Following the Storm’s 2010 salary cap saga, Inglis was forced from the club, much to his disappointment.

Hoping to remain in Melbourne, Inglis entertained the idea of joining the AFL.

The Bombers tabled an offer and had several meetings with the NRL star in the hope of luring him to the club.

Amazingly, he almost signed.

“I was very close to signing,” Inglis told Fox’s Queenslanders only.

 “I didn’t want to leave Melbourne and Essendon approached my manager.

“I was sitting in the Essendon board room with my James Hird and the Essendon CEO and training staff.

“We were going through a few things and how much weight they wanted me to lose.”

Inglis said having to lose so much weight and transform his body was the determinging factor in him remaining in the NRL.

He consequently signed with South Sydney before helping them to the 2014 premiership.

“In the end I told them I would love to but I didn’t want to run that far,” Inglis joked.  

“Back then I weighed 106kg and they wanted me to get down to 92 or 93kg.”