Reading too much into all of this (as is my Wont)
- He is defintely leaning towards leaving I'd say 80% gone.
- He doesn't want us to announce' talks on hold until the end of the year', because everybody knows that is code for 'he's goneski', and then no-one would blame us for not playing him in the seniors. Not playing him in the seniors would hurt him more than us, we could likely still get a first round pcik for him but when it comes to contracts down south they will be saying 'we don't pay $400K for players that couldn't crack the seniors of a bottom four side James'.
- 'talks on hold until the end of the year' would also make the club a pretty horrible place to spend the next 6 months, surrounded by 'mates' who know he is turning his back on them.
- if he keeps up the prospect of hope, there is the prospect of seniors footy, and that improves his contract position and his relationship with his team mates