New Brisbane Lions recruit Trent West was on a community visit with his now former Geelong teammates when he was first advised that he could be headed north.

The news was delivered just a couple of days before the trade deadline, so West was forced to make a quick decision on his future.

The circumstances were made even more difficult considering he was based in a remote area of the Northern Territory and was unable to meet his prospective new club in person.

But regular phone calls from Lions staff, including new Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch, eventually convinced him to move north.

“I didn’t know (I could be headed to Brisbane) until probably two nights before the trade period finished,” West told SEN’s Morning Glory on Thursday.

“I was on a community trip with Geelong, so I couldn’t really get (to Brisbane) in a hurry.

“It sort of happened that quickly. One of my really good mates was there and it’s hard to talk about that stuff with your teammates.”

West, who was contracted to Geelong for another season, said an extended contract, the potential for more game time, and the Lions’ young list were all deciding factors in the end.

“I could have stayed at Geelong, but I just had to weigh everything up and do what would be best for me in the future,” he said.

“(The Lions have) a great bunch of guys up there – and they’re mostly young guys.

“I’m really optimistic about the move up there and starting training next week.”

West, who was part of the Cats’ 2011 premiership side, said he was now looking forward to potentially working in tandem with Matthew Leuenberger.

“No one can guarantee you games and (Leuenberger’s) a top ruckman,” he said.

“But maybe I can pinch a couple of goals down forward.”