KEY forward James Stewart has informed the GWS Giants that he wants to be traded back to a Melbourne-based club.

Stewart, out of contract at the end of this season, met with the Giants for an exit interview on Tuesday. Following the meeting, his management later called the Giants to confirm that he would seek opportunities at another club in Victoria.

Carlton has been strongly linked to the 196cm forward due to his link with list manager Stephen Silvagni, who worked at the Giants from 2011 to 2014 and recruited Stewart to the club.

But Stewart is keen to keep all his options open and is happy to meet with other clubs in the coming weeks to help him choose a new destination.

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Collingwood and Essendon are the two other Melbourne-based clubs interested in Stewart, who is desperate to play regular senior football in 2017.

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The Magpies could have selected Stewart under the father-son rule in 2012, as his father Craig Stewart had played 115 games for the Pies. But the club opted not to take him and informed him of its decision on the eve of his Year 12 exams — a decision that drew strong criticism from his father.

Stewart, a second-round pick from the 2012 draft, has managed just 18 matches during his time at GWS, with Jonathon Patton, Jeremy Cameron and Rory Lobb all preferred ahead of him.

The 22-year-old starred for the Giants’ NEAFL side this season, booting 48 goals from 19 games to lead the team to a premiership.

Stewart is one of several Giants that are set to switch clubs during the upcoming AFL exchange period.

Highly-rated key defender Caleb Marchbank recently nominated the Blues as his preferred destination after playing just seven games in two seasons with the Giants.

Fellow fringe players Jack Steele and Will Hoskin-Elliott could also be at other clubs next season.

— with Ben Waterworth