Essendon Coach John Worsfold says talks around Adam Cooney’s future are ongoing.
The Brownlow medal winner spoke with Worsfold recently, but no decision has been reached as both Club and player weigh up several factors.
The Bombers are awaiting further clarity on the make up of their 2017 playing list, while Worsfold said Cooney’s physical condition and mindset would be key factors.
"I had a discussion with 'Coons' maybe a month ago about his future, but we left that pretty open at that stage," Worsfold said.
"We're in a unique situation in terms of our list management. We've never been in this situation before – no club has.
"So timelines are very hard to get a handle on, and how many players that we need to move off our list at the end of the year to move forward is a real unknown for us."
Cooney has averaged 23 disposals this season after injury restricted him to 11 games in his first season at the Bombers last year.
"The No.1 thing is does Adam Cooney believe he's physically and mentally capable of playing out another season at AFL level?" Worsfold said.
"If that's the case, then he's on our list of what our squad may look like next year."