As the pieces continued to fall on Friday in the Gillette AFL Trade Period, Young remained one of the highest quality players still to make a call on his future.
The Magpies look like losing disgruntled forward Chris Dawes - who nominated Melbourne as his preferred destination - while Thomas Murphy went to Gold Coast and Brent Moloney officially became a Brisbane Lion on an active day for free agents.
Collingwood director of football Geoff Walsh told AFL Trade Radio the Magpies had spoken to Young's manager but realised it would be difficult to prise him away from the Hawks.
"I understand, and I don't really know, that apparently the offer they've made to re-contract him is something his management is not entirely happy with," Walsh said.
"Notwithstanding that, 10 years at one club and a successful club, and their window is still well and truly open, it's a big call to say I'm moving on.
"That will be the issue with him."
Gillette AFL Trade Period hub
Dawes ended days of speculation and nominated Melbourne as his preferred home as the Demons beat off a list of teams chasing his services including the Western Bulldogs, Carlton and Lions.
Although Walsh said receiving pick 20 from Melbourne might not be enough to get the trade done, Dawes' manager Ben Niall was confident a deal would be finalised soon.
"[The Magpies] have been good to us and I think there's a pretty good understanding of what it will take to get it done," Niall said.
The deal to get West Coast defender Mitch Brown to St Kilda is no closer, with Brown's manager, Liam Pickering, telling Melbourne radio SEN on Saturday morning Brown understood he was no certainty to find his way to the Saints.
Melbourne also appears likely to snare another key position player with North Melbourne's Cam Pedersen close to becoming a Demon.
Pedersen's manager Peter Lenton told AFL.com.au he expected a second round draft pick to be enough to see the versatile Pedersen end up in Melbourne colours.
"Both Melbourne and North Melbourne have been moving in the right direction and I'm confident they'll be able to agree on a trade."
While Melbourne continues to be highly active in the trade period, they farewelled Moloney on Friday after 122 games at the club.
The rugged midfielder was revealed in Lions colours for the first time and said he was excited about playing alongside Simon Black and the young Lions' midfield.
"I think I've got three, hopefully four years, of footy left in me and hopefully I can get some success up there," Moloney said.
"I spoke to Mark Neeld after the season and expressed that I wanted to leave and felt it was time for a fresh start and he was really respectful in what I wanted.
"I just felt I wasn't going to be part of that next premiership plan."
The career of David Rodan is again in limbo after he was among seven delistings by Port Adelaide on Friday.
While the 29-year-old - who played more than 100 games for the Power after crossing from Richmond - pondered his future, mercurial Liam Jurrah took a step closer to receiving a lifeline.
Port Adelaide football manager Peter Rohde said the Power was open to the idea of taking the former Melbourne forward in December's AFL Rookie Draft.
Jurrah quit the Demons in September and is facing trial in Alice Springs in March after being charged with three counts of aggravated assault and intent to cause serious harm following an incident in March.
"We need to better understand his position, but there's no doubt we'll be talking to him again at some stage; Ken (Hinkley) has an interest in it," Rohde said.
"We would only consider putting him on as a rookie perhaps or getting him to come out and train when we get back from overseas, so there's a fair bit of water to go under the bridge."
Michael Whiting covers AFL news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
