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BRENT Stanton is poised to knock back rival interest and sign a one-year contract extension at Essendon with "a very achievable" trigger clause to push the deal into the 2017 season.
The 29-year-old midfielder had been holding out for a two-year extension, but the Bombers' reluctance has forced a compromise.
However, it seems almost certain that Stanton, a veteran of 248 games for the Dons, will be wearing red and black under new coach John Worsfold for at least one more year.
"We're making slow progress with Essendon at the moment; hopefully in the next couple of days we should have something done there," Stanton's manager Adam Ramanauskas told NAB AFL Trade Radio.
"He's been a great player for Essendon. There has been a little bit of interest from other clubs, but that being said something should get done at Essendon over the next couple of days.
"I think we've found some common ground there now. It's swinging back towards looking like a trigger that's very achievable for him."
Ramanauskas has had a busy NAB AFL Trade Period brokering moves for Jimmy Toumpas, Paul Seedsman and Ben Kennedy – who were involved in a complex four-way trade also featuring Jeremy Howe on Monday.
"It was good for all of them, they were all looking for better opportunities and they all found new homes. They're all happy, the clubs are happy, so everyone's a winner," he said.
"I think you'll see more of that now with the younger guys. There's guys that think they should be playing senior football but aren't necessarily getting the opportunity at their club.
"I think more than ever now they're happy to say 'Look, I want a fresh start'."
However, Ramanauskas isn't expecting to do a deal for Troy Menzel, despite Adelaide's reported interest in the talented Carlton forward after his trying 2015 season, which included stints in the VFL.
"He's contracted there for another 12 months. Obviously he hasn't performed the way he's wanted to at this stage, but he's had hip surgery over the break and he's ready to go for another big year hopefully at Carlton," he said.
"I think he's very happy at Carlton, there's no doubt about that, but you never say never with these things.
"They're always going to come knocking, the clubs from the states these guys are drafted from.
"You need to expect that … the question will always be asked, that's the way the game works."
Meanwhile, Ramanauskas said he encouraged Corey Enright to push on for a 16th season at Geelong and revealed the triple-premiership defender only made up his mind leading into round 23. The 34-year-old is within sight of the Cats' games record, needing 16 appearances to equal Ian Nankervis' 325 matches.
"'Boris' had been really wrestling with what he wanted to do. He went into the year thinking that it was definitely going to be his last season … but he was playing good enough football (to go on)," Ramanauskas said.
"I think he realised that the coach was on board – Chris Scott wanted him to play another year – it made Corey reconsider what he wanted to do.
"He didn't want to announce that he was playing on out of respect for the guys leaving the Geelong footy club after that last round."
