FREMANTLE has reiterated its stance on Chris Tarrant, confirming the forward-turned-defender will not be traded back to his native Victoria.
Football operations manager Chris Bond said on Monday morning that the former Magpie would see out the remaining year of his contract.
"Obviously [we're very keen to keep him]," Bond said.
"Our senior coach (Mark Harvey) and CEO (Steve Rosich) have both come out and said that."
Speculation had mounted in recent weeks that Carlton and Hawthorn were pursuing Tarrant, following a fine season that saw him rejuvenate his career with a switch to the backline.
Meanwhile, Bond said Brett Peake and Marcus Drum were still set to be moved on.
St Kilda has been strongly linked with Peake, with Melbourne also believed to be in the mix.
Drum is believed to be favoured for Geelong, although Hawthorn remains in contention for him.
"There has been a little bit [of interest in them], but until this week happens, we'll just have to wait and see," Bond said.
The 2009 AFL exchange period runs from October 5-9. No trades are official until paperwork has been accepted by the AFL and formally recognised after 2pm on Friday, October 9.