Brisbane champion and former AFL coach Michael Voss revealed Collingwood and Sydney had separate cracks at signing him.
Voss initially played for the Brisbane Bears, but he explains the Pies came knocking when he was in Year 11, after his first season in the AFL.
“I never had too many offers because I was very comfortable where I was,” Voss said on AFL Trade Radio.
“But the two distinct periods of time that I remember was the first one - the end of the 1992 season. I only played seven games of football in my first season.
“I was in Year 11 in school, and Collingwood came knocking. We didn't have mobile phones then, so you actually had to be home to actually accept a call. My dad got a phone call from a third party, let's just say from the Collingwood Football Club, and the offer at that particular time to move over the next three years was $100,000 a year.
“Now, why that's significant is because I wasn't on a massive amount of money over that period of time. It was about $500 for a loss and $1,500 a win. So, it used to get me a Big M and Cherry Ripe at school at lunch break.
“But the contract that I signed was $20,000 base. I was looking over this yesterday, and it looked like it was $1,500 a game. And then club championship, I sort of threw that in there as well, and that sort of covered off the 94/95 season.
“So, the $100,000 was interesting. My dad never actually told me, though, about the contract. It just shows that he's not a very good negotiator at all.
“And Shane O'Sullivan (long-time Carlton administrator), ironically, was the guy who I think started the conversation around some of these contracts at the Lions before he obviously moved on. But that was the first one.”
Ironically, Voss inflicted pain on the Pies during the Brisbane Lions three-peat, defeating Collingwood in the 2002 and 2003 grand finals.
Voss then reflected on the Swans' pursuit, which was at the time of his emergence as a future star of the competition.
The brutal on-baller just claimed his first best and fairest award, earning the Bears' 1995 nod.
“The second one was Sydney, and it was at the end of the 1995 season where Sydney came, and sort of said, ‘Look, you know, we want you to come to Sydney',” Voss added.
“I ended up signing a three-year contract (to stay at the Bears). ‘96, ‘97 and ‘98. Let's just say it was a lot more than what is actually in this one as well.”
Voss signed a three-year extension with the Bears, and remained at the club as they rebranded to the Lions, which proved fortuitous.
Voss would then become a three-time premiership player, five-time All-Australian, two-time Leigh Matthews MVP trophy, five-time best and fairest winner and captained Brisbane for 10 years.
