Western Bulldogs head of football Chris Grant has provided an update on where things stand with two listed players.
The respective futures of Patrick Lipinski and Mitch Wallis are up in the air with both set to come out of contract this year.
Lipinski, 23, has played just nine matches (two as medi-sub) in 2021 while Wallis, 28, has been used sparingly on just six occasions despite his standing as the club’s vice-captain.
Grant confirmed that Lipinski has been offered a three-year deal by the club and Wallis also has a new contract in front of him, but both are assessing their options.
“The two that have been spoken about a lot throughout the course of the year is obviously Patrick and our vice-captain in ‘Wally’, as well,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“Both of those boys we’re really keen to retain and we’ve offered contracts.
“As we know with footy, we totally understand that they want to get a bit of a feel for where they sit in the scheme of things with us. As much as we’re really keen to retain them, ultimately we’re going to be guided by them.
“Both of those boys are terrific young people. Testament to them with how they’ve dealt with it because it’s always frustrating particularly when a team is eyeing a finals series and looking to go deep into finals, where you’re not getting many looks in.
“We understand the situation that they’re in, but gee, they’ve dealt with it well. They’ve been unbelievable and incredibly positive around the group. It says a lot about them as blokes too.”
Grant acknowledges that both Lipinski and Wallis have a right to seek assurances regarding their positions as senior players in 2022, with the Bulldogs open to supporting them where they can.
He also understands the challenges of fitting a number of quality players onto the one list.
“Offering contracts is a clear indication of how we feel as a club,” he added.
“I think that goes a long way to say that we believe they are selectable players. We’re certainly not going to be offering contracts if we are not feeling that way.
“That gives those boys a lot of confidence in how we feel.
“When a group is coming through and maturing, you also hope you’re going to have a deeper list too, and that makes it more challenging to get regular looks at senior football when you have a deeper list.
“It’s a really healthy environment and a great position for the club to be in. It can also be a challenging time for some players as well.
“With Mitch and Patrick, they’ve had their challenges this year. We can only hope that they want to remain with us.
“We’d really love them to, but we also understand that they’d like to get a more regular look at senior footy.”
Carlton, Collingwood and Sydney are among the clubs being linked to Lipinski, while the future of Wallis, who has been somewhat frozen out this year, remains uncertain.