RYAN Griffen remains set on a move to Greater Western Sydney despite Brendan McCartney's resignation as Western Bulldogs coach on Friday.

AFL.com.au understands that Griffen's deteriorating relationship with McCartney was a significant factor in his decision to seek a move, but that his concerns about remaining at the Bulldogs ran deeper than that.

Griffen released a statement through his management company, Elite Sports Properties, on Thursday announcing that he had requested a trade to GWS after deciding that he needed "a fresh start outside Melbourne".

It is believed Griffen's determination to join the Giants has not wavered in the wake of Friday's announcement that McCartney would not coach the Bulldogs next season. 

Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said at a press conference on Friday that he expected Griffen to honour the final year of his contract at the Whitten Oval next season, albeit not as captain.

However, that remains extremely unlikely, with the Giants now having until 2pm next Thursday to broker a deal with the Bulldogs. 

It is understood that Griffen's request for a trade on Thursday sparked a flurry of interest from clubs inside and outside Victoria.

However Griffen has not wavered from his desire to join former Bulldogs assistant coach Leon Cameron and former teammate Callan Ward at Greater Western Sydney.

The Bulldogs' bargaining power with GWS is weakened by the fact that Griffen is set to become a free agent at the end of next year if he stays at Whitten Oval.

Griffen, 28, has played 202 games with the Bulldogs since they selected him with pick No. 3 in the 2004 NAB AFL Draft.

The South Australian won two Bulldogs best and fairest awards (2010 and 2013) and was an All Australian last year.

At Friday morning's dramatic media conference, Gordon said he had not spoken to Griffen since the skipper said he wanted out but hadn't given up hope Griffen would see through the contract extension he signed in early 2012 that ends into next year.

"If clubs ever seek to walk away from contracts and abandon them, they are rightly criticised by the AFL media and the community for not taking obligations seriously and that's what we always do," Gordon said. 

"An agreement's an agreement. It has legal effect and people ought to think seriously before they sign them because when they sign them, they're bound by them. 

"He (Griffen) is a much-loved and valued member of our footy club and we remained distressed and disturbed about the events that have played out.

"We believe that at the Western Bulldogs and in the AFL contracts are contracts and we hope he will see his way clear to honour his obligations that he undertook when he executed that contract."

If Griffen stays – which appears unlikely – Gordon says he will likely be removed of the captaincy that has burdened him since he took it on this season.

"I think it's fair to say one of the very first issues he raised, he has never been comfortable [as captain]," Gordon said. 

"It's obviously not conduct you would want from your captain, and in addition to that he's said he's not comfortable with the role.

"He is probably unlikely to fulfil a captaincy role in 2015."

Gordon said the leadership Griffen had shown in recent weeks in bringing to a head his concerns with McCartney following the club's best and fairest made it harder to accept his decision. The club still harbours hope it can hang onto its captain.

"Who knows what may happen in the course of events? I'm not going to predict that, I'm simply going to say as a position of principle, he's a required player as well as a much loved player," Gordon said.

"He's in the best football years of his life, he's an elite player of the competition and 2015 ought to be a great year for him.

"I hope it's a happy year and a productive year and he wins the Brownlow Medal and I hope he's playing for us when he does."

Despite Griffen's desire to leave – and reported disenchantment of Adam Cooney, Jason Tutt and Liam Jones – Gordon said the Dogs still considered the club to be an attractive option for rival players.

He said they had "been on top of this" issue and would move forward with "one of the two or three best young lists in the competition".

Gordon also said they were yet to touch base with Geelong premiership defender Tom Lonergan and what McCartney's departure meant for their approach to recruit him.

"Tom is close to Macca and that's one of the issues I haven't had a chance to get any visibility on over the course of the last little while," Gordon said.

"I think we're an exciting venue, we've got cap space, we've got the capacity to pay, and for players and managers considering coming here, they ought to know amongst that list are kids who are going to be playing finals in my opinion, year after year after year.

"If they want a career that involves opportunities for finals footy with a great group of people, come to the Western Bulldogs."