1976 Brownlow medallist Graham Moss has opened up on why he decided to prematurely leave Essendon and head back to Western Australia.
Despite playing just four seasons at Essendon and winning the game’s highest individual honour, the Western Australia local left the Bombers to head back to Claremont at the end of the 1976 season.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Melbourne, the footy over there is fantastic,” Moss told This Is Your Sporting Life thanks to Tobin Brothers Funerals.
“In those days the VFL, Melbourne and Victoria was the mecca of football in Australia and as a youngster growing up and developing my game in Perth, it was dream to go to Melbourne and Essendon gave me that opportunity.
“I enjoyed my time there and so did my wife but there were a set of circumstances that came up where I was offered up opportunity to captain and coach (Claremont), my old team.
“I’d always think that I’d go back and finish my football career there and this was an opportunity that presented itself and I thought that if I didn’t grab in then it wouldn’t presented itself again in the future.
“That’s the main reason I headed home.”
Moss was a three-time best and fairest winner at Essendon in his four years at the club and captained the side in his Brownlow medal-winning season in 1976.