Former teammate says Hurley will stay

Former Geelong and Essendon player Paul Chapman says he believes ex-teammate Michael Hurley will stay at the Bombers next season.

Hurley, one of the six banned players yet to commit to Essendon for next season, is "still hurting," due to the 2012 supplements saga, according to Chapman.

However, speaking on radio station, RSN racing and sport, Chapman said having recently spoken to Hurley, he is likely to remain at the club.

"I just asked him a little bit about his future and what he’s thinking," Chapman said.

"He’s a very loyal person, he loves the Essendon football club and his teammates.

"(But) there was just something in the way we spoke that just made me think that maybe he’s still hurting a little bit from everything that’s happened."

While Chapman believes Hurley will remain at the club, he admits the 26-year-old's mind is not completely made up.

"I think he’ll stay because he’s loyal, but it wasn’t definitive.

"I thought I’d be able to gauge exactly what was going on, but it was hard to gauge exactly how he was feeling.

"Whether or not he’s totally over it – it didn’t really look like that to me."