COURTENAY Dempsey's future at Essendon remains up in the air as the defender waits to see if the Bombers offer him a new contract for next year.

The 29-year-old played 14 games in an indifferent 2016 season, and is one of a group of Bombers who remain unsigned for next year.

The club has started its delisting process, with defenders James Gwilt and Jason Ashby already cut, but no call has yet been made on Dempsey.

His manager, Shane Casley from TLA Australia, said Dempsey was waiting to hear from Essendon. 

"We've had some general chats with the club and we're just waiting on them to work out whether or when we'll get an offer. It's back with the club at the moment so we're just waiting to hear back from them," Casley told AFL.com.au.

"We've just started chats recently and we're waiting for them to put something to us hopefully."

Rising Bomber set to sign new deal

Essendon made Dempsey wait well into last year's off-season before offering him a one-year deal to stick with the club into 2016.

Casley said the same situation exists this year and that Dempsey was hopeful of another contract offer in the next three to four weeks.

"It's similar to last year when we went through this sort of process and it went in his favour. He's an Essendon boy and I'm sure he'd like to stay at Essendon. That would be his first priority – to try and get a deal done there," Casley said.

Essendon re-signed Martin Gleeson this week, while Jayden Laverde is also tipped to agree to a new two-year deal to stay at the club until the end of 2018.

Shaun Edwards, Nick Kommer, Shaun McKernan and Will Hams are among the batch of out-of-contract Bombers heading into the trade period.