Orazio Fantasia has rubbished a report suggesting he could be on the move back to Victoria, declaring he wants to play for Port Adelaide.
The Age earlier this week reported Fantasia had informed Essendon captain Zach Merrett of his desire to return to the Bombers, where he started his career back in 2014.
Fantasia requested a trade home to South Australia in 2020 but has managed 19 games in almost three seasons with the Power due to consistent injury problems.
He has been relegated to the SANFL on occasions this year, which is reported to be part of his hope to move away from Alberton.
But Fantasia rubbished those suggestions on Friday morning.
“I actually thought it was a joke because I got a message from Sam (McClure) who was writing the article saying he’d spoken to my manager Michael - who’s no longer my manager – and I’m going to write the story,” he told FiveAA Radio.
“I thought it was one of the boys taking the p--s out of me. It wasn’t and it’s gone everywhere so that was a bit of a laugh.
“I know where I want to be but I’m also realistic to know I haven’t played enough football at Port Adelaide for them to be dishing out a four-year contract, which is where I want to play footy.
“Hopefully I can help in the back end of the year and the contract will take care of themselves.”
Fantasia added: “I want to be in Adelaide, that’s the biggest thing… I still feel like I’ve got a lot of football left in me.”
However, it could all be Déjà vu for the agile forward who has 141 goals to his name.
Fantasia, however, spruiked a similar narrative at Essendon before heading to Port Adelaide. In 2019, a year before he moved, he told reporters about a similar report: “I read that today, it was a bit of a laugh.
“I signed last year in August, so I'm pretty sure that shows my commitment to this football club.”
Fantasia has been battling a small hamstring strain but says he plans to play at least the first half in the SANFL this weekend.
He’s kicked over 20 goals in a season on five occasions but has fallen behind the likes of Junior Rioli, Darcy Byrne-Jones, Jed McEntee and others in the small forward department this season.