Fremantle list manager David Walls has quashed any trade rumours for contracted rival players Chad Warner and Kysaiah Pickettย as the Dockers focus on acquiring wantaway Tiger Shai Bolton.
Fremantle have been linked to both the Swans and Demons stars this year due to their Western Australian ties.
Warner is contracted to the Swans until the end of 2025, with Walls suggesting his contract will be upheld.
"He's obviously contracted and coming off a grand final as well, so I don't think there'll be any movement with Chad this year, I think he'll be playing at the Swans next year as far as I know," Walls said.
Sydney list manager Chris Keane was emphatic that a WA-Warner move would not be entertained, with the Swans hoping to keep Warner beyond his current contract.
"Yeah, we are (confident to retain Warner). He's contracted for next year, which is great. Clearly he's a special talent, and we know how good he is, and we know how important he is for our football club, and we'll do everything we can to try and retain him,"ย Keane said.
"Those conversations with his managers is ongoing, like any player on our list, really. Whether they're 12, 24, months away from being out of contract we're having those discussions.
"I think (Warner wants to stay beyond 2025). I mean, they're a pretty close group, and I think throughout this year you'll see that a lot of the bigger name out-of-contract players that we were able to re-sign as part of our retention strategy, they all stuck together. I think this group is really tight, and I think they they want to stick together, and I think we know where they can take us, and we're confident in that. Chad's a big part of that."
Even if a godfather offer came their way, Keane said it wouldn't entice the Swans from trading their star midfielder, who finished third in their best and fairest count this year and polled 23 Brownlow votes.
"I wouldn't entertain it at all, I suppose that's how important he is for our footy club. Our intention is to extend him beyond this year, so we've got no intention of trading him this year at all," Keane said.
Walls also added that Fremantle weren't chasing Pickett from Victoria, with the speedy small forward reportedly feeling homesick.
"I like the sound of that (Pickett coming to Fremantle)," Walls joked, "But we haven't spoken to 'Kozzy' as yet, he's contracted long-term at Melbourne. He'd be a nice fit, he's got family ties to WA but I don't see it happening this year."
Contracted until the end of 2027, Melbourne list manager Tim Lamb was short and sharp on Pickett's future.
"Kozzy's playing for us," Lamb said.
Fremantle's focus remains tunnel-visioned on landing Shai Bolton, who has officially sought a trade to Western Australia.
"We've had some early chats with Richmond but it hasn't progressed too far, that'll really ramp up this next week. We'd like to bring him in, but it's whether we can strike a deal everyone's happy with," Walls said.
"I think (two first-rounders) is in the ballpark, but there's (early) first-rounders and then there's (late) first-rounders, so we'll work through what that looks like. We've got a fair bit of flexibility with the picks we've got this year, plus going into the future, so [we] should be able to work through it."
Fremantle currently hold Picks 10, 11, and 18, as well as the ability to trade their first-round pick for 2025's draft. West Coast too remain a contender in the Bolton race, however will be organising a trade for current Bolton teammate Liam Baker, as well as signing the paperwork for another Tiger in Jack Graham before turning their attention to Richmond's livewire.
