Rugby league legend Greg Inglis almost switched codes and joined the AFL.

The indigenous superstar of the NRL told Triple M radio on Friday he came very close to signing for Essendon, with St Kilda also being for his services.

Inglis found himself looks for a new challenge after his NRL club Melbourne Storm were busted for salary cap violations in 2010.

South Sydney and Brisbane Broncos were seen as hot favourites to sign him, but the AFl was also very interested.

In December 2010 he met with Essendon and told Triple M he was close to going to the Bombers.

‘We had AFL, NFL. I almost stayed in Melbourne because I loved the culture so much that I almost signed with Essendon,’ Inglis said.

‘I went there when James Hird was the coach at the time. I went in there and they were like, “Oh yeah, we’ll play you, how much are you weighing now?”

‘And just say I was weighing – I think it was the first time I ever got to, you know, 105kg, 106kg. Mate, I was 80-odd kilos when I came in [to the NRL].

Inglis was also being courted by the NFL.

“We had the New YorkGiants at the time and we had the Houston Texans,’ Inglis said, adding that both clubs wanted him as a running back.

Greg Inglis was assistant coach for Queensland women during their recent Origin series against NSW.

“American sport doesn’t interest me … I can’t gravitate to it,” he added.

“With the NFL, I was like, I couldn’t be bothered. You’ve got to be really into it and I wasn’t.”

Finally he signed for South Sydney – a decision that proved to be good – he scored 71 tries in 146 matches for the Bunnies, including one in the 2014 Grand Final win over the Bulldogs.