Collingwood recruit Lachie Schultz has opened up on his shock Fremantle exit and the reasoning behind his decision to request a trade to Collingwood.
Schultz was among the few surprise trade moves that eventuated over the recent player movement period, with the small forward's desire to return home to Victoria a potential catalyst in Jack Ginnivan's bombshell move to Hawthorn.
Following a year of personal hardship, Schultz and his partner decided on returning to their home state to be closer to family, with rapid, yet smooth, trade talks between the Magpies and Dockers seeing Schultz secure a move to Olympic Park.
A decision on the 26-year-old's future started and ended over the course of a few days, with Collingwood acting swiftly to edge out other rival clubs to land Schultz's signature.
While the Moama native had a contract with Fremantle for 2024, Schultz revealed all parties played their part in helping him return home.
"It did happen pretty quickly," he said on Monday.
"It all sort of happened over a weekend. Me and my partner were back [in Victoria] and had a few personal things happen in the past 12 months. We decided now is the time to come home and if the opportunity arose, we'd go after it.
"It's an absolute privilege to have the best team in the comp come after me. At the same time, I'm so thankful for my time at Freo and I left on really good terms. I loved every minute I had there, and I'm just as excited to start a new chapter."
"I was hopeful it would go through. With one year left on your contract, you still have those nerves about what could happen and the outcome. But at the same time, they showed a lot of belief and desire to get me here.
"It all went through really smoothly."
Schultz had gained interest outside of Collingwood, who had emerged as Schultz's preferred landing spot after initially pressing for a move east.
While the sharpshooting forward did hold discussions elsewhere, Schultz said he's rapt to now call Collingwood home.
"Collingwood was the one we went after and they came after us as well," he revealed.
"There were discussions elsewhere, but at the same time, I was pretty set on coming to the Pies with the success they've had and being such a good club to come home to.
"My full intentions were to come home, and then the (Collingwood) opportunity came from that."
Schultz is set to add to a Magpies squad that's coming down from the highs of a premiership win, with Collingwood's new recruit set to aid the club's flag defence.
The former Williamstown forward will join a lethal front third that consists of Norm Smith Medal winner Bobby Hill and Magpies stalwarts Jamie Elliott and Beau McCreery, only strengthing the powerhouse's club premiership push for 2024.
Now calling greats Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom teammates, Schultz is keen to have an impact on Craig McRae's plans moving forward.
"You look at guys like Pendles and Steele, you watch them growing up and you admire everything about them," Schultz said. "The opportunity to play along with those guys (is exciting).
"I like the way Jamie Elliott goes about it as a small forward, I've always looked at him as a bit of a role model. Even though I was at another team, I just loved the way he goes about it with his forward craft.
"Bobby is at the peak of his powers and he's only going to get better, so to be able to play in a forward line alongside him and Beau McCreery is super exciting."
Schultz's first game in the black and white is likely to come in next year's Opening Round fixture against GWS on Saturday, March 9 at GIANTS Stadium, while a Round 11 trip to Western Australia will see Schultz face his former club at Optus Stadium.