in the Geelong area, but I think coming to Leopold was a perfect fit for me with Matt being here. I was a bit more comfortable and had previously known a few of the coaches through my junior football, so Leopold for me was the most comfortable decision.
"I'm just testing it out to see if I like it. That's why coming to Leopold was such a good idea for me. At this stage I'm really enjoying being part of the football environment."
Pitt's brother Matt was full of praise for his younger sibling, and says his sunny disposition had seen him make the best of a bad situation.
"Jayden's been great," his brother said.
"Obviously it's been a big shock for him. It took a while for him to get his head around it all. But he's moved on, looking at uni and obviously a fresh start here at Leopold in a coaching role.
"Jayden's made some huge steps forward in the last 12 months."
