BRETT Burton’s future at Adelaide is safe and coach Neil Craig has given a strong indication that veterans Simon Goodwin, Andrew McLeod and Tyson Edwards will also be offered contracts for next season.

All four of the Crows’ out-of-contract veterans want to play on and Burton became the first to have his wish granted on Friday.

"We’re keen for Brett to go again. It’s now a matter of him entering negotiations [with the club]," Craig said.

"Brett’s had some criticism [with people] saying it might be time for him to go, but people have to understand that Brett Burton has got himself back into a condition having done no pre-season and coming off a major knee reconstruction.

"I could argue that what Brett Burton was able to do for us was quite extraordinary based on those conditions."

Adelaide has taken a hard line on senior players over the past four years having delisted or retired Ben Hart, Matthew Clarke and Jason Torney in a bid to rejuvenate an ageing list.

The Crows started the season with more teenaged players than any other team in the competition and Craig suggested the tough calls of the past would help Burton, Goodwin, McLeod and Edwards play for longer.

"You talk about Ben Hart, Matthew Clarke, Kris Massie, Matthew Bode and Jason Torney; they never had the luxury of what these four guys have got in one aspect because of the necessity and urgency [there was at that time] to get some new, younger, talented people into our football club," Craig said.

"I’m sure they [the out-of-contract senior players] appreciate that they’re a bit lucky in terms of timing."

Adelaide has held initial talks with Goodwin, McLeod and Edwards and expects a final answer from the premiership trio in the next week.

Craig said he had questioned all four veterans about their genuine "will and want" to play on next season.

"It’s not a throwaway line [saying], ‘yep, I’ll play again’, but a real in-depth understanding of what drives you. It’s so important at that stage of their career because they have to actually want to do it," he said.

"When it gets tough either as a team or because of injury or form, they need to have that drive to keep them going as they would’ve as a 25-year-old and that’s why they’ve played 300-plus games [each].

"At the moment, through my discussions with them, the way they’re thinking and their outstanding attitudes…it’s pretty positive for all four of those guys."

The Crows have already promoted injured rookie Brodie Martin to the senior list and delisted another rookie, James Moss.

However, no decisions will be made on the club’s senior list until the end of next month’s exchange period.

Craig met with each player individually during the week and said none had expressed a desire to be traded.