McDonald has made all the right noises about re-signing, declaring last month that he was happy in Sydney and that his teammates were eager to “stay together for as long as we can” to turn their potential into premiership medallions.
Hayward, meanwhile, is reportedly being courted by the two clubs from his native South Australia.
“Everyone’s obviously going to do their thing and look after themselves, but I personally really want them – everyone – to stay,” Florent said.
“Me and Will are so close, we’ve just spent so much time together, and I want us to win a premiership together. It’d be hard for big names like those boys, getting big offers from back home and stuff like that – I could imagine you’d have something in your [head] telling you to go. You’ve got to weigh up what’s important to you.”
Florent will play his 150th AFL game in Saturday afternoon’s derby against Greater Western Sydney, which will also be his 101st consecutive match – the fifth-longest active streak in the competition, and one he puts down to his increasing confidence as an elite-level player, his diligence in his preparation, and a little bit of luck, too.
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“It’s definitely crept up on me,” he said of the milestone.
“I remember speaking to ‘Kirky’ [Brett Kirk] when I first got here. He said, ‘Mate, just enjoy it, and take don’t take anything for granted.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ Now I’ve literally blinked, and I’m 25, turning 26 this year.
“I’m really not trying to take anything for granted, and enjoy the little things, now that I’m getting older. It’s exciting because premierships don’t come around often – for me, they haven’t come around at all, so that’s something I really want to get before I’m done.”
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