Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has maintained that the club would be able to keep all the players that it wanted, despite the widespread perception and real possibility that the Magpies will struggle to keep their list intact. They also have veterans Chris Tarrant and Ben Johnson coming of contract, who would cost the club relatively little - given the discount for the veterans allowance - if they choose to play on in 2013. Dane Swan and Alan Didak qualify for veteran status next year.

Beams missed the opening game and a period of the pre-season but has shown marked improvement since then, averaging 30.4 disposals, 10.6 contested possessions and booting 13 goals in a predominantly midfield role. Like Blair and Sidebottom, he is seen to have relished the extra midfield duties created by the season-ending knee injury to Luke Ball.

Beams has played 73 games for Collingwood since his debut in 2009, his first season, and booted 74 goals. He missed last year's grand final, ruling himself out with a groin injury, but has emerged as one of the major reasons the Pies have been able to weather the loss of Ball and other injuries this season. He has accumulated more than 30 disposals in nine of his 14 games this year and has never failed to win more than 20.

Meanwhile, the AFL has indicated that Geelong's meeting with Port Adelaide's out-of-contract midfielder Travis Boak did not violate the rules that relate to players in contract or poaching.

The AFL's general manager of football operations, Adrian Anderson, said last night that meeting a player, in the manner that Geelong did with Boak, did not breach the rules.