HE IS the AFL’s newest million-dollar man but Shane Mumford says security was more important than dollar signs when he decided to join the Sydney Swans.

With Darren Jolly headed to Collingwood, the Swans swooped on Mumford midway through trade week, signing him to a four-year deal worth at least $250,000 a season.

It was an offer that the Cats simply couldn’t match – not in terms of playing time, nor remuneration – and the former Geelong rookie opted to head north.

However, the 23-year-old from Bunyip in country Victoria said money was always a secondary consideration.

“That was the biggest thing for me – the whole four-year deal. You know what you’re doing for the next four years. It’s perfect, really,” he said.

“[The money] was sort of a bonus. The fact that I was going to be playing every week was my biggest thing.

“At Geelong, I would have still been 50-50 whether I was going to get a game and Sydney pretty much said to me that I’d be playing.

“It was a pretty tough thing to do because I’d had the [Geelong] coaches come and see me. I sat there for half a day with my old man talking it over and only came to a decision late that night.”

Mumford played 18 games for Geelong during the premiership season but he was overlooked for the Cats’ ultimately successful finals campaign in favour of Brad Ottens.

“There wasn’t much I could really do about it,” he said of watching the finals from the stands.

“I just kept training as if I was going to play and it just didn’t happen. It was a bit upsetting but you get that – it’s footy.”

Despite his late-season omission, Mumford said it had been a difficult decision to leave the club that gave him a start in the big league.

“It was a pretty tough call. I really enjoyed the club and the people around the club, but it just came down to the opportunities on offer,” he said.

The strongly-built ruckman is a far cry from the talented young country footballer who tipped the scales at 130kg less than three years ago.

Determined to make the most of his talent, Mumford changed his diet, upped his fitness regime and stripped 25 kilos from his burly frame.

His strong form for Bunyip earned him a handful of games with Geelong’s reserves side in 2007 and, sporting a leaner frame, he earned a rookie contract with the Cats for the following season.

Two years and 21 senior games later, Mumford will team with ex-Eagle Mark Seaby in a new-look ruck combination as the Swans chase a finals berth.

“It’s a massive, massive turnaround,” he admitted. “It’s funny; I sort of look back and just wonder ‘What was I thinking?’”

Despite his relative lack of senior AFL experience, Mumford believed he was ready to play a major role for his new club and justify the Swans’ show of faith.

“I’d like to think I am, but it will just be a wait and see thing. You can’t predict the future. I’m going to push myself and work as hard as I can to have a massive impact,” he said.