Ryan Griffen said the expectations of captaining the Western Bulldogs had weighed him down.
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Star Greater Western Sydney recruit Ryan Griffen says he was on the verge of quitting the AFL after the responsibility of captaining the Western Bulldogs destroyed his enjoyment of the game.
After being traded to the Giants on a four-year deal, Griffen said he was confident he could rediscover his love for the game in the relative anonymity of western Sydney.
Speaking for the first time since informing the Bulldogs of his of his desire to leave, he pleaded with his old fans to understand why he had chosen to move on.
“There was a range of things. The captaincy weighed me down a fair bit, I felt like I didn’t really fit the role,” Griffen said.
“I found myself in a hole. If I’d stayed at the Bulldogs for another 12 months I would have ended up leaving the game … I’m getting a bit emotional about it but I needed a change.
“You don’t want it to come to this but life’s too short to be unhappy and feeling not great about yourself. Family and my girlfriend come first and that’s why I made the decision.
“You get into a routine at a footy club and you get complacent and the motivation stops. That’s where I was at.
“The motivation had completely gone.
“I was dead honest I was going to give the game away.”
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