The Patrick Dangerfield saga still has some way to run, with the AFL's hottest free agent adamant he has yet to decide whether he will leave Adelaide.
If Dangerfield does return home to Victoria at the end of the 2015 season, it will almost certainly be to Geelong - the closest club to his family, who live in the Victorian surf-coast hamlet of Moggs Creek.
But Cats coach Chris Scott was at pains on Wednesday not to buy into the issue.
"Do I get involved with opposition players during the season? Not any more, if I can avoid it," said Scott, alluding to the Cats' ill-fated bid three years ago for Port Adelaide star Travis Boak.
"We've all got to learn from our mistakes.
"But in terms of 'are there opposition players that would fit into our team?'. The head coach has to be involved in that.
"So without talking about specific individuals, I'm a key part of our list management team - but I'm only a part of it."
Dangerfield, 25, and several Crows teammates met their manager Paul Connors in Adelaide on Tuesday night, fuelling speculation the midfield dynamo was about to announce his playing future.
"It wasn't the meeting where I've made my decision ... it's honestly been the last thing on my mind," he told radio FIVEaa on Wednesday morning.
"As all good managers do, (they) have come over to see all their players, both Port Adelaide and Adelaide, to not only discuss contracts with a few - Tom Lynch is out of contract - but just check in.
"We went out for dinner last night but, in terms of meeting to discuss next season, that meeting hasn't happened."
Dangerfield has spent the past couple of weeks focusing on ensuring the playing group was in the best possible shape to perform on the field following the death of coach Phil Walsh.
But he conceded he was still torn between his family in Victoria and his football family in Adelaide.
"That's been the situation all along; that hasn't changed since the start of the season," Dangerfield said.
"It's one family versus another almost - that's what the Adelaide footy club has become over the last eight years.
"That hasn't changed - my feeling towards the club hasn't changed. I still love the place.
"But I just haven't made a decision because it just hasn't been of huge importance for me recently."
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