THIS afternoon Fremantle informed Melbourne it was unable to meet the requirements to secure a trade deal with key forward Jesse Hogan.

“At the end of the season, Jesse expressed his interest to explore other opportunities, and to return to Perth and play for Fremantle. We believe our offer was reasonable given Jesse’s record as a 71-game player,” General Manager of football operations Josh Mahoney told Melbourne Media.

“Jesse has been with us since he was 17 and has gone through some well-documented personal issues, particularly in the last two years, so we were comfortable to support his request.

“It was made clear to Jesse that if we were unable to complete an appropriate deal for both clubs, he will remain a Melbourne player.

“Both us, and Jesse, were happy with this.”

Providing flexibility through the forward line and midfield, Hogan was a key figure throughout Melbourne’s 2018 season.

He kicked 47 goals in 20 games, before a foot injury ruled him out late in the season, and for Melbourne’s finals campaign.

“Jesse was a dominant player, prior to his foot injury late in the year,” Mahoney said.

“We look forward to him continuing his rehab and performing again for us next year.”