OUT-OF-CONTRACT Western Bulldog Adam Cooney expects to finalise a new deal with the club before the end of the season.













"We're in negotiations at the moment with the club, so fingers crossed it will get sorted out soon," Cooney told AFL.com.au.





"They're getting there. I'd like to think we'll get it sorted out if not before the end of the season certainly not too long after that.

"I'd love to be a Bulldog for life. They're the club that gave me my start. As I said, I've been here ten years now. I only live five minutes down the road, so it's a place that I certainly love."





Cooney also poured cold water on speculation he is feeling the lure from his home state of South Australia.





"I'm pretty firmly entrenched in the Melbourne lifestyle," Cooney said.

"My kids just go to school down the road. I don't think we'll be heading back to Adelaide any time soon."





Cooney, who plays his 200th game against the Crows on Sunday, has battled a degenerative knee condition for a number of years.





However, he is confident he has it under control and says he won't need surgery in the off-season.

"I'm just feeling fit and running on top of the ground, and I've got my speed back, which is good," Cooney said.





"It's not too bad at the moment. I've been managing it really well with the club and just doing what I need to do training-wise to feel good and feel fresh going into each game.

"I won't have to have surgery, touch wood, at the end of the year ... It's just rest, and manage it, and then a big pre-season again.

"I love playing footy. I've played for ten years now. It's pretty much the one thing that I've been good at in my life, so hopefully I can play for a few more years yet."





ADAM COONEY ON:

Whether he though he'd get to 200 games

"I didn't think I'd get there when I first got drafted, that's for sure. I was a slightly overweight kid from Adelaide when I came across and if you said that I'd play 200 games I would have laughed at you in my first couple of years.

"The last couple of years I have (doubted it). Obviously with my knee injury that I've been battling with the last couple of years, there was a few doubts there, but I've managed to do probably 80-90 per cent of pre-season this year. I've only missed two games this year, so it's been a positive year for me."

How long he can keep playing

"Seven or eight (years) probably, max. I'm not too sure. I'll take it year by year, and we'll see how we go. Hopefully two or three."

Brendan McCartney's influence

"He's a real edgy character, Brendan. He had a plan as soon as he walked in the door. It's taken a while for it to come out. He really wanted us to focus on our contested ball. He thinks that's where the game is won and lost. We've been developing that the last twelve to eighteen months and we're starting to work on other sides of our game, which he's teaching us now."

Tom Liberatore

"I think he's probably in All Australian form. He's leading the AFL in clearances I think, and hard-ball gets. He's certainly an in-and-under type player and for a 21-year old, it's remarkable what he's been able to do."

Brian Lake's chances of winning a flag

"I think they're certainly in for a big shot. It was probably a good move for him. The club got a young pick in Nathan Hrovat as well, who we think's going to be a great player. Do I miss him around the club? Not too much. I'm able to focus a little bit more, now that he's gone. He used to stir me up every now and then, but he's certainly a great mate of mine."

The state of the game

"I think the game's in pretty good shape. I certainly don't spend too much time worrying about rule changes or subs or anything like that. You can't change it, so you've just got to go with what the AFL serves up."

Best player in the game right now

"Gary Ablett Jnr."

Toughest opponent

"Toughest one was probably Cameron Ling. Geelong were obviously a powerhouse side and he was their main man. I had some good battles with Lingy, and he got the better of me most times."

Whether Rodney Eade should return to coaching

"I think if he's still got that passion to do it, which I think he's said publicly, I think he'd be a great fit for any number of teams."

Barry Hall or Jason Akermanis

"They're both pretty different types of players. I think Barry came to our club and made a real impact with the group. Aker did as well for a few years. I think Barry kicked 80 goals one year when he was here so I'll go with Baz."



