Hawthorn superstar Shaun Burgoyne has spoken about the decision that confronted him in last year's trade period. 

Burgoyne was offered a contract by the Gold Coast Suns to extend his career up north in a similar mould to former teammate Luke Hodge with the Brisbane Lions.

But the four-time premiership player ultimately opted to remain in the brown and gold.

Speaking to The Advertiser’s Black Australia podcast, Burgoyne said the current dynamic of his family was the primary reason for his decision.

“In the end I always wanted to do what’s best for my family and having a young family it probably wasn’t the best thing to do when my oldest son has just gone to high school," Burgoyne said. 

“I was very appreciative of Gold Coast to let me come up there and give me all the information I needed, and in the end I was very happy to stay at Hawthorn.

“It was extremely tough making that decision, but we made the right decision to stay.”

Burgoyne also spoke about the proudest moments of his career, memories that have been immortalised in the limited collection of football memorabilia in his house.

Interestingly, these three pieces all commemorate recent achievements in the brown and gold - his 300th milestone game, his 350th game and Round 10 2017 when he wore the number 67 to honour the 50-year anniversary of a landmark 1967 referendum which saw indigenous Australians included in the census for the first time and gave the federal government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Burgoyne will enter his 11th season at Hawthorn in 2020, and 19th in the AFL overall after beginning his career at Port Adelaide.

“It’s gone so quick, I don’t know why I’m still going but I love the game and love the challenge of competing against younger kids, trying to hold my spot.

"We’ve grown up as kids loving footy.

“My uncles played, all my cousins and brothers and that’s where my love for footy grows, and it’s still there.”