Brodie Grundy has admitted that there was some pull in heading back home to South Australia during his contract negotiations with Collingwood.
After plenty of speculation, the star ruckman finally confirmed he had signed a seven-year contract in the middle of last month, putting to bed any chance of a move to Adelaide.
Grundy says there was “appeal” to return to his home state to be closer to family, but the two-time All-Australian indicated that even though the Crows were keen they failed to put forward an overture that was too good to refuse.
Asked on SEN SA’s Kymbo & The Rooch if there was any reality in him leaving the Magpies and just how close he came to returning home, Grundy said: “It got close in my mum’s heart.
“She wanted me back badly. Obviously I’m from Adelaide and my partner (Rachael) is from Adelaide.
“It’s something that was definitely there in terms of the appeal.
“There wasn’t anything hard and fast in terms of Adelaide coming for me. As it tends to be, there was a narrative that was spun and I just had to keep playing good footy and eventually things transpired with Collingwood.
“Having said that, I love South Australia. That will always be home to me.”
Grundy, 25, also said focusing on footy wasn’t too difficult a task for him amidst the constant media conjecture.
“No, it wasn’t a distraction. It was something that obviously I acknowledge as part and parcel of being in the industry,” he added.
“I’ve got great support around me to keep me grounded and level-headed to weigh up all those things that you need to when you are talking about a contract of that length.
“Which was family, whether I want to have kids, where do I want to have a future etc, etc. It’s a lot more of a decision than just where I want to play football, and you’ve got to take the time to appreciate those things.”
Listen to Grundy's chat with Michelangelo Rucci and Kym Dillon below:
