ESSENDON says it is committed to keeping injury-prone key forward Scott Gumbleton.
The West Australian did not play a senior game in 2011 after battling on-going hamstring and back injuries, and has played only 22 games in five seasons at the club.
But football manager Paul Hamilton said that Gumbleton, 23, would not be offered up for trade this week.
"Scott's a required player," Hamilton told afl.com.au's Trade Week Radio.
"As we all know he's had some troubles with injuries over a period of time.
"In 2010 he was able to play 16 games in a row which was promising and pleasing. This year he's had a few setbacks, but he's actually got his body right at the end of the season.
"He's under contract and we need him to have a good pre-season - get him stronger, get him fitter, and have a real assault on the season next year."
Gumbleton was selected by the Bombers with pick two in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft.
Essendon coach James Hird ruled out trading another big man, key defender Cale Hooker.
"I haven't had any discussions about Cale at all, so I can't imagine him going anywhere," the Bombers coach said before entering trade discussions at Etihad Stadium on Monday morning.
Hird said the club's focus was to bolster its midfield, but that would more likely be done via the NAB AFL Draft than by trading out key-position players.
"We'll keep our eyes and ears open, but I can't imagine us being too active this week," he said.
"We'd love to see a fast midfielder who could come and win a premiership for us, but they don't normally throw them around.
"We think we've got the right amount of depth at both ends of the ground, and we need to get midfielders into the team.
"That can be done through the draft and that's what we're looking at doing."
No trades are official until paperwork has been accepted by the AFL and formally recognised after 2pm on Monday, October 17.
Follow our complete coverage of the 2011 AFL exchange period from October 10-17. Join the AFL trade conversation on Twitter: use #tradeweek in your tweets.
