GWS coach Leon Cameron says his gut feel tells him out-of-contract duo Jeremy Cameron and Zac Williams will re-sign with the AFL club.
Williams and Cameron are both restricted free agents and could command big-money deals on the open market.
The Giants are desperate to hold onto the pair and they are growing in confidence they can pull it off.
“My gut (feel) tells you in a short answer that those two boys will be running around in the Giants colours for another four or five years,” Cameron said on Wednesday.
“They love the place, you just see Zac’s return last week – he loves being around the boys. And Jezza is just Jezza, he just keeps on keeping on.
“I don’t see … those guys wanting to explore other avenues, because they’re fully entrenched in our footy program.
“We understand there’s going to be speculation every year, which is not new for us. But those two guys are an important part of our footy club and I expect them to be here for a long time.”
Cameron booted 76 goals last season to win the Coleman medal for the first time as well as earn a second All-Australian berth.
Williams averaged a career-high 23.7 possessions per game last season as one of the league’s best rebounding defenders and pinch-hitting midfielders.
The AFL recently lifted the freeze on contracts, but there has yet to be an announcement of what the salary cap and list sizes will be for 2021 and beyond.
Cameron said that uncertainty meant finalising deals with Williams and Jeremy Cameron might just take a bit longer than normal.
Meanwhile, Cameron said former co-captain Callan Ward was a good chance to return in Friday night’s clash with Essendon at Metricon Stadium.
Ward ruptured the ACL in his left knee in his one and only match of 2019, and he was expected to spend up to six weeks more on the sidelines after damaging the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee against Port Adelaide on July 12.
The injury wasn’t as bad as first thought and Ward successfully got through a practice match last week.
Cameron said it would be hard to leave out the 221-game veteran if he gets through training on Wednesday evening.
“He’s got the runs on the board,” Cameron said.
“I do trust his opinion. He was the captain of our club for seven or eight years for a reason and you trust those guys to make good assessments on their body, their form and their mind. He’s more likely to play than not likely.”
The Giants will be without Toby Greene (hamstring) and Matt de Boer (hamstring).