By Peter Ryan
The Age Credit: Artists
Losing Tom De Koning to St Kilda could be just the stroke of luck the Blues need as they look to reset their underperforming list.
In their loss to Port Adelaide that put them out of contention for 2025, Carlton fielded their oldest side – based on average age – since 1944. Their list rejig needs to be clever, with an expansion club’s entry not far off.
Carlton wants to keep Tom De Koning, but his departure could be a godsend as they look to freshen up the list. Credit: Getty Images
And it’s De Koning’s departure that could provide the circuit-breaker that gives them some momentum heading into next season as incoming CEO Graham Wright focuses on football until he officially succeeds Brian Cook on August 15.
The restricted free agent’s departure on a whopping Saints contract would give the Blues a top-10 draft pick as compensation in a draft where their first selection currently sits at pick 35, and save them from allocating around $1 million per year on a ruckman.
Marc Pittonet, still contracted until the end of 2027, is serviceable, and could do a job replacing De Koning if the Magpies’ tardiness in bumping up Darcy Cameron’s pay packet doesn’t encourage Carlton to enter the picture to make a serious play for the contracted Magpie. One list manager, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, suggested Hawthorn’s Ned Reeves as a potential back-up if one is needed that would cost little to add.
De Koning’s departure would effectively give the Blues two top-10 picks – pending Jagga Smith’s return from a knee injury – to add to a list in 2026 that contains few players with trade currency for other clubs, either due to their below-par form, big contracts that make them difficult to shift, or both.
The most obvious course would be to head to the 2025 national draft with that pick, but they could consider other creative ways to use it, according to three list managers who spoke on the condition of anonymity about Carlton’s woes.
Top 10 draft picks such as Jagga Smith will quickly breathe life into the Blues’ list.Credit: AFL Photos
The Blues could either chase down a young, talented player with speed who they might be able to lure to the Blues (unlikely) or exchange for a future pick with a club needing this year’s selection for a trade to turbocharge a revamp from 2026 onwards. Remember, this draft is compromised because of academy and father-son selections, with the open pool considered even.
Assuming the Blues use the first pick on a speedster, Sam Grlj shapes as the type of player they could use. They also have priority access to promising father-son defender Harry Dean and academy prospects Tyson Gresham and Jack Ison in 2025, and father-son Cody Walker the following season.
That compensation pick gives them some currency, given their first selection heading into the free agency and trade period will be No.35, based on the Brisbane Lions’ current ladder position.
If De Koning decided to stay Carlton would need to consider offloading Harry McKay – who is well-paid and contracted until 2030 – to a club in need of a key forward such as Sydney (who have a top-10 pick), Melbourne (who have future picks or players) or Collingwood (who need points for father-son and academy picks but have no first-round pick).
Adam Cerra, also contracted until 2030, might have appeal, given his form was reasonable until the past fortnight. But he would either relieve some cap pressure or earn a reasonable draft pick – not both.
Both players, however, are unlikely to want to leave, and the Blues wouldn’t push them out the door unless they had little choice.
Carlton’s uncontracted bunch this season don’t have suitors. Jack Silvagni would, but he must stay – with talks to keep him underway. Nic Newman is a leader they plan to retain (his absence a critical factor in their performance). Mitch McGovern is likely to reach a games-based trigger. Nick Haynes has been good and, even at 33, provides value. Brodie Kemp, whose season was ruined by injury, is also versatile enough to prioritise.
The other out-of-contract Blues (aside from De Koning) are a mixture of rookies, fringe players and retiring types – Alex Cincotta, Billy Wilson, Flynn Young, Francis Evans, Harry Charleson, Orazio Fantasia, Harry Lemmey, Jesse Motlop, Matt Carroll, Rob Monahan, Will White and Sam Docherty.
The Blues are in no rush to re-sign these players, although they will retain some. This gives them flexibility to give the list a fresh look in 2026, although shape-shifting free agents are thin on the ground.
The fabulous five – Charlie Curnow, McKay, Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh and Jacob Weitering – have all been in the same team just six times this season for a 50 per cent winning percentage. The hard-running Matt Cottrell and linking forward Elijah Hollands have played just 11 games between them, underlining the lack of continuity the Blues have experienced this season.
Walsh is a free agent next season, while Cripps is contracted until 2027, Curnow until 2029, McKay 2030, and Weitering until 2031. The pay-off would need to be good to trade one of those five out, although nothing would be ruled out. A new coaching panel may extract more from them. That remains the other big question facing Wright.
Carlton need their high-end talent – including Sam Walsh – on the park.Credit: Getty Images
Adelaide may provide a working model, with their reset having started at the end of 2019 when they traded out Eddie Betts, Sam Jacobs, Hugh Greenwood, Josh Jenkins, Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Alex Keath as Richard Douglas and Andy Otten retired. They began picking high and trading in emerging talents. They also appointed a new coach, Matthew Nicks.
The only year the Crows have not added a top-10 selection since the 2018 national draft was when they traded in Izak Rankine in 2022, with father-son Max Michalanney arriving in the same draft when a bid was made with pick No.17. Smith is the Blues’ only top-10 draft pick in that same period, with Carlton trading top-10 picks for Adam Saad and Cerra.
Wright’s list decisions at Collingwood proved shrewd, but list managers know he has fewer wands to wave this time around at Carlton, as his home state Tasmania is drifting into view.
St Kilda’s big-money play for De Koning will give Carlton the top-10 pick it needs to reset.
Miles closer as Port’s record of retaining players stays strong
Two competition sources, who wanted to remain anonymous, confirmed Port Adelaide had secured the much-wanted signature of emerging star Miles Bergman. The 23-year-old, who was best on ground against Carlton, is due to play his 100th game in a fortnight and is set to remain at Port for two more years, when he will become a free agent.
The Saints’ priority is retaining Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.Credit: AFL Photos
Bergman had several Victorian clubs keen to convince him to return home, with Essendon, the Western Bulldogs, Collingwood and the Saints all hoping to get into the conversation. His decision – one week after Matt Rowell decided to stay at the Suns – means clubs on the lookout for high-end talent will now have to patiently wait for the next opportunity to nab a player, or set their sights lower in this year’s trade period.
Bergman’s signature also makes Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s situation more intriguing, given Port Adelaide don’t have a first-round selection if the star Saint, who was selected two years after Bergman, wanted to leave. Had Bergman departed, he would have given Port Adelaide the opportunity to obtain such a pick. Of course, with future picks now allowed to be traded two years in advance, clubs have more flexibility when trying to organise trades.
The Saints have remained optimistic they could retain Wanganeen-Milera on a short-term deal as he is happy at the club and playing good football. Port Adelaide have also re-signed Josh Sinn – who was taken the selection after Wanganeen-Milera – for two years.
The life of O’Brien could change
The Crows have not been afraid to keep in-form veterans on a tight leash, with Taylor Walker playing from contract-to-contract in the past few seasons.
And they have not changed tack with unrestricted free agent Reilly O’Brien, who has attracted interest from other clubs including the Brisbane Lions, who like picking off available free agents.
O’Brien’s form and durability have made him an outstanding asset for the Crows in 2025 as they went into the season with threadbare ruck stocks. So has his attitude, which is why clubs are looking closely at him to join the ruck merry-go-round at season’s end.
Reilly O’Brien (right) made life hard for in-demand ruckman Tom De Koning in round eight.Credit: AFL Photos
“I’m trying to just focus on footy and have a great end of the year with the club, and hopefully play finals and do some damage there,” O’Brien told this masthead on Sunday.
“I’ve really been building towards that with the club for the best part of five years now, since we embarked on a bit of a reset for the club. I’m really excited for that, and then we will see what happens at the end of the year. I love this club, so we will wait and see.”
O’Brien admitted it’s not always easy maintaining form when your name is mentioned in trade dispatches.
“It’s the first time I have been in that position,” he said. “It certainly comes with a few challenges, and it has been a weird spot to be in, with the uncertainty around it, but I think I am handling it pretty well.
“I’m pretty comfortable to see where it lands and whatever happens, happens.”
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