Collingwood and the AFL are closing in on a payout settlement with Dayne Beams after the 30-year-old announced his retirement from the game last month.
A settlement could fall under the league's medical payout allowance rather than the Magpies' salary, with the club finding themselves "in no manโs landโ and forced to move on four players in the trade period.
Beams opened up on his gambling and prescription drug addictions on The Sacked podcast, with the former Collingwood and Brisbane player also battling mental health issues.
Speaking onย SENย on Monday, Collingwood chief executive Mark Anderson said the club was working with the AFL, Beams and his management to prematurely end Beams' contract that remains to have two-years to run out.
โYeah, weโre working through all of that," Anderson said.
โAnd weโd hope that we do end up at a fair outcome.
โThe primary thing for us has been really disappointing that we find ourselves in the position, but we want to make sure that weโre looking after Dayne not only for the moment, but actually ensuring heโs got a good future ahead of him.
โHe is in a good space.
โHeโs progressing and his lifeโs on track. Our job is to ensure that that continues and thatโs been our primary concern throughout. I think we and he have managed that situation well in what was disappointing for everyone.โ
Anderson added that it has been โa really difficult situation for everyone and Dayneโs handled himself really wellโ.
โHis agentโs managed it really well and to be fair, weโve handled the situation really well with Dayne as well,โ he said.
โItโs been disappointing for all, and it hasnโt played out the way anyone hoped, but weโve stood by him, weโve supported him through and importantly weโve done that directly with Dayne and not talked about it a lot.
โBut weโve stood by him and looked after him and thatโs continuing but hasnโt reached a conclusion yet.โ
