AFTER re-signing star forward Toby Greene, Greater Western Sydney appears set for a rare quiet year on the contracts front, with co-captain Phil Davis and veteran midfielder Ryan Griffen the only big names remaining unsigned beyond 2018.
Last year, the Giants were forced to work harder than Eddie McGuire to hang on to their out-of-contract stars.
Their list management team got off to a fast start, re-signing Jonathon Patton, Zac Williams and Adam Tomlinson before the start of the season and Dylan Shiel after round two.
But Josh Kelly didn't recommit until mid-September, just five days before GWS's season ended in a preliminary final loss to Richmond.
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The wait was a draining one for the Giants, as Victorian clubs led by North Melbourne threw everything but a small island and the lead role in the next James Bond movie at the midfielder.
GWS also had to wait until the end of the home and away season before Jacob Hopper, 2015's No.7 draft pick, re-signed, while fellow out-of-contract midfielders Devon Smith and Matthew Kennedy ultimately pushed to be traded to Essendon and Carlton respectively.
Greene loomed as the out-of-contract Giant that rival clubs would throw the kitchen sink, players' lounge and executive bathroom at this year, but his re-signing should give GWS some respite ahead of what shapes as a hectic 2019.
GWS has started negotiations with Davis. It's understood neither side is in a rush to get a deal done, but each is comfortable with where things sit. We expect the co-captain to re-sign without any fuss before too long.
Meanwhile, Griffen and the Giants are content to delay contract talks – most likely until the middle of the season – so the 31-year-old can focus on rebounding from an injury-decimated 2017.
Griffen missed all bar three games last season through two separate ankle injuries and, after an encouraging pre-season, faces a delayed start to 2018 because of another ankle niggle.
With so few key players unsigned, GWS can turn its mind to the long list of Giants set to come out of contract at the end of 2019.
Next season the Giants will have to deal with the threat of free agency for the first time, with Shiel, vice-captain Stephen Coniglio, Nick Haynes, Tomlinson and Matt Buntine all set to be among the club's inaugural crop.
It's a group that already has rival clubs salivating.
Midfield guns Shiel and Coniglio will be the chief targets. Shiel has been heavily targeted by clubs in his home state Victoria in the past, while the recruitment strategies of West Coast and, in particular, Fremantle have become increasingly focused on targeting expat West Australian stars such as Coniglio.
The Giants' other prospective free agents also have appeal, with Tomlinson unsuccessfully circled by St Kilda in last year's trade period.
GWS's 2019 challenges won't end there.
Kelly heads a group of players set to come out of contract at the end of next season who don't qualify for free agency, with Rory Lobb, Hopper and Harry Himmelberg in the same boat.
If Kelly remains out of contract entering next season, North and a host of other Victorian clubs will have a second dip at him.
Forward/ruckman Lobb would also hold huge appeal for rival clubs, with West Coast and Fremantle both inquiring about the West Australian before he last re-signed with the Giants in October 2016.
New GWS list manager Jason McCartney clearly has a lot of work ahead of him, but 2018's relatively short out-of-contract list offers him a great chance to make an early start.
