DEPARTING Demon Dom Barry says his reason for leaving Melbourne is simply because he doesn’t have the passion to play at the highest level anymore.

Barry made the decision on Wednesday that he was set to leave the AFL after playing five matches in 2014, including Melbourne’s final match of the home and away season against the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium.

“The reason I’m leaving is because I just don’t have the passion to play [in the] AFL anymore. I want to be closer to family and try and find something that I’m very passionate about – that’s the main reason,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“It’s been hanging over my head for a couple of months now – about half a year now. It wasn’t an overnight decision, so it wasn’t an irrational decision.

“I spoke to a lot of people who are close to me about the decision and I felt like I’ve made the right one for me.”

The Northern Territorian said his heart was not into committing to a full-time AFL career and he would explore a few ideas to find his passion.

“I was taught to always give 100 per cent, but if your heart’s not in it, you’ve got to find something that you’re absolutely passionate about otherwise it becomes a chore,” he said.

“While I was here, I gave 100 per cent and now I’ve made the decision to walk away from it, I will find something I’m passionate about.

“I’m heading up to Alice Springs for my nana’s funeral soon – in the next couple of weeks. Then I’ll just come back down to Melbourne and either do a bit of work or university and find something that I’m really passionate about. I’ve got a few ideas, but I’ll keep them under the table. I’ll try and work in that and have ultimate success in that.”

The 20-year-old said he wasn’t sure if he would regret the decision in the future.

“It’s very hard to tell. I think I’ve made the right decision for me. If my heart wasn’t in it – then it’s not in it,” Barry said.

“It’s been hanging over my head for the last couple of months and I reckon I’ve made the right decision because it’s what’s best for me. I think I was playing football because a lot of other people wanted me to play.

“You’ve got to play – especially at the elite level – because you want to play, not because other people want you to do it.”

Barry said it would not surprise him if there were other players in the AFL who were playing at the highest level, simply because others want them to. 

“To be honest, I think there are, because they’re so in love with the lifestyle. But for what it offers, they can grit it out and they can do it,” he said.

“I’ve always been a person that if you’re not completely passionate about it – then what’s the point of doing it? [Otherwise], you’re not going to reach your full potential.

“There probably are guys [that aren’t passionate] and they’ll probably get delisted after their contract runs out or I’m not sure what happens.”