That was what Greater Western Sydney told defender Jack Hombsch before the South Australian sought a trade home to Port Adelaide late last year.
The 20-year-old played nine games for Giants and looked capable of holding down a key defensive position, but the GWS coaches felt differently.
They told him he was "undersized" to play a key position, but he always felt comfortable playing the role.
Hombsch made an impressive debut for his new side against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, slotting in to the Power's backline without trouble.
He collected 22 disposals in his first appearance in Power colours and was one of the club's best in its disappointing nine-point loss to the Bulldogs.
On Monday, Hombsch insisted he didn't hold a grudge towards his former team, saying he still had great friends at the Giants.
"Towards the end of last year and I was at home in the off season and we were ready to go back for the pre-season and it just came up that I probably wouldn't get too many senior opportunities with the Giants," Hombsch said.
"'Gubby' Allan (Graeme Allan) and 'SOS' (Stephen Silvagni) spoke to us and said 'we don't think you'll play too may senior games' and then my manager helped me come to Port.
"I was a bit smaller, undersized for a key position player but nothing particularly, they just thought there's four or five other key defenders on their list and they thought they were better than me.
"It was disappointing, I really enjoyed my time up there.
"[But] I'm not angry with them or anything like that."
While disappointing, Hombsch said the episode showed him the "ruthless" side of professional football. He admitted it made him value his time in the League more than he had done so before.
"Being a young player, you can sort of coast through your first two or three years and I got a bit of a shock pretty early I guess," he said.
"It did kick me into gear a bit, it makes you think 'it's a business, footy, and it's pretty ruthless sometimes'.
"Coming here (Port Adelaide) I knew I had to do everything I can because it gives you a bit of a shock sometimes."
Meanwhile, the Power will know on Tuesday whether ruckman Jarrad Redden's season is over after he had scans on his badly injured his shoulder on Monday morning.
Redden's shoulder "subluxed" against the Bulldogs, meaning it popped out of place before popping back in.
The Power must now wait for a medical report of the scans, but a club spokesman said initial signs allowed room for hope the injury wasn't as bad as first thought.
Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.
