Mandurah football product Nathan Wilson grew up in a purple jumper, kicking the footy with his mates down at Rushton Park.
So when the time came for the ex-GWS Giant to request a trade out of western Sydney to be closer to his Mandurah-based family, he had just one club in mind.
Now, officially a Fremantle Docker, Wilson said he couldn’t be happier to be playing for the team he grew up supporting.
“I was stoked that it (the trade) got done and the ‘missus’ was crying and the family was crying,” Wilson told reporters at a press conference on Thursday.
“It’s a dream come true to come and play back home.”
The new Docker even recaptured some of his boyhood distaste for cross-town rivals West Coast, making it clear that his loyalties lie with the purple haze.
“It was Freo or bust, I don’t like Eagles,” he said.
“You’re either Freo or Eagles, and I’m Freo.”
Wilson found out about his trade – which occurred on the last day of trade week – from a Fremantle fan who happened to be on the same Perth to Bali flight as the 24-year-old last week.
“As soon as I landed my roaming wasn’t working to find out if I’d been traded or not, so he came up to me and said welcome back to Perth,” he said.
“We started chatting and he showed me the trade and that it had been done.”
Now the Peel Thunder product’s focus turns to helping Fremantle rebuild as they aim at a return to the top four in the coming seasons.
“(We’re) a young group, and hopefully, we can stay together for the next five to six years and take this team where we want to be, and that’s to the top.”
“I know we’re in a rebuild stage, which I’m happy to help.
“The Giants were in a similar situation. I know there’s a lot of young boys here as well and I can’t wait to start the pre-season and start the 2018 season here.”
Wilson’s first season with the Dockers will kick off on the road with a game against Port Adelaide, before returning home as Fremantle hosts the first game under lights at the new Perth Stadium in round two.