Outgoing Adelaide football operations manager John Reid says he is "quietly confident" of sewing up a long-term contract for key Crow Kurt Tippett as his parting gift to the club.

Reid retires at the end of the season from a role he has held since 1995, but few matters will occupy his thoughts as much as the need to secure the services of Queenslander Tippett, who is sought after by the new Gold Coast expansion club as their key marking target.

With Tippett in harness, Adelaide's forward line will maintain a decidedly dangerous look for many seasons to come, but the picture gets a little murkier if he is not there.

"I haven't sat down with him or his father or his management about that issue, but I'm quietly confident," Reid said on Tuesday.

"Kurt seems very happy here, he's involved, a major player in our footy club and will be a major player at our club for years to come.

"We'll work that out at the end of the season but I'm quietly confident we'll get it done."

Reid cited the fact that Tippett was one of a stable of young Crows who had grown up as teammates, forming the sort of bond that often keeps players from moving elsewhere.

"One of the things we haven't had for a while is the fact these lads have come through together over the past two or three years," he said.

"When you do that, you grow up together, and it's like when you lived at home and knocked around with the guys on the block, that bond stays with you for life."

At the other end of the age scale, thirty-somethings Andrew McLeod, Simon Goodwin, Tyson Edwards and Brett Burton are all on course for contract extensions at year's end, though Reid left open the possibility that an unlikely premiership might also be accompanied by a retirement or two.

"All four of them would be staking a pretty reasonable claim. All have had pretty reasonable seasons," he said.

"Macca's second half has been very, very good, Simon's been good all year, Tyson's been steady and Brett coming back you'd say whatever we get this year you'd expect more next year once he's done a pre-season.

"All four are strong candidates to be considered for next year, but footy's a funny game.

"You've got a couple more weeks to go and you never know what happens. Just take the scenario if we went top, that might change someone's mind, who knows?"

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