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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
“Plenty to weigh up”: De Koning breaks silence on contract status
Andrew Slevison • May 7th, 2025 4:28 pm
Carlton’s Tom De Koning says he is in no major rush to put pen to paper to a new contract with the Blues.
The emerging ruckman is out of contract at season’s end and is the subject of a reported massive offer from St Kilda.
There continues to be plenty of speculation surrounding De Koning and whether or not he’ll ditch the Blues for the Saints cash, but he says his focus is simply on playing his best footy.
“I’m focusing at the moment on just playing my best footy for the team,” he said on SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“All that other stuff is playing out in the background and I’m just focusing on my football. The other stuff is between the club and my manager.
“I’m not putting a timeline on it. We’re comfortable with where everything sits and that will happen when it happens.”
De Koning says he is weighing up a number of things when it comes to the ultimate deciding factor.
“I’m not in a different position to what any of my other teammates have been in,” he added.
“You look at ‘Crippa’ (Patrick Cripps), ‘Walshy’ (Sam Walsh), Harry (McKay), Charlie (Curnow), they’ve all been through it, and everyone is different.
“There’s plenty of things to weigh up. But if I can play my best footy then I’m putting my best foot forward.”
The 25-year-old, who enters restricted free agency later this year, admits he hasn’t thought about a long-term contract and didn’t give too much away when asked about money being a factor in his decision-making process.
“I haven’t thought too deeply about that to be honest. I’ve put myself in this position so whatever gets offered, gets offered,” he continued.
“That negotiation (the length of deal) has been between the club and my manager. Kind of letting that play out.
“I’m very similar to other players. We’re all in the same position and we’re on a list where players are getting paid different amounts.
“You’ve just got to work out what works and is best for the club and for the player.”
De Koning and the Blues coincidentally meet St Kilda at the MCG in a crunch clash this Friday night.
