He's played 131 games of Super Rugby and has represented the Wallabies in 92 Tests, including two World Cups, but Stephen Moore says he has unfinished business in Australian rugby and won't entertain the idea of being lured overseas until he's fulfilled those goals.
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Moore is on target to become the most capped player in Super Rugby history if he stays injury-free over the next two seasons.
He has taken on the Brumbies captaincy this season and is poised to play in his third World Cup at the end of the year.
But as he prepares to return from a knee reconstruction, Moore has put any European ambition on hold to channel all his energy into filling the trophy cabinets for the Brumbies and Wallabies.
"To be honest, both scenarios of finishing my career in Australia or going to Europe interest me," Moore said.
"But I don't think I will entertain going overseas to play until I feel like I have fulfilled my goals and achieved what I want as a Brumby and a Wallaby.
"If that takes me to the end of my career then so be it. There's a lot to be achieved for both teams and I'm not ready to walk away. I've got things I want to do and I don't want to stop that until I'm ready."
The 32-year-old hooker is relishing increased responsibilities with the Brumbies after replacing Ben Mowen as the club's captain at the end of last year.
After a decade in the Test team, he's Australia's most-capped hooker of all time and one of the game's most respected figures. Now Moore says it's time to deliver team success.
"Not everything will go our way this season, that's when the pressure will come on," Moore said.
"I know we've got a mature group and we know what's required. Three years ago we probably had to teach a lot of guys what it was about and ingraining habits. But those habits have been formed now.
"I want the whole group to be a part of it, I want them inspired to be part of this group and we've worked on getting tighter as a team."
Moore prides himself on leading by example, letting his performance do the talking rather than making bold predictions about the team's chances of winning.
He was elevated to the Wallabies captaincy last year, appointed to take charge of the three-Test series against France. Five minutes into his first Test as Wallabies skipper, he twisted and fell awkwardly, rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
It was the biggest injury blow of his career, forcing him to the sideline before the Brumbies charge to the Super Rugby finals and ruling him out of the Wallabies' end-of-year Tests.
Moore has used the nine-month rehabilitation to get to know the Brumbies' rookies better and and help usher in a new generation. One of his first moves as captain was cutting the leadership group from six to three.
"That was a deliberate move because we want everyone to know this year that they all have an equal role to play," Moore said.
"We have to invest in each other more. You might know someone, but do you really know them? I know it's an initiative that Michael Cheika used at the Wallabies and we thought we'd do something similar.
"Knowing their background, what the Brumbies mean to them and an active way of coming together as a group to be tighter. The group understands the responsibility, history and sacrifices to be a part of the Brumbies.
"The expectations have changed on the group. We have to find ways to improve and be better. There's a level of expectation that we perform and I'd like to think we're in a position to continue to compete.
"I'm not big on predictions. But I'm confident in the talent we've got in the squad. It's all there for us to have a good season and there are no excuses."
Moore will be supported by former Test captain David Pocock and Nic White in the Brumbies' leadership group. Pocock is returning from his second knee reconstruction.
"He brings a hard edge," Pocock said of Moore.
"He throws himself into it every game. He has certainly put in the work with his rehabilitation and now it's just a matter of leading on the field with the way he plays.
"He has a real focus on getting the team to where it needs to be. Everyone has their own leadership style and that's something Squeak's developing and finding and I've been impressed so far."
Moore made his Test debut in 2005. He left the Queensland Reds in 2009 to join the Brumbies with the hope he could win a Super Rugby title.
The past five years have been a roller-coaster, punctuated by the Brumbies' lowest ebb in 2011, a grand final appearance in 2013, becoming Wallabies captain last year and his season-ending knee injury.
"The 2011 season was one of the most disappointing times of my career, no doubt," Moore said.
"The one thing I learnt out of it all was that a good program and good coaches and support staff are far more important than just signing good players.
"There's no doubt you need talent to win the competition, but I think we lost sight of the program. Then the program was overhauled so it was one of the best I've been involved in [from 2012].
"The Wallabies captaincy was a huge honour for me to get but I'm philosophical about the injury ... it happens.
"In team sport you have to park any personal interest on one side and do the best for the team, that's what I've tried to do throughout my whole career."
