Brisbane coach Chris Fagan is flummoxed by rumours surrounding the future of Dayne Beams, saying he's seen nothing to suggest the star midfielder wants out.
Beams is contracted to the Lions until the end of the 2020 AFL season but reports from interstate say he is considering leaving the club at the end of this year, potentially to link up with Essendon.
The 28-year-old is a born and bred Queenslander who left Collingwood at the end of 2014 to move closer to his family - in particular his father Phillip, who lost his battle with cancer earlier this year.
Beams, who relinquished Brisbane's captaincy after his father's passing, signed a front-loaded six-year deal with the Lions when he moved north and has been at the heart of the club's resurgence this season.
Fagan said he had seen no indication at all from Beams that he wouldn't see out his contract.
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"I'm never surprised about rumours in footy," Fagan said.
"Lots of them go around. Bottom line is he's contracted for two more years at the footy club, so I'm not sure if anything's going to happen.
"He's a Lions player, so it would take something extraordinary for him not to be.
"You look at his form, I see him on a daily basis, I see how he engages with the group and how he talks about our future and I'd be really puzzled if something different to that happens."
Fagan said Beams should be in All-Australian contention, having racked an average of 28.5 disposals and 5.4 clearances in his 19 games for Brisbane this year.
"He's certainly in that category. I would have thought he'd be in the top 40," he said.
"He does play in the midfield though and the competition's red hot. It'd be interesting to see how it pans out.
"It's made me aware, since I've moved up here and coached him, just how good he is."
