A LINGERING groin injury has forced midfielder Travis Boak to withdraw from Port Adelaide's side for its clash with Fremantle on Saturday, but the club appears one step closer to re-signing the promising 21-year-old.
 
Boak has been linked to Gold Coast, as well as Victorian-based clubs Essendon and Geelong, who were keen to lure the former Torquay junior back across the border.
 
Port Adelaide football manager Peter Rohde flew to Melbourne earlier this week to meet with Boak’s management, and coach Mark Williams said talks were progressing well.
 
“Trav and his management have talked to Peter [Rohde] and put something to us. We are considering that and will put something back to him, so negotiations have certainly started,” Williams said on Friday.
 
“We are very enthused by that, and not too far away (we’re confident) he will make his announcement in our favour.”
 
Boak was named in Port Adelaide's 22 for Saturday afternoon's clash with fourth-placed Fremantle, but the midfielder failed to board the plane to Perth with his teammates on Friday morning.
 
The classy onballer was one of three players, including housemate Robbie Gray and prized No.4 draft pick Hamish Hartlett, to visit the Australian Institute of Sport earlier in the week.
 
Boak sought advice on lingering groin soreness, but Williams said he was confident the future leader would be fit to play against Collingwood at AAMI Stadium next Friday night.
 
“Travis has been managing it [the groin injury] for a long, long time and we felt it has probably caught up with him,” Williams said.
 
“We think it should be right for next Friday night. It is tough to fly over there [to Perth] and then play on a Friday.”
 
Emergencies Nick Salter and Jay Nash both made the flight to WA, with a decision to be made on the make-up of the final 22 on Friday afternoon.