Essendon coach Brad Scott's wry smile has indicated off-contract playmaker Jake Stringer is likely to remain at the Bombers beyond this year.
Just three weeks out from the end of the home-and-away season, the 30-year-old is still without a deal for 2025.
As he did in 2022 when he was last out-of-contract, Stringer has performed strongly this season, kicking 38 goals, including four in Essendon's thrilling one-point win over Fremantle last Sunday.
In an interview after beating the Dockers, the former Western Bulldog joked he could be playing local football next year, but was not concerned by the contract negotiations dragging into August.
"I don't get into the business of confirming or denying those things, but my wry smile sort of gives a bit away," Scott said on Wednesday when asked if he was confident of Stringer staying at Essendon.
"We've got a list management team that go about their business and my part in it is to set the vision for the club, coach the players really strongly and create an environment in which we want every player to stay.
"We want other players to see Essendon as a place that they'd love to play their footy."
With Richmond legend Dustin Martin announcing his immediate retirement, and Geelong great Tom Hawkins confirming he will bow out at season's end, the Bombers face a number of big calls on their list.
Veteran ruck Todd Goldstein and former captain Dyson Heppell are no certainties to play on in 2025.
"We're in conversations on a daily basis," Scott said.
"This part of the year, like most clubs, we'd have weekly list management meetings.
"In Dyson's case, he's been the leader, the face of a really tumultuous period in our history.
"I've said repeatedly we owe him a debt of gratitude and our club wouldn't be what it is today without 'Hepp' leading us through a really difficult period.
"We'll keep having those discussions, and ultimately, it'll be Dyson who makes that decision."
