COLLINGWOOD midfielder Dane Swan says he hopes troubled forward Alan Didak is at the club next year, despite being "crucified" by the media.

Didak and Heath Shaw were suspended for the rest of the year after Shaw's drink-driving incident – and the associated fallout – a couple of weeks ago.

While their futures at the club are uncertain – along with that of Rhyce Shaw, who was also embroiled in the controversy – Swan said he hoped his good mate would be retained by the Magpies.

"I'm pretty good mates with Al, so I obviously want him to stay, and I'd love for him to play for Collingwood for the rest of his career," he said on Wednesday.

"It's out of my hands, I can't do anything about it, but it's something the match committee and the board will sit down at the end of the year and work through.

"But for me, I'll give Al all the support he needs, and I certainly want him to be at the club next year."

Swan, Collingwood’s leading ball-winner for 2008, said Didak had been unfairly treated by the media and was misunderstood.

"You only hear about the couple of slip-ups he's had, but no one sees all the good stuff he does, and all the going out to kids schools that he does off his own bat, and helps out his mate’s kids, and all that stuff, you never hear about that.

"Off the field he's such a character, he's a ripping bloke – he just made a couple of silly decisions, and he's been crucified for it.

"We've sort of got the same group of mates, and he's just had a couple of bad slip-ups and he's been pounded for it in the media.

"But he's learned from that – he's taken it pretty hard but he'll be alright.

"It's a personal opinion, but I think he probably was (unfairly treated), but I'm probably a bit biased because I'm a good mate of his.

"But he'll be alright – time heals, and he's running around today being as stupid as he always is, so he's pretty good."