Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan is "amazed" by all the talk regarding star midfielder Dayne Beams' future.
Beams' name was mentioned in the rumour mill once again as Essendon have become the linked to the 28-year old. The Bombers have denied these claims and Fagan has stated that he has no knowledge of the former Brisbane captain wanting out.
“I’m sort of a little bit amazed about that,” Fagan told SEN Mornings about the chatter about Beams.
“I’ve never asked Dayne but I tell you what, the last five or six weeks I’ve had plenty of conversations with him, initiated by him, about how excited he is about our young group and how they’re developing and how he is so much looking forward to the future.
“His own form has been so good. I just sort of think, when I hear that, well what I see every day doesn’t match up.
“I’m thinking it’s football rumour.”
Fagan has also said that four-time premiership player Luke Hodge will play on next year, unless something changes.
“He came up here on a two-year deal, so that’s the expectation,” Fagan said.
“Hodgey and I have always had an agreement where if he felt it was time to call it stumps, he would come and let me know and we would do it in the right manner for a bloke who has been such a great player.
“He has had a really good season down back and he has been so helpful to all of our players on the field.
“Just that steadying influence out there and he has been great off the field, particularly with our leadership group and their development.”