COLLINGWOOD CEO Gary Pert doesn't have "any concerns" about the players the Magpies are yet to re-sign, including out-of-contract star Dale Thomas.
Pert declined to comment specifically on Thomas and whether he believed the 26-year-old would certainly remain a Pie, but emphasised he wasn't worried.
"I don't have any concerns with any of the players we're currently in negotiations with," Pert told The Sunday Footy Show.
"We don't talk about individual player contracts and discussions – that would be totally inappropriate.
"We've got six or seven players that we've still got to tie up their contracts and Dale's part of that group.
"I don't have any issues with any of those players and no major concerns.
"I think it's well known that Dale's manager was away for a couple of weeks on holidays.
"Now that he's back, we've got an appointment lined up and we'll continue those conversations."
It was reported on AFL.com.au on Friday that Lachlan Keeffe, Josh Thomas and Sam Dwyer had signed on until the end of 2015.
Nick Maxwell, Brent Macaffer, Nathan Brown, Andrew Krakouer and veterans Alan Didak and Darren Jolly are among those yet to confirm their futures beyond this season.
The mid-week departure of director of football Geoff Walsh will see Rodney Eade take over the on-field aspect of his role, while recruiting manager Derek Hine will take on player contracts.
On Friday Dale Thomas suggested Walsh's departure could delay talks with his management but admitted they were on-going.
"My management started talks with the footy club, but it obviously throws a bit of a spanner in the works when a bloke who organises all the contracts then leaves," Thomas said on Nova 100 on Friday.
"I think Rodney Eade replacing Walshy, who did a fantastic job, hopefully Rodney is a little bit more generous.
"There is no doubt they are all talking ... it will take a couple of more weeks to progress things along."
Meanwhile, Pert denied he had a personality clash with Walsh and that his departure simply came from his need for an indefinite break from football.
He said the timing of his decision wasn't a surprise as they'd been working on succession plans and "escalating the roles of other people in the football department".
"There are no issues there at all. We've asked him to stay on for three months and if there were issues, one, he wouldn't do it, two, we wouldn't want him to be involved," Pert said.
"He's been a fantastic servant of the club.
"If it was a head coach or a player in the middle of the season leaving, that's always an issue.
"The director of football, it's a little bit the opposite.
“When I spoke to Walshy and he resigned, it was important for him to make the decision and advise the club at a point where we're doing a lot of planning for next year.
"It's about signing up players, staff, the pre-season, planning, structures, budgeting for next year.
"He wanted someone to come into the role now to actually do that planning."
Jennifer Phelan is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenPhelan.
