WESTERN Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains has provided an update on Josh Dunkley\u2019s contract status.<\/p>\n
Bains has revealed the Bulldogs, Dunkley and the player\u2019s manager Liam Pickering held \u201creally productive\u201d talks over a new deal earlier this week.<\/p>\n
The Dogs\u2019 chief is increasingly confident the 25-year-old will remain at Whitten Oval beyond 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019ve been some really productive meetings between Sam [Power] and our list management team with Josh and Liam Pickering earlier in the week,\u201d Bains told SEN\u2019s Whateley<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re probably a lot more confident now with getting a deal done over the coming weeks too.\u201d<\/p>\n SEN\u2019s Sam Edmund reported last week that talks on a new contract have ramped up between Dunkley\u2019s management and the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n The other big-name out-of-contract player the Bulldogs are looking to lock away is Bailey Smith.<\/p>\n Bains said the club is closing in on a new deal for the 21-year-old.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019ve spoken about Bailey before and not being too far away,\u201d Bains said.<\/p>\n \u201cPart of the delay in finalising that has been waiting for him return to play and let that be his sole focus, which will obviously occur tomorrow night.<\/p>\n \u201cWe anticipate that will get tidied up pretty quickly between Sam Power and his manager Paul Connors.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n