ADELAIDE coach Phil Walsh says he will continue to play a straight bat to the feverish media speculation about star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield's future.
Dangerfield, 24, is one of the hottest properties in 2015's free agency pool, along with Geelong's Tom Hawkins and Richmond's Alex Rance.
Dangerfield has already been heavily linked with Geelong, having grown up in nearby Moggs Creek, but the Cats will have to fend off plenty of rival suitors if the midfielder decides to come home at the end of this season.
The speculation that Dangerfield is set to depart West Lakes has spiked in the wake of Wednesday's announcement that he had been overlooked for Adelaide's captaincy, with Walsh preferring key forward Taylor Walker.
When asked how he would handle the inevitable – and constant – questions he will get as long as Dangerfield remains out of contract, Walsh made it plain he would not be distracted by external hype.
"I don't answer it, (I will) just say, 'Look that will look after itself'," Walsh said.
"Basically, that's what will happen."
Dangerfield is one of six Crows on this year's free agency list, along with Richard Douglas, Andy Otten, Brent Reilly, Scott Thompson and Brodie Martin.
Star midfielder Rory Sloane is also out of contract and, like Dangerfield, was one of the highly fancied candidates beaten to the captaincy by Walker.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-01-15/no-danger-of-comment
