FORMER Melbourne star Jeff Farmer says leaving the Demons to return to his native state of Western Australia and play with Fremantle was one of the toughest decisions of his career.

The much-loved former Demon and Docker said that returning home after playing 118 of his 249 AFL matches with Melbourne from 1995-2001 was incredibly difficult.

“Two of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make were to come over to Melbourne to begin with and then [it was] even harder to leave the football club,” he told Dee TV.

“I’ll be the first to admit I absolutely love the Melbourne Football Club – always have, always will. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to play AFL football.

“But at the same time, I’m very family orientated as well. I was always a difficult person to try and get back [from Western Australia to Victoria], when I did go on my break. I’d go back home and basically get caught back up in the family environment.”

Farmer said family was the reason for his return to WA.

“The decision to go home was a hard one, but I felt at the time, it was the right one,” he said.

“Basically, my grandmother had had a massive heart attack and I couldn’t get home, when I would’ve liked to and it just made me really think ‘is it worthwhile playing football over [in Melbourne] and being so far away from my family?’

“It was never about money, because I could’ve stayed at the football club and received the same money, but basically the family strings pulled at my heart and that’s why I had to leave the football club and some wonderful mates I’d made and some wonderful memories behind.

“I’ve always loved the Melbourne Football Club and was very grateful for the opportunity to be able to play football in the first place.”

Farmer, who kicked 76 goals in Melbourne’s 2000 season, the year it lost the Grand Final to Essendon by 60 points, said it was the ultimate bittersweet day.

“I’ve always said the best and the worst day of my life was the Grand Final,” he said.

“To get to the ultimate, in front of nearly almost 100,000 people – and we’ve all dreamed about getting there and dreamed about winning – but sadly we were on the flipside and we ran into a team called Essendon, who were just invincible for the whole season. They were unstoppable and they taught us a lesson that day.

“[But it] was also another highlight that I look back on proudly as well.

“I enjoyed the seven years that I was here and I made some great friendships and some wonderful memories on and off the field.”