Griffen, the best player at the struggling Bulldogs, announced he wanted to be traded to GWS on Thursday, despite having a year left to run on his contract.
The Bulldogs have announced via Twitter that because Griffen was contracted, they did not intend to trade him.
Ryan Griffen leading out his @GWS_Giants side in 2015. #AFL pic.twitter.com/whZjq4SvOG
— Sportal.com.au (@SportalAU) October 9, 2014Former coach Terry Wallace, speaking on Trade Radio, said he believed "massive unrest" was behind Griffen's decision.
In reality, the Bulldogs will not force him to stay against his will.
The blockbuster trade opens the door for the Western Bulldogs to acquire a key forward from the Giants, or select a young spearhead from the draft.
There is speculation the Giants could trade swingman Kristian Jaksch and big-bodied midfielder Mark Wiley plus pick 19 to Carlton, in exchange for the Blues' No.7 draft selection.
GWS would then package pick seven and its own No.4 pick to the Bulldogs in order to secure Griffen.
That's a powerful position for a club looking to fill key position holes on its list, especially in the forward line.
Griffen's trade request comes after coach Brendan McCartney reportedly survived an exhaustive review of the coaching staff, apparently borne of ongoing disagreements with senior players.
Ryan Griffen's last game... 38 disposals (season-high) 13 clearances (career-high) 3 Brownlow Votes All in a loss to @GWS_Giants
— Joshua Kay (@js_kay) October 9, 2014What do Ryan Griffen and the iPhone 6 have in common? They've both sold out... #afl #afltrade #westernbulldogs @westernbulldogs
— Rob Martyn (@robbity_bob) October 9, 2014
Whether Ryan Griffen is made to stay or he goes, one things for sure, the Dogs will be needing to find a new captain. Can t lead next year
— Matthew Lloyd (@MatthewLloyd18) October 9, 2014Brad Hardie, a Brownlow Medalist with the Bulldogs in 1985, also suggested the news was linked to rumours of discontent surrounding senior coach Brendan McCartney.
"The Bulldogs can't afford to lose the captain, but they can certainly afford to lose the coach," Hardie told 3AW.
Griffen joins young forward Liam Jones in requesting a trade from the Bulldogs, while Shaun Higgins has already joined North Melbourne and Adam Cooney has been linked with a switch to Carlton.
The club's president Peter Gordon denied a serious rift as recently as Tuesday.
"It's wrong to say there was one particular set of relationships [that were strained] with one particular individual player, coach or manager. There was simply a series of issues where we identified that we can get better and we're all part of that process.
Griffen has played 202 games for the Bulldogs after making his debut in 2005.
The AFL Trade Period finishes at 2pm next Thursday.