FORMER Brisbane captain Dayne Beams says his "heart has always been with" Collingwood, hours after the two clubs sealed a deal to send the 2010 premiership player back to the Magpies. 

Eyebrows were raised when it emerged Beams confirmed his long-rumoured desire to leave the Lions and return to Victoria for personal reasons, nominating the Pies as the one club he wanted to play for.

NAB AFL TRADE HUB Latest news, videos and live blog

In a video posted to Collingwood's Twitter account shortly after Wednesday night's Trade Period deadline, Beams expressed his delight at donning the black and white again.

"I'm super stoked to be back home. My heart's always been with this footy club and I've got to thank the club for allowing me to go back to Brisbane four years ago and spend some time with my dad, but I'm super happy now," Beams said.

The 28-year-old went expanded on his thinking on Channel Nine later in the evening.

"I can fully understand where people come from in terms of, if he wants to return to Victoria, it should be (to) any club," Beams said.

"For me, Collingwood are the club I started my career with and I've always had a real soft spot for. It's never felt right playing against them…

"I would've rather have stayed in Brisbane for 12 months and revisited the situation than play for any other Melbourne club. We were prepared to do that."

TRADE TRACKER See every move as it happens

Beams also said he didn't regret making his heartfelt speech at the Lions' best and fairest, when he declared to the playing group "I bloody love you" and reiterated his desire to stay.

"I don't regret it. Looking at it now, it probably sent the wrong message, but you've got to understand, at the time, I thought I was still going to be a Brisbane Lions player," Beams said. 

"It was only post the B&F that the more serious discussions about the trade being a possibility started to happen.

"The message I sent to my teammates, I stand by. I love my teammates at the Brisbane Lions. The amount of support they've shown me over the last six-to-nine months has been huge." 

He admitted to a strained relationship with Magpies coach Nathan Buckley when he left at the end of 2014, but said that had been fixed.

"I've had some conversations with him about how I wasn't happy with him about the way that we left," Beams said.

"I think I've matured as a person. I've had a lot going on in the last four years, and I think he's also matured in the last four years. 

"Our relationship, as it sits now, is a very strong one, and I can't wait to get back and play for him."

INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER Your club's picks

His reason for originally signing a six-year deal with Brisbane was because he thought his then-ill father had longer to live.

Beams' father passed away earlier in 2018, and with only his mother and brother Claye (recently delisted by the Lions) in Queensland, compared to his whole dad's side and his wife Kelly's family in Melbourne, a move was logical.

"The passing of my father was well-documented throughout the year, and the struggles that I had, with some mental illness issues and some grief," Beams said.

"To be honest, I'm still working through those issues. By no means have they gone away.

"I went to the footy club just before the season had finished and we had a really mature conversation – myself, (CEO) Greg Swann and (football manager) David Noble – about the possibility of maybe returning to Victoria.

"I was as honest as I could be with them (and) I let them know that in two years' time, I wouldn't be signing another contract with Brisbane and I'd be coming back to Melbourne, basically so that they could get the best possible outcome for their footy club because I love the Brisbane Lions footy club."

WHO'S LEAVING YOUR CLUB? All the latest retirements and delistings

Going back to Victoria was obvious for Beams. 

"It felt right. To be honest, it's one of the only things this year that's made sense to me and I've been really clear in my head that being back in Victoria is where I need to be right now," Beams said. 

"I make decisions based on that I'm a father, and I'm a husband. I don't make decisions from a football point of view.

"I do what's best for my family and at the moment, with the stuff that I am still going through, it was best for me to get back to Victoria and be around my family."

Rate your club's Trade Period

How did your club fare at the trade table?

You can use the form below to rate your club's NAB AFL Trade and Free Agency Period out of 10. If you like, you can also have your say on your side's deal-making.

We'll publish the results and best responses on AFL.com.au on Saturday, October 20.  

Form not working on the app? Click here to open in a web view