Which Victorian club did Nick Riewoldt almost join?

Saints great Nick Riewoldt was close to becoming a Magpie at the end of the 2013 AFL season, according to Collingwood president Eddie McGuire.

Towards the end of his career, the star forward had started to feel like a burden on the club.

"He almost came at one stage," McGuire told Fox Footy Live.

"Nick and I had a cup of tea after the Grand Final one year and, look, to be perfectly honest Nick was always torn.

"It was more the St Kilda Football Club weren't treating Nick that well at that stage, and I thought the footy world weren't giving him the respect that he deserved. That's the only reason we had a chat. There was no offer. No offer actually hit the table with Nick, but certainly I said to him, 'Hey look, you could come to Collingwood'.

"St Kilda at that stage were cleaning out their senior players. Nick said to me he didn't want to be a burden on the club, at that stage he had injuries and was giving a one-year contract," McGuire said.

Six-time best-and-fairest winner at the Saints, Riewoldt had explained how the informal offer from McGuire had left him pondering on an international flight that lasted 14 hours.

"I was on a flight the next day over to Texas and I sat on the plane and I don't know how this man does it, but just as the door were about to shut and we were about to taxi out and take off I get a message come though from Eddie," Riewoldt said.

"It was like a novel, about playing on the MCG and playing on ANZAC DAY.

"All I had to think about for the next 14 hours with no phone reception was that bloody text message."

Eddie McGuire noted, however, that Nick Riewoldt had always remain loyal to the Saints.

"At not stage did Nick ask about money, at no stage did Nick say, 'I want to come to Collingwood'," McGuire said.

"His heart was always with the Saints, and maybe it was just really an exercise in Nick wanting to be the Saint player at the end of his career that he went on to become.

"At no stage did Nick want to do anything except play for his beloved Saints.

"But, Nick, if you had have come across mate, we might have been talking about you properly in this conversation and introducing you as a three-time Collingwood premiership player."