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COLLINGWOOD football boss Geoff Walsh says the Magpies won't have a problem fitting Gold Coast co-captain Tom Lynch into their salary cap if they make a play for the forward.
Lynch, who turns 25 in October, is set to be the major prize of the 2018 free agency sweepstakes, and continues to be linked with a move back to Victoria.
Collingwood looms as a likely destination if Lynch chooses to go home, particularly as coach Nathan Buckley prepares to experiment with Darcy Moore as a defender in the pre-season.
"It's 12 months out and (Lynch) is still contracted, so it's a bit wishlist stuff, but suffice to say, he's a top-of-the-tree player," Walsh told NAB AFL Trade Radio.
"I think I speak for all clubs, in that if you do set yourself long-term goals – and list managers and recruiting staff do that all the time – you're working in two and three-year cycles to see just what the future does unfold.
"Encapsulated in that is the ability to massage and manage your cap, so that if you do get an opportunity to bring players in, you find yourself in a situation where you either create that room or that you've planned for that room to coincide with players coming in.
"So, I don't think that's an issue here."
The Magpies have been quiet this NAB AFL Trade Period, but are preparing to complete a deal as soon as Wednesday to secure rookie-listed Swan Sam Murray.
There was rival interest in Alex Fasolo, but Walsh said there was never a "serious discussion" that would have led to the forward being traded.
"We've had some discussions and we're continuing to have some discussions with the Swans, and we're hopeful by 2pm tomorrow that's one deal we will be involved in," he said of Murray.
"Today would hopefully get some sort of conclusion or near a conclusion to that.
"We're not doing too much in the way of big-name trades, and that's with the greatest respect to Sam, but we hope to get involved in that and secure that by 2pm tomorrow."
Collingwood has already delisted Lachie Keeffe and rookies Henry Schade, Mitch McCarthy and Liam Mackie and has decisions to make on uncontracted pair Jackson Ramsay and Ben Sinclair.
Ramsay, 22, played eight senior games this year, while 26-year-old Sinclair did not add to his 63 matches since being the No.62 pick in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft.
"Ben has had a horrific run of bad luck with both concussion and hamstrings," Walsh said.
"We're in discussions with Ben and the medical team right now, as to what the future holds for him, so that's a question mark for all of us at this stage.
"Jackson remains uncontracted at the moment, (and) his future will be clearer after the Trade Period closes."
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