Buckley keen to keep trio on short leash

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley has insisted three off-contract stars remain focused on the Magpies despite suggestions the vultures are circling.

Jordan De Goey, Darcy Moore and Alex Fasolo’s contracts are all up at the end of the season and the trio are yet to negotiate longer stays.

“I can assure you Darcy, Jord and Faz . . . are all training and preparing to contribute as strongly as they can, in the short and medium terms,” Buckley said yesterday.

“We’d love that to be long term with all of them, and that’s where we’re working from”.

De Goey, 22, has a chequered off-field record with the Pies, with Buckley this week pointing out that the club had supported him through a series of “dust-ups” including a drink-driving charge earlier this year.

St Kilda is a reported suitor, as are North Melbourne, Essendon and Carlton. Moore, the son of club great and twotime Brownlow medallist Peter Moore, has 61 goals in 50 games for the Magpies.

Sydney, which has swooped previously for big-name forwards Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett, has been linked to Moore.

Club president Eddie McGuire responded strongly on Thursday night: “I hope they (Swans) have got 15 firstround picks for him. He will be sitting down with our leaders at the club . . . in the next couple of days and discussing his contract,” he said.

Fellow forward Fasolo, 25, is yet to play in 2018 after postseason shoulder surgery, although he has registered 13 goals in five VFL games this year.

Fasolo was Collingwood’s top goalscorer in 2016 and chose to stay in 2018 despite interest from West Coast.

“He’s a victim at the moment of guys up top playing really good footy,” Buckley said.

“(But) he’s in a good headspace, he’s tipping in to the program . . . his attitude has been excellent, so his time will come.”