Despite strong links to a return home to Western Australia, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says the club are still in the dark over the future of young ruckman Luke Jackson.
Fremantle have been touted as the likely destination should Jackson choose to depart from the reigning premiers, with a long-term lucrative deal on offer.
Speaking onย Fox Footy's AFL 360,ย Goodwin said the club haven't given up hope of retaining the youngster beyond 2022.
"We've said we'll give Luke as much times as he needs to make his decision. He said he's going to make it at the end of the year, we're comfortable with that," he said.
"In the meantime, we're like all clubs, our list managers, all the people involved in that situation, will go out, scour the competition and see what's available and see if they can make their list better.
"That doesn't start now, that started a long time before this. You get all your contingencies in place, but we'll work with Luke as much as we can and we hope he stays at out footy club."
Despite the strong rumours linking him away from the club,ย 3AW's Sportsdayย host and Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy added to suggestion that Jackson could still remain at the Demons.
"I had a person that I suspect would know (tell me) today that it's not a certainty that Luke Jackson goes home to WA. Someone told me that it's still on the cards that he might stay at Melbourne," Healy said onย Sportsday.
While the 20-year-old's final decision is set to be clearer in the next few weeks, Melbourne has been widely touted as the clear favourites to land Collingwood's star ruckman Brodie Grundy, should Jackson's departure come to fruition this off-season.
