Once Shaun's mind is set on something that's usually what he does.
He'll see what he thinks is right and do it regardless of other people's opinions. I'll always admire him for that.
I remember him telling me a story a few years back about how none of his 14 or 15 first cousins had ever been married.
Shaun was the first one to actually say, 'No, this is what I want to do' and so he did.
That's just the sort of person he is, so I'm thinking we’ll need to sort out a trade.
I've already told Shaun that even though we're very good friends and have had some great experiences together, sometime in the near future he's going to feel like I'm being pretty tough on both him and the club he wants to go to.
But it has to be that way. I have to look after this club first.
He's trying to improve his position and get to where he wants to be, so we have to have our own interests in mind.
We're still mindful of what we can get for the trade and hopefully the outcome of that is positive for the club.
There's talk that Hawthorn is willing to offer pick No.9 to get Shaun.
But history will show that Chris Judd cost Carlton pick No.3 as well as Josh Kennedy, so I wouldn't think that pick No.9 would be a good match. I'm not interested in a blue-sky pick.
Shaun Burgoyne is a brilliant player and the team that gets him will be very, very lucky.
Undoubtedly, this year was Shaun's most disappointing.
He'd never had an injury that kept him out of the game for so long and I think his desire to leave is based a lot around what happened this year in regards to his knee injury.
A person like Shaun creates his self-esteem from what he's able to do on the field, so three months of sitting around watching the team left him feeling completely useless.
He builds his position in the side based on his performances and after missing 13 weeks he felt like his worth at the club had diminished.
It's a really difficult time. I went and saw him after he had his knee operation and then again after that because he wanted to talk to me about his decision.
I sat down with Shaun and his wife Amy for over an hour and he expressed his desire to try something new and challenge himself in Victoria.
I don't take it personally and I encourage all our supporters to understand the effort, the time and the superb performances that Shaun has put in over the years.
He has provided us with more than his fair share of highlights.
During his time at Port Adelaide, Shaun displayed absolute brilliance in three areas of the ground.
As a small, rebounding defender he was one of the best. He kicked five goals as a forward in a game against Hawthorn in 2003 and in the midfield his ability to read the taps, get out of small spaces and make decisions under pressure was terrific.
Luke Hodge has the versatility to play and dominate in three areas on the ground, but not too many other players do and I think it sets them apart from the rest.
I don't expect Shaun leaving will have a domino effect on the other players at the club.
His decision to go is certainly disappointing, but Danyle Pearce has already come to see me to see if he can take his position.
There have been brilliant players go out of this club in the past, but we always go on and there will be different ways to climb to the top of the mountain again.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
