GEELONG recruit Josh Caddy says homesickness often played on his mind during his two seasons with Gold Coast.

The 20-year-old midfielder, who grew up in Melbourne's northern suburbs, made the comments at his first press conference as a Geelong player, which was held at Simonds Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Watch Josh Caddy's highlights

"I'm very close with my family and I just love the environment of Victoria, the footy atmosphere and that sort of stuff," Caddy said.

"I suppose I just really wanted to play footy in Victoria again, so I made that decision and stuck with it.

"I'd like to think I'm a pretty strong character and could've played footy up there.

"But I think playing AFL footy is hard enough as it is, so I think your heart's got to be completely in it.

"To be completely honest, my heart wasn't completely in playing footy for the Gold Coast, just because I'd rather be living in Victoria."

Caddy, who was selected by the Suns with pick seven in the 2010 NAB AFL Draft, requested a trade to a Victorian club shortly after the Suns' season ended in early September.

The deal between Gold Coast and Geelong, which involves the Suns securing the second compensation pick the Cats received for losing Gary Ablett, was announced on Wednesday.

However, some aspects of the agreement won't be revealed until after the Gillette Free Agency Period has concluded.

"I'm rapt," Caddy said. "I came down here about three weeks ago and there's just something about this place. It's pretty special and I'm rapt to be here."

During that visit, he was given a tour of Geelong by Cats skipper Joel Selwood and vice-captain Jimmy Bartel.

"Those boys showed me around and had a chat to me, and I had a bit of a bite to eat with them," Caddy explained.

"They're definitely two of the players I admire most in the competition. To get to know them and learn off them is a dream really."

Caddy remains close friends with a large number of his former Gold Coast teammates, and he believes the Suns will emerge as a powerful force in years to come.

"I know that the Gold Coast are going to be very successful in the future, and that was something I had to walk away from," he said.

"So I understand I'm probably going to watch them have a fair bit of success in the future, but … my heart was in coming back to Victoria and I'm happy with my decision."

Adam McNicol covers Geelong news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter at @AFL_AdamMcNicol