ROSS Lyon has refused to elaborate on his meeting last week with Hawk Bradley Hill, saying he will make no further comment on the situation.
Lyon, speaking after Fremantle's 24-point loss to Gold Coast, said he will respect Hill's position as a contracted Hawthorn player by not discussing the potential trade in the media.
"We don't conduct our negotiations and business in the media, but what I will say is the two clubs have gone about this situation the right way, and we're both comfortable at where it sits at the minute," Lyon said.
"At the end of the day, he's a contracted Hawthorn player, and I'd like to respect that and leave it at that.
"So I'll be making no further comment, except to say both parties have an understanding of an initial meeting."
The 23-year-old is contracted until the end of 2017 and Hawthorn is open to trading the three-time premiership midfielder if a deal can be struck.
Hill's brother Stephen plays for the Dockers, something Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said he is conscious of.
"We've been aware of that. He's a West Australian boy, he's got family back there," Clarkson said at Hawthorn's training on Saturday.
"We explored the idea of trying to get Stephen to our footy club. These sort of things happen all the time.
"We've been aware of it for five or six weeks. Bradley's spoken to us about it. We just want to work through it as a footy club in a mature sort of way.
"We're not going to let him go easily by any stretch, but we'll try to accommodate it if a type of deal can be reached at the end of the year.
"We want to work through that with Bradley, and there's every chance he's going to be at Hawthorn next year and beyond.
"It's not a fait accompli that he's going to go."
Hill has struggled to find form in his 12 games this season, although he did have his best game against the Swans last week with 25 touches and a goal.
Off-field problems have dogged Hill throughout his career to date.
He was fined $500 a month ago for driving with a suspended licence and days later, he was fined $1000 after being charged with one count of unlawful assault over an incident at a Narre Warren night club on January 24. He avoided conviction for that incident.
"They are a long way away from family and support networks. Given they're the circumstances, we try to be the father figure and the older brother where we possibly can," Clarkson said.
"He's found that tough, but I don't think that's contributed to his decision (to consider a move). It's mainly around his family. He's got younger brothers and sisters.
"That will play out at the back end of the year, rather than now."
The coach also refuted suggestions veteran stars Shaun Burgoyne, Josh Gibson and Luke Hodge would be re-signed imminently.
"No, we haven't. We're hopeful these guys can play for another two or three years, because they've been such fantastic warriors," Clarkson said.
"We've also got to keep one eye on the now, and one eye on the future, and that's not always easy.
"We'll let the full season determine when we're going to make those sorts of calls."
However, that does not mean contract talks have been put on hold.
"Discussions will continue on with their management, but we're in no urgency to have to make those calls. We've been in ongoing dialogue with Josh's management, and also Shaun's and Hodgey's," Clarkson said.
Sam Mitchell, who is due to play his 300th game against Richmond on Sunday, has already been signed for next season.
