Carlton captain Marc Murphy says he was fully supportive of Bryce Gibbs' request to seek a trade back home to Adelaide last year.
The two clubs were unable to come to an agreement for Gibbs, who has three years left on his contract with Carlton, and the former No.1 draft pick will remain in navy blue for at least another season.
However, his close friend and skipper, Marc Murphy, says he would have had no issue if Gibbs had walked out the door, such is his friendship with the 27-year-old.
“He (Gibbs) was also in my bridal party, Gibbsy, so we’re obviously really close mates, so I was sort of a bit aware of it before it all surfaced,” Murphy said on RSN radio on Tuesday morning.
“It was something that Bryce and his family came up with a decision where they thought that if a move could be organised to back home to Adelaide then he wanted to seek that out.
“And as a mate ... I thought it was really important for him if he wanted to go down that path, to do that.”
Despite Gibbs being unable to orchestrate a move to the Crows, Murphy said he is expecting a big season from the Blues' star, who is he says is in a good space.
“Just watching him closely I think he’s in a really good spot,” Murphy said.
“He’s moved on enormously since then. I think the club’s been really terrific in the way it’s handled it as well.
“And he’s training as good as I’ve ever seen him train. He’s in the best condition I’ve ever seen him in and he’s leading terrifically around the footy club, so he’s going to be in the leadership group no doubt again this year.
“And I think the open discussions that he had with the playing group as well after that was really important and it’s almost like never really happened.”