VFL: Coburg captain and ruckman Tom Goodwin is leaving the Lions

COBURG captain and star ruckman Tom Goodwin says leaving the club ‘was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life’.

COBURG has been rocked by the departure of its captain and inspirational ruckman Tom Goodwin.

The 26-year-old told the club last Thursday that he had decided to move on after four years at the City Oval.

He’s already being linked to other VFL clubs, including Port Melbourne, but Goodwin said this morning he would also weigh up offers from local and even interstate clubs.

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He said it was a difficult decision to leave the Burgers but he had “grown stale’’ and wanted a fresh start and to enjoy some team success.

“What does the future hold? I don’t know at this stage,’’ Goodwin said.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Coburg, made a lot of friends. It certainly wasn’t an easy decision to make. In fact it was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life.’’

He said he wished the Lions all the best as they strived to climb the ladder.

Goodwin, the son of former AFL defender Andy, joined Coburg from Box Hill Hawks in 2015 and has developed into one of the league’s best big men.

He won the Burgers’ best and fairest in 2016 and was appointed captain and represented the VFL last year.

His departure is a heavy blow for Coburg, which finished the season on the bottom of the ladder with only one win.

Its 2017 best and fairest Liam Hunt walked out midway through this season.