Carlton chief addresses Curnow, De Koning and Silvagni trade talk
Andrew Slevison • August 12th, 2025 3:14 pm

Carlton CEO Graham Wright has addressed rumours, speculation and trade talk surrounding three Blues players.
Star forward Charlie Curnow was recently linked with the Suns, with reports suggesting he was keen to escape the Melbourne footy bubble and play on the Gold Coast.
Two-time Coleman Medallist Curnow addressed the chatter himself and insisted that he was committed to Carlton.
Wright has backed that up by labelling the Curnow talk simply as “rumours”.
“I keep hearing the rumours like you do,” Wright said on SEN’s Whateley.
“I spoke to Charlie this morning and he’s a week into his recovery from minor knee surgery. He’s planning on a little bit of a break then coming back and hitting pre-season.
“I don’t think that’s an issue. Charlie came out himself and said that so more rumour than anything else.”
Curnow is contracted with the Blues until 2029.
His teammate Tom De Koning has not signed a contract for 2026 and could potentially be on his way to St Kilda in a big-money free agency move.
Wright is uncertain about De Koning’s mindset right now but admits that it doesn’t look great for the Blues.
“I’m not sure to be honest,” he said of the 26-year-old.
“He’s had a contract in front of him from us for a long time and hasn’t signed it, and we all know that’s not a great sign.
“What I can say is Tom has turned up to work every day with a smile on his face and absolutely given his all to this club and this team.
“Free agency doesn’t open until October so I would presume that if he’s looking to make a move somewhere between the end of the season and October we’ll get some kind of answer form him.
“At this stage it’s a worry obviously, but you never say never.”
The reported money on offer from the Saints - believed to be around $1.7 million per year - is “probably right” and they are figures the Blues cannot compete with.
“Absolutely, yeah,” he replied when asked if that money is too much for the Blues.
“The money that is being mentioned is probably right, but until we see a restricted free agency agreement in front of us we won’t know.
“At this stage he hasn’t signed with us. We’d love it to be different and for him commit to us for the rest of his career, but we haven’t had that so far.”
And then there is Jack Silvagni.
He has been heavily linked with a shock switch to Collingwood but Wright is hoping Carlton can persuade him to stay.
“We hope not,” he said regarding a potential exit for the father-son.
“Jack is a little bit the same (as De Koning), he’s had a contract in front of him since Round 13-14 and I think it’s been open out there that’s been a four-year deal put forward for Jack.
“I’m really clear about free agents being free agents - they have every right to explore and we have no issue with Jack exploring. We’d like him to sign and be here with us, absolutely.
“Finishing his career with the Carlton Football Club is what we’d love but that’s a decision for Jack and his management.”
Silvagni is out of contract at the end of the season.
Listen to the full chat with Wright below: