Off-contract Carlton tall Tom De Koning has reportedly made a call on his future, expressing his intentions to recommit to the Blues beyond 2023.
De Koning has been arguably the most sought-after name this year ahead of the off-season, with as many as four rivals joining Carlton in a bidding war for the key position talent.
Among the believed interested suitors are Geelong, St Kilda, Essendon and Sydney, the latter being tied to a substantial eight-year deal for the 24-year-old.
Essendon and St Kilda are likely to be shopping for high-profile talent to build their lists under new coaches, while Geelong have potentially hoped to lure De Koning to Kardinia Park to reunite the ruck-forward with his younger brother, Sam.
Previous reports have suggested rival bids were likely to outweigh those coming from the Blues, however signs are now suggesting De Koning will remain at Princes Park for at least two more seasons.
According toย The Herald Sun,ย De Koning has made his desire to remain in the navy blue clear, with contract talks nearing the final few hurdles before hands are shaken.
The publication's report suggests the price tied to De Koning's likely two-year extension is the only key matter needing to be ironed out, with Carlton anticipated to pay close to or north of $600,000 per season for the Mt Martha junior.
A deal until the end of 2025 would take De Koning to free agency, where he would again be susceptible to lucrative rival offers and likely have more suitors than he currently does.
The news for De Koning comes as the in-demand Blues finds himself in a strong run of form, with Carlton sitting on a five-game winning run ahead of Friday's clash with Collingwood.
De Koning and fellow off-contract forward Jack Silvagni have both been pivotal in the undefeated streak under Michael Voss, however the latter's future is seemingly more clouded in comparison to De Koning's.
Speaking onย Footy Classifiedย on Wednesday night, AFL reporter Damian Barrett revealed Silvagni is facing an uncertain future with the Blues and could depart the club at the end of the year with no contract extension currently on the table.
"In terms of his future, he's unlikely to be a Blue (beyond this year)," Barrett said.
"We get o late July and there's not a deal in front of him that makes him want to stay. From what I've been told there's no deal in front of him at all.
"It may just be manoeuvring as they try and get De Koning to stay ahead of him, but it's unusual for someone of that standing to not have a deal in front of them."
Both De Koning and Silvagni join the likes of Mitch McGovern, Caleb Marchbank and Lachie Plowman, among others, in not having deals signed for 2024 or beyond.
