Out-of-favour Blues ruckman Tom de Koning could get paid as much as $600,000 a year based purely on “potential”, at a time when squad rivals Marc Pittonet and Jack Silvagni are also out of contract.
Garry Lyon described de Koning’s looming contract call as “extraordinary” given he’s not currently in Carlton’s best 23.
“Extraordinary set of circumstances … he’s still finding his way in the competition,” he said.
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“The fact he’s 200cm plus is great … (but) he’s done nothing really!”
Jordan Lewis said clubs continued to take risks on players they believe they can mould through their system.
“It’s a lot of money to pay someone on potential,” he warned.
“But we’ve seen it time and time again, that clubs dip into players like this and back their own system in to get the best of the player – it doesn’t necessarily work.”
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The debate comes as Jon Ralph revealed the Blues would be prepared to pay de Koning “about $600,000 a year” – even though he’s currently behind Pittonet in ruck rankings and Silvagni as a tall forward.
“Carlton is fully aware of the fact leaving Tom de Koning out of the side is not helping his contract talks,” Ralph said on Fox Footy.
“But he’s just not earning a game.
“It’s an intriguing situation.”
Ralph said Carlton’s pitch to de Koning was simple: “Sign a two-year deal through to free agency on about $600,000 a year. If clubs want to come at you with massive offers, well that’s potentially when you deserve that money”.
“Geelong is keen but won’t pay more than Carlton,” Ralph revealed.
“If St Kilda and Sydney come with massive offers, Carlton would say to themselves, ‘we’re just not prepared to match it’.
“Marc Pittonet is clearly outperforming him.
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“Carlton’s challenge when (de Koning) returns from concussion is he needs to play well enough to displace Marc Pittonet as a ruck or Jack Silvagni as a forward.
“If he wants the money and the opportunity, it is very much in his hands now.”
Statistics show de Koning is currently the 8th worst ranked ruck for hitouts to advantage (10.2%) while Pittonet is sitting as the competition’s best (19.4%).
De Koning managed just one goal in his five games before he was dropped for the trip west to face West Coast last weekend.
“Does it help or hurt him his brother’s (Sam de Koning’s premiership run at Geelong) performance last year?” Jonathan Brown questioned. “Helps!” Lyon added.
“It puts a bit of pressure on him,” Brown said.
“At the end of the day, Carlton hold the whip hand – he doesn’t qualify for free agency.
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“If he comes to Carlton and says they’ve offered me a couple hundred grand more than you, fair enough – is that club willing to hand over a couple of early draft picks which Carlton would ask for?
“He hasn’t left Carlton by any stretch of the imagination.”
De Koning is currently unavailable for senior selection after he was concussed playing in the VFL last weekend.
