Mark Blicavs ‘almost there’ on two-year contract extension

One of Geelong’s priority signings has answered speculation about how talks on a new deal are progressing.

Mark Blicavs is closing in on a new deal.

Geelong utility Mark Blicavs is “almost there” on a two-year contract extension as the Cats step closer to locking down their most important out-of-contract players.

The premiership utility is set to sign a new deal in coming weeks that would take him into a 13th season and within reach of 300 games.

The incredibly versatile swingman has not played less than 20 games in any of his 10 completed seasons and ran out for the 228th time on Friday night in a loss to Collingwood.

Blicavs jostles with Magpie big man Darcy Cameron. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

If he doesn’t miss any football, Blicavs, 32, will reach 250 games in round 22 and if Geelong plays finals in coming years will zero in on the 300-game barrier.

“I love the club and we will get something done,” he told the Geelong Addy.

“We’re almost there.”

When asked whether he should push for a lengthier contract given his career-year in 2022, Blicavs quipped he was “not greedy”.

The signature of Blicavs, 32, would lock in another key Cat, after rising defender Sam De Koning inked a new deal before the season.

Out-of-contract forwards Brad Close and Gryan Miers will be the next priority for list manager Andrew Mackie.

A series of veterans on rolling one-year deals will also be up for renewals at the end of the season, including Tom Hawkins, Isaac Smith, Rhys Stanley and Zach Tuohy.

Blicavs showed off his trademark versatility on Friday night when we was swung out of his role as a centre-bounce midfielder to play as a key defender when backs Tom Stewart and De Koning went down with knee injuries.

Stewart appears set for a stint on the sidelines and Blicavs said the All-Australian would be a “big loss”.

“(Stewart) sees the game really well, is a fantastic intercept mark and from there when he has the ball in his hands he is a really good attacker with it,” Blicavs said.

“We try and prepare for if anyone goes down we can cover it in our system and while we lost a great player in Stew (on Friday), the system should take over and we continue to play at a high standard.”

Originally published as Mark Blicavs ‘almost there’ on two-year contract extension