FREMANTLE great Peter Bell is keeping his cards close to his chest after being linked to a senior football operations role at the club, as an intriguing off-season for the Dockers continues.
At a critical juncture in its rebuild, Freo is searching to replace experienced list manager Brad Lloyd, who has joined Carlton, and outgoing football boss Chris Bond, while fighting to convince star midfielder Lachie Neale to turn his back on significant interest from Brisbane.
Board member and former skipper Bell has emerged as candidate for a football operations position, but refused to address the reports on Thursday.
"I'm not running any commentary on any potential candidates," Bell told ABC Radio Perth.
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Dockers CEO Steve Rosich has taken over list management duties while Lloyd's successor is identified.
Bond is set to stay until the end of November to provide stability through the NAB AFL Trade Period and the draft.
Bell and fellow board members Stephen O'Reilly and Peter Mann are also expected to tackle more hands-on roles in the interim.
Bond announced his departure this week, believing it was win-win timing for him to leave and the club to instigate change.
He denied it had anything to do with fallout from the Dockers' club-record 133-point hammering from Geelong in round 22, around the time he met Rosich for an update in long-running talks.
"No, they're not (connected). We were talking throughout the whole year, really, about a range of things," Bond told 3AW.
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"It was more about myself personally and what I wanted to do."
Bond hoped Neale, a restricted free agent at the end of 2019, would recommit to the Dockers and insisted the Doig Medal favourite's relationship with coach Ross Lyon was "incredibly strong".
"Ross' strength is definitely his relationship with players," Bond said.
"I know the club will be working very hard. I also know Lachie is contracted (for next year) as well."
The Dockers received a boost on Thursday with No.5 draft pick Adam Cerra re-signing until the end of 2021.
Fremantle plans to take its first pick this year – likely to be No.6 – to the draft and could be in the market for a tall forward, with 202cm Victorian twins Max and Ben King potentially falling in that range.
However, the Dockers also remain linked to injured Melbourne spearhead Jesse Hogan, 23, and are continuing to target WA players from rival clubs.
"He (Hogan) would obviously fit that age bracket and that talent strategy to do it … it's not obviously easy, I'm sure Melbourne would have something to say about it and he would be contracted to Melbourne next year anyway," Bond said.
"We've got a couple of talls that we've got to still develop, but it would be a huge asset for the club.
"I think history shows you do really need to draft them, retain them and develop them yourself and then they do stay at your club.
"But it's certainly an avenue, I'm sure, the club would be looking at."
The Dockers have ranked bottom three for scoring in the past three seasons, and 2019 will be crucial for out-of-sorts forward Cam McCarthy to save his career.
McCarthy has booted 44 goals and averaged fewer than 11 disposals in 36 games since his trade from the Giants. The 23-year-old's three-year contract expires next year.
"He's still very young, but there comes a time where he's going to have to string 100-150 games together and that's going to have to start next year," Bond said.
The Dockers have left several uncontracted players in limbo ahead of next month's trade period.
Ethan Hughes is likely to receive a new deal but is understood to be assessing his options, while Tommy Sheridan, Cam Sutcliffe and Brady Grey face uncertain futures.
It is understood defender Ryan Nyhuis has been told he is a required player for 2019 after the maximum three years on the rookie list.
Grey (right wrist) and Neale (left index finger) are among four Dockers who required post-season surgery, but will only have minor ball-handling limitations by the start of pre-season training.
Superstar skipper Nat Fyfe, who battled a knee ligament complaint early in the year, needed a minor clean-up on his right knee but won't be restricted.
Young midfielder Tom North (right shoulder) should also be ready to go when the first-to-fourth-year players are back at the club on November 5.
