GWS midfielder Josh Kelly has vowed not to pester Jeremy Cameron into putting pen to paper as a cloud remains over the star forward's AFL future beyond 2020.
The reigning Coleman medallist is off-contract at season's end and Victorian clubs were rumoured to be circling earlier this year.
It's a similar situation to which Kelly faced in 2017 and 2019, rebuffing potential mega-offers from down south to re-sign with the Giants.
The 26-year-old is upbeat about the club's chances of capturing Cameron's signature but, in the meantime, had some sage advice for him.
"He's just got to focus on his football," Kelly told reporters on Wednesday.
"That's all I did. That will all take care of itself in the background. I don't want to be bugging him every day about it."
GWS locked away new captain Stephen Coniglio, gun intercept defender Nick Haynes and silky ball-winner Lachie Whitfield on long-term extensions last year.
It leaves Cameron and off-contract halfback Zac Williams as their major re-signing targets for 2020.
But, even if they agree to terms, neither will be able to officially sign on the dotted line until the AFL lifts a freeze on new deals while working out the financial implications of COVID-19.
The contact embargo also extents to the coaching realm, with reports it's holding up the Giants finalising an extension for coach Leon Cameron after guiding the club to last year's grand final.
The news of Cameron's imminent re-signing was welcomed by Kelly, who is keen to keep his first and only senior AFL mentor around for a little longer.
"Leon's a star," he said.
"It's good to have stability, to have consistency, to know what Leon's philosophies are.
"He along with Callan Ward and Phil Davis ... have really set the culture for our football club."
Former co-captain Ward missed the Giants' 89-point hiding at the hands of Richmond in the 2019 decider while sidelined with a season-ending knee injury he suffered last April.
But the fit-again veteran is firmly in the frame to make his comeback against North Melbourne in another fortnight, catching the eye of Kelly on Wednesday in the Giants' first contact session since returning to training.
"He's moving well," Kelly said.
"He had a little patch in there where he had three or four touches in the one play.
"He's worked hard over the past year. This extra month or two months that we've had off has probably helped him really prime his body and be in a position to be selected for round two."
Australian Associated Press
