DELISTED Brisbane Lion Josh Green's mid-year decision to put contract talks on hold was never about money, his manager has declared.

The small forward's six-year stint at the Lions ended on Tuesday after he failed to find a new home during the NAB AFL Trade Period and he is keen for a fresh start. 

Green wasn't surprised at the Lions' decision and remained hopeful of finding a new club as a delisted free agent, his manager Alex McDonald from McDonald Sports Management said. 

McDonald said Green had paused negotiations on a potential three-year deal to assess where his football future would be best served after a slow start to the season, and not due to a pay dispute, as reports claimed on Tuesday.

Lions forward declares he's open to a move

Green now faces an uncertain couple of weeks but McDonald said the pacy goalsneak was optimistic he could rekindle his career after injuries and opportunities restricted him to just 10 goals from 11 AFL games in 2016.

However, Green understood hard work was required if he wanted to return to his best, McDonald added.

"A foot injury forced him to miss 10 weeks in the pre-season, which impacted on him early in the season," he said.

"He gained some momentum in the back half of the year in a forward line where opportunities were limited at times, before being sidelined once again through injury at season's end.

"He enjoyed his time at the Lions but is now ready to attack the next phase of his career with renewed purpose."

Between 2013-2015, Green kicked 82 goals in 53 games, becoming a key part of the mosquito fleet that prospered at the Gabba. He led the club's goalkicking in 2014 and 2015.

Taken at No.32 in the 2010 NAB AFL Draft, Green played his best game of 2016 for the Lions in round 18 when the club defeated Essendon, but was starved of opportunities up forward in a team that rarely won the inside 50 count. 

The delisted free agency period opens on November 1.