NSW Origin star Tom Trbojevic enjoyed playing Australian rules football but was always more passionate about rugby league despite getting praise from a current AFL star.
Trbojevic once spent time at the academy of AFL club Sydney Swans alongside Isaac Heeney, who has developed into one of the club's key players
Last week Heeney said Trbojevic could have played in almost any position and was impressed with his mobility, fitness and toughness.
He felt Trbojevic, who scored a hat-trick of tries from centre in NSW's series-levelling win in Origin II, was the one that got away from Australian rules.
Heeney thought Trbojevic might have been able to slot into a forward role like Nick Blakey, the Swans latest successful academy graduate and a recent Rising Star nominee.
"I don't know about that, but I'm enjoying these comparisons," Trbojevic told AAP.
"But I can't even kick a ball on my good foot let alone my bad foot.
"I don't really think what could have been, but you never really know.
"'I used to play everywhere, in the ruck, forward, I wasn't even that good.
"I used to enjoy playing the game but I was always more passionate towards rugby league."
Trbojevic's older brother and Manly and NSW teammate Jake, who was man-of-the-match in Origin II, never flirted with Australian rules,
"I didn't play any other sport, I just played rugby league," he said.
"I'm too slow to do anything else, or jump for AFL."
Meanwhile, Tom Trbojevic has had no trouble staying grounded and not getting carried away after his scoring heroics in Perth.
"I come from a humble family, so it's not really too hard to be honest," he said.
"I didn't have to work too hard for the three tries, so I don't really talk about it too much."
