THE BIRTH of his son Charlie forced Bryce Gibbs to re-evaluate what was important in his life and it was his desire to be closer to family that was behind his successful trade request.
The former Blue was traded to Adelaide in the 2017 trade period in a deal that netted Carlton two first-round draft picks.
It followed a failed trade request the previous year when the Crows and Blues could not agree on terms and saw Gibbs return to Carlton for the 2017 season.
Gibbs, who signed a five-year deal with Carlton in 2014, spoke frankly about the reasons behind his trade.
"When I signed that five-year contract I certainly had no intentions of coming back to Adelaide," he told The Adelaide Advertiser.
"Me and my fiancee (Lauren) are both from Adelaide but we were very happy in Melbourne, we loved the club and the lifestyle there.
"But when the little fella (Charlie) came along your mindset, your outlook, changes. Suddenly it wasn't about us anymore, it was about him … and our families.
"During the first two years of raising Charlie we decided that if it was possible for us to get back to Adelaide we would try to do it.
"Last year we attempted it but it didn’t happen. This year it worked out."
Gibbs revealed the tough conversations he had with Blues coach Brendon Bolton during his exit meeting at the end of the 2017 season.
Throughout 2017 Gibbs said he had put aside thoughts of returning home, but Bolton was keen to hear what his plans were.
"It wasn't easy eyeballing the coach and telling him for the second year in a row that I was keen to go home if the right deal could be worked out, but he understood and was good about it," Gibbs said.
"Then all of a sudden it gathered momentum as the trade period unfolded. Even with two or three days before the trade deadline I didn't think it was going to happen because there wasn’t much dialogue between Carlton and Adelaide.
"Then the ball started rolling late on and the next minute the deal was over the line."
After his first trade request at the end of 2016 was denied, Gibbs said he felt a lot of mixed emotions.
However, conversations with teammates at skipper Marc Murphy's bucks party in Las Vegas helped him deal with the disappointment of not being able to return home.
"I needed to go back to Carlton, train hard in the pre-season like I had for the previous 11 years and invest again with the club that I had grown to love.
"What made that easier was that I was going back to a club where there was no bitterness because I wasn't trying to leave for money or because I'd had a fallout with anyone. My reasons were based purely on family. So it was business as usual when I returned."
Gibbs played 231 games for Carlton after making his debut in round one 2007.
He won the Blues' best and fairest award in 2014 and placed fourth in the count this year.
