COLLINGWOOD says ruckman Josh Fraser was never going anywhere during AFL trade week and fully supports his club’s latest addition to the playing list.

The Magpies added Sydney Swans ruckman Darren Jolly to their emerging list during the exchange period, giving up their first- and third-round picks in the process.

News of Jolly’s arrival mid-week sparked rumours the Pies, now possessing a big-bodied ruckman, might have been looking to off-load Fraser.

But Collingwood football manager Geoff Walsh said the club had always regarded Fraser as a required player.

“He wasn’t bandied around by us,” Walsh said from Etihad Stadium. “As I said earlier in the week … nearly the first person in the club that was questioned about the ability to bring another ruckman in to help Josh, was Josh himself.

“He was nothing but supportive and positive about that move, so anyone who’s suggesting that Josh was put up [for trade], pushed out or on the outer, is reading the tea leaves very, very wrongly.”

The Pies were less fortunate in bringing St Kilda’s Luke Ball to the club but might still consider landing him through either the national or pre-season drafts.

Despite missing out on the decorated Saint during trade week, Walsh said the Pies were pleased with the outcome.

“We’re certainly happy to bring Darren Jolly into the club,” he said. “We think that was something that we really wanted to do at the start of the week, so we’re happy to be able to achieve that.

“We think that our list is healthy, it is strong.

“We’ve played in two out of the last three preliminary finals. We think we’ve got a young list that’s going north, not south, so we don’t walk away from trade week with anything other than being very happy with the situation.”