Brisbane Lions General Manager of Football David Noble is confident Dayne Beams is staying put amid ongoing reports that he may seek a trade back to Victoria.
The Lions midfielder and ex-skipper continues to be linked to Melbourne as his manager Paul Connor left the door slightly ajar onย SEN Breakfastย yesterday.
"I try not to have conversations too much with the players about this. In time I will but I hope he (stays) and I'm sure he will, at this stage,โ Connors said.
Fox Sports journalist Tom Morris added speculation to the ongoing Beams saga, stating that a particular Victorian club would have eyes on the star midfielder.
โIf Dayne Beams elects to leave Brisbane and gets a trade as the Brisbane Lions will have to give him, if he does request it, I think heโs going to Essendon,โ Morris toldย Sportsday.
โI believe Essendon are the frontrunners to get him if indeed a trade is granted.
โAll I know is Essendonโs into him and heโs receptive to that.
โIf he does come back to Victoria, I believe Essendon will be the club where he goes.โ
Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy has no doubt the Bombers would be interested.
โSpeaking to those in and around Essendon, thereโs no doubt they are desperate for another midfielder with pace and skill,โ he said.
But Noble isn't seeing any indication that the Queensland native wants out.
โIโm happy to go on the record, the way Dayneโs invested in our group at the moment, his feedback in meetings, the way that heโs playing, the connection in his team, thereโs nothing that I get the sense that thereโs any thought process of him not being with us either short or long term, so Iโm not sure where itโs come from,โ Noble told SENโsย Time On.
โEven further, his wifeโs well invested, they just had their second child and Clayeโs up here his brother, itโs a strange one and Iโm not sure where itโs come from.
โWeโre really happy with the way heโs going and certainly havenโt sensed anything to say that heโs going to leave.โ
The Lions will likely be active players again in the upcoming trade period after bringing in Charlie Cameron and Luke Hodge last year and Noble outlined what the club is after.
โWe probably still feel midfield for us. Whether itโs some mature agers, weโve been on record of sort of saying weโve got a gap in that 22 to 26-year-old bracket,โ Noble said.
โCharlie (Cameron) fit that bracket really well for us last year so weโre still keen to populate that age group, and if we can preface that with it being midfielders, we think thatโs the opportunity for us.
โThe other one would be a running half back and maybe a running wingman are the two spots weโre keen to explore, but the bottom line is you canโt have too many good players on your list.โ
The Lions will clash with Beams' former team in Collingwood on Saturday night at Etihad Stadium.
