However, an impressive presentation from St Kilda swayed him to return to Victoria and continue his career with the Saints after a single AFL match with the Swans in 2014.
Speaking on Wednesday as the Saints first- to fourth-year players began pre-season training, Membrey said he felt assured after hearing what St Kilda had to offer.
"They came to me and made a presentation and it was really professional. I just thought it was the right fit for me," he said.
"This is going to be a good, young team and I'm going to enjoy playing with them."
Membrey spent two years with the Swans but was always going to be starved for opportunities once Lance Franklin joined the club at the start of last season.
Rather than see the superstar's recruitment as a blow to his own aspirations of playing senior football, he used it as an opportunity to watch and train alongside some of the best forwards in the game.
"I knew it would be harder to crack into the team, but I was happy he was there," he said. "I learned so much from Buddy."
It wasn't just Franklin, but Sam Reid, Adam Goodes and Kurt Tippett who kept him out of the Swans side.
But Membrey took it well and believes the entire Swans experience taught him a lessons he hoped to bring with him to St Kilda.
"Don’t waste a session and don’t just go out there and go through the motions and get it over and done with," he said.
"They took every session very seriously and very professionally up there with training, recovery and preparation for games. They’re such superstars of the competition."
Membrey expects to play up forward for the Saints, but standing 188cm isn’t quite sure he is ready to be pegged as purely a key forward for a club that doesn't have an abundance of them.
"I spoke to 'Richo' (coach Alan Richardson) about it. It is going to be a few different things, playing a bit further up the ground but deep as well.
"I don’t want to get too far away from the goals because I see that as one of my strengths, but once I work on my endurance and my fitness, it is going to be a bit of both.
"Being a forward can be tough because it's up and down the ground. But I’m looking forward to it," he said.
