AFL future not on Dangerfield’s mind

Adelaide star Patrick Dangerfield says he did not hash out his AFL future during a meeting with his manager on Tuesday night, insisting a decision on whether to re-sign with the Crows is not “of huge importance ” for him right now.

Speculation over whether the AFL’s hottest free agent will stick around or be lured to Geelong intensified this week with the arrival of Dangerfield’s manager Paul Connors in Adelaide.

But during an interview with radio station FIVEaa on Wednesday morning the 25-year-old midfielder maintained making the career choice “is the last thing on my mind”.

Dangerfield confirmed he had dinner with Connors, fellow agent Melissa Oberhofer and Crows teammates Tom Lynch, Josh Jenkins and Rory Atkins.

But he maintained it was only a casual “catch-up”.

“It wasn’t the meeting where I’ve made my decision … it’s honestly been the last thing on my mind,” he said.

“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 said he had spent the last couple of weeks focusing on ensuring the playing group were in the best possibly shape to perform on the field, given the death of coach Phil Walsh and their precarious eighth-place standing on the AFL ladder.

But he conceded he was still torn between his family in Victoria – who hail from Moggs Creek near Geelong – 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 basically.”

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