SHANE Crawford has expressed optimism about his prospects for playing on in 2009, after the 16-year veteran met with coach Alastair Clarkson yesterday.

Crawford has been encouraged by a favourable medical opinion on his troubled knee. A specialist said his knee could be better in 2009 than it was this year, when he struggled to play regularly until late in the season.

While the Hawks have left the decision in Crawford's hands, the 34-year-old would be playing on reduced contractual terms, with the club mindful of tightening player payments and the limits that Crawford's body might impose on him.

Crawford, who began his overseas trip last night, had to meet with club officials before leaving, because a decision on his future had ramifications for Hawthorn's capacity to trade for Sydney's Ryan O'Keefe, or even, less likely, Brad Green.

Hawthorn has made an offer to O'Keefe, which is understood to be significantly less than the deal that Sydney had placed on the table. O'Keefe was paid about $450,000 in 2008 and is seeking more in 2009 — more than the Hawks can afford, given their desire to maintain their playing group and the fact that players such as Lance Franklin have signed on for well below market rates.

■Andrew Lovett's ability to find a new home became more complicated last night after Sydney, which had publicly declared its interest in recruiting him, withdrew from the chase, while Geelong's interest hit a salary-cap wall.

The Cats yesterday met with the Essendon midfielder who could be involved in a trade involving Brent Prismall, who has told Geelong he wants to leave and whom the Bombers are the frontrunners to snare via a trade.

Lovett is believed to be contracted to Essendon for about $250,000 a year.

Sydney said it was a combination of the money Lovett wanted and the trade price Essendon required that ruled it out of the trade.

"We could not come to terms with Andrew Lovett's management and we couldn't agree to a deal with Essendon either, so that one is not in play any more," Swans recruiting manager Stuart Maxfield said.

Maxfield said Sydney had yet to receive a firm offer for O'Keefe, who has said he wants to be traded to a Victorian club.

"We are still fielding offers but we still haven't received anything formal from any club," he said.

Maxfield said the Swans had no plans to recruit a ruckman, ruling them out of consideration for North Melbourne's Hamish McIntosh or Hawthorn's Simon Taylor.

"We have two developing ruckmen and our priority … is to work out what is happening with Ryan O'Keefe, so (there's) no genuine interest in taking another ruckman," he said.

■Brad Green's future remains uncertain at Melbourne. Sydney has entered the race for the uncontracted Demon, whom Hawthorn also has registered an interest in.

■Richmond is likely to trade its third-round pick for Port Adelaide midfielder Adam Thomson.

Thompson, who was taken with pick 11 in the 2004 national draft, has decided to move.

He managed only seven games this season in what was a horrible year for Port.

■Carlton remains adamant that pick 24 is sufficient to secure Robert Warnock in a trade, but Fremantle remains unimpressed with the offer.

■West Coast's Mark Seaby is also keen to move, but interest has waned in him as the Eagles seek a first-round draft pick in exchange.

■St Kilda assistant coach Anthony Rock is leaving to join North Melbourne, while Hawthorn assistant Todd Viney has signed with Adelaide for the next three seasons.

■Collingwood has signed NSW teenager Scott Reed to a two-year contract. The midfielder, who could develop into a key-position prospect, was Collingwood's first NSW scholarship player.

Collingwood has been able to pre-list Reed as a NSW rookie.

The 18-year-old, whom the Magpies have been working intensively with for three years in their development program, might otherwise have attracted a late second or third-round draft pick.

"The fact that he has developed in the way he has, given that he is not playing in an AFL-dominated state, is really pleasing," Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine told the club's website.

"We have really been delighted with his progress, and his form in the Australian Championships demonstrated that Scott has enormous scope for improvement."