Essendon has squashed reports it has contacted star Lions midfielder Dayne Beams to facilitate a move south during the AFL's trade period.

The former Brisbane captain has been reported to be open to a return to Victoria after moving to Brisbane at the end of the 2014 season to tend to his ill father.

The Bombers have been linked to the in-form onballer but denied they have made an communications toward him.

โ€œAs we do every year, as a club, we will look to improve our list via the trade, free agency and draft periods,โ€ Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro said in a club-released statement.

โ€œDayne Beams is obviously a quality player and person, but he is not someone we are actively pursuing and we have not approached him or his management about returning to Melbourne.โ€