GWS defender Aidan Corr. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

KEY defender Aidan Corr will become the latest Greater Western Sydney player to head back to Victoria after confirming he would exercise his rights as a free agent at the end of the season. 

AFL.com.au reported last month that North Melbourne was the leading contender for his services to bolster the Roos' key defensive stocks. 

Corr, 26, joined the Giants with pick No.14 at the 2012 NAB AFL Draft and made his debut in round six the following year. He has played 98 games in his eight seasons at the club, including the entire 2019 finals series as the Giants charged to the Grand Final. 

07:21

The club said in a statement that Corr and his partner intended to return to Victoria to be closer to family after eight years in Sydney. 

"We understand the reasons behind Aidan’s decision and while disappointed, we wish him well for the future," GWS general manager of football Jason McCartney said. 

BARRETT Rivals will come calling after Coniglio's humiliation

Corr was revealed in April as a surprise restricted free agent, meaning he was in the top 25 per cent of player salaries at the Giants in 2020. The restricted clause means that the Giants have the right to match any offer for Corr's services, but the club's statement indicated they won't take up that option. 

Corr is among several Giants who qualify as free agents in 2020, a list headed by restricted free agents Jeremy Cameron and Zac Williams, who is the subject of significant interest from Carlton