Swans CEO weighs in on reported Luke Parker trade interest

Sydney CEO Tom Harley is confident that veteran midfielder Luke Parker will remain with the club beyond 2024.

It’s been a turbulent year for the 31-year-old, finding himself out of the best 22 to start the season before a significant suspension saw him miss a chunk of the season.

He has worked his way into the side, playing the last seven games of the season, – three as the substitute – playing mostly as a forward, kicking eight goals in the last three weeks.

Given he has mostly been on the outer this season, he has been linked with moves elsewhere, namely North Melbourne as a potential veteran leader for their locker room.

Harley however says Parker and his management have not come to him with any concerns.

“Yeah, I am (expecting Parker to stay),” Harley told SEN Breakfast.

“He’s contracted and he’s playing a really significant role at the moment and we haven’t had any conversations with Luke or his management about anything other than that.

“That would be the expectation for sure (that he stays).”

Parker is contracted to the Swans for the 2025 season.

Harley adds that Sydney will likely be minor players in the upcoming trade period, given their focus has been on re-signing key players this season.

“Our priority this year was retaining the young talent that we have, and we’ve done that,” he said.

“We’re constantly looking at opportunities to get better, but I wouldn’t expect us to be as active as we were last year given the priority was retaining the players that we did.”

Sydney had an enormous task coming into 2024, with Errol Gulden, Logan McDonald, Will Hayward, Ollie Florent and James Rowbottom needing new deals.

They have successfully re-signed them all.

Harry Cunningham, Lachlan McAndrew and Aaron Francis are among those still out of contract as things stand.