No decision is needed now, but in the neck-and-neck race for Carlton tall Tom De Koning’s services, the Saints appear more attractive as a destination as each day goes by.
Now a free agent, he resisted bids two years ago to change clubs, his happiness in the environment created at Ikon Park enough to convince him to stay put despite the interest of St Kilda, Geelong and Sydney.
Carlton’s banner reads “Stronger together” but at this stage it’s not clear whether Tom De Koning will stay with the club in 2026.Credit: via Getty Images
This time his head has been turned with an offer of about $1.7 million a year from the Saints that is so attractive financially in comparison to the Blues’ very reasonable offer of just above $1 million a year that it would be foolish not to consider it.
It’s a binary choice for the 25-year-old: Carlton or St Kilda.
When he met with Saints coach Ross Lyon in the off-season, all that could really be sold to the ruck-forward, apart from a lucrative deal, was the prospect of success rather than a vision of how the Saints might play.
Now the Saints are showing they can score, have young talent on the list in Mitch Owens, Marcus Windhager, Lance Collard, Darcy Wilson, Tobie Travaglia and the soon-to-be unleashed Alix Tauru, as well as another first-round pick coming through the door in 2025. They are organised and have knocked off two of last year’s preliminary finalists in their first four matches.
Of course, the Saints may need to trade their first-round pick if they decide to follow through on their interest in a non-free agent such as Port Adelaide’s Miles Bergman, who remains a live possibility to return home.
Either way, they are getting better.
By contrast, the Blues haven’t had the chance to display their future beyond one pre-season match – coincidentally against St Kilda – after Jagga Smith suffered a knee injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season in that game. Carlton gave up their first selection in 2025 to move up to pick three in the 2024 national draft.
Four losses to start the season has made them the sort of destination the Department of Foreign Affairs might classify under the heading “reconsider your need to travel”.
But Blues fans should not panic at the prospect of De Koning making what most would consider an understandable decision if he chose to join the Saints.
Although there is no doubt the Blues want to retain De Koning, they are right – regardless of their current woes – to stick with what they consider a fair price for his services, rather than attempting to get into a “long arms” race with the Saints.
Let’s not overlook the sizeable risk the Saints would be taking in pursuing a ruck-forward for that sort of money.
De Koning is an excellent player who can play forward as well as in the ruck, and he does deserve a pay rise, but the money being offered by the Saints is against the trend as many clubs are hesitant to stump up too much cash for a ruckman in this era.
The reluctant clubs know that apart from Melbourne’s Max Gawn, the names of premiership ruckmen in the past 15 years are stalwarts rather than hall of famers. Darcy Fort, Darcy Cameron, Rhys Stanley, Gawn, Toby Nankervis, Scott Lycett, Tom Boyd and Ben McEvoy have been the number-one ruckmen in recent premiership teams.
If De Koning leaves, it’s likely that Carlton join those clubs who chose to save pennies in their ruck division so they have more money to spend in other parts of the ground.
Although no longer a list manager, incoming Carlton CEO Graham Wright was at the Magpies when they traded out Brodie Grundy to Melbourne to clear salary cap space.
Wright watched Cameron take over the role on much less money, win a flag and then develop at such a rate he was runner-up in the club’s 2024 best and fairest award, and is now one of the game’s most in-form ruckman.
Tom De Koning rucks against Collingwood’s Darcy Cameron.Credit: Getty Images
What he thinks about Carlton’s list profile is unclear, but one can be sure it is an area being given the most intense consideration right now.
The Saints are in a different spot. Rebuilding under Lyon, they have drafted and targeted emerging talent.
Their well-performed and contracted ruckman Rowan Marshall turns 30 at the end of the year, so there is some logic to them getting a quality ruckman in before he wanes. Marshall worked well in tandem with Paddy Ryder when he was at the Saints, so he can work in unison with another ruckman.
St Kilda obviously consider the risk worthwhile, confident in their own list strategy and football nous to not be spooked by what has happened at other clubs.
Likewise, Carlton should not be spooked.
They will either retain De Koning and forge ahead with what they have got, or in one swoop they will obtain a first-round draft pick, clear room in their salary cap and get the chance to reshape a list that appears stale right now.
If De Koning decides to leave, it could be the shock Carlton needs to realise they are not as good as they thought they were and force them to enter a new era.
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