HAWTHORN has joined Carlton and Collingwood in the bidding for Sydney's out-of-contract forward Ryan O'Keefe.

Fresh from its stunning premiership victory, the Hawks have been in contact with O'Keefe's management to confirm their interest in the forward, who is considering a move back to Victoria.

But while the Hawks have room in their salary cap to accommodate a good player, it is unclear whether they would have sufficient room for a player that carries the highly regarded O'Keefe's price tag.

The 2005 premiership player, who was runner-up in the club's best and fairest in 2006 and had another strong season this year, is seeking a four-year deal, and was understood to be paid about $450,000 this year.

Hawthorn might be interested, but the Hawks are unlikely to have sufficient scope in the salary cap for a player in that pay bracket. So O'Keefe would, in effect, have to take a pay cut if he wanted to play with a premiership team that is still relatively young and expected to be a contender for the next few years.

The Hawks have gone to considerable lengths to secure their best players, such as Luke Hodge and Lance Franklin, on below market rates.

St Kilda is believed to have a mild interest in O'Keefe, but the club has reiterated that Nick Dal Santo and Justin Koschitzke are not up for trade and is thus unclear how the Saints would satisfy Sydney in a trade. O'Keefe, 27, has not yet confirmed that he wishes to leave the Swans, but he has communicated via his management that he is seriously entertaining it, and is not merely using his out of contract position to negotiate a better deal.

O'Keefe's management, indeed, has told Victorian suitors that, if he moved, he would like to play with a club that a prospect of success in the near future, and that money was a secondary consideration.

The Swans themselves are interested in West Coast's dynamic All-Australian midfielder Daniel Kerr, whose chances of being traded have been diminished by the difficulty clubs have in meeting West Coast's's request for two draft picks inside the top 10, or a top-three pick.

Collingwood, too, will have a difficult task to satisfy Sydney in an O'Keefe trade, should he decide to leave, given that the Magpies have indicated a reluctance to part with either Alan Didak — who seems increasingly likely to remain in black and white — or their first draft pick (No. 11).

Carlton is in the market for another forward to support Brendan Fevola, but the Blues are also attempting to secure Fremantle ruckman Robert Warnock without giving up their first draft pick (6). It is unclear how they would trade for O'Keefe, though they have sufficient room in the salary cap for the Sydney forward, who plays a "push up" role as a high half-forward and can be used in midfield rotations.

Collingwood views O'Keefe, an elite endurance runner, as a prospective midfield option as much as a forward.