Blue Wright 'likely' to go again
Carlton veteran Matthew Wright is poised to remain at the Blues despite being made to wait for a new contract.
Wright is one of several experienced out-of-contract players at Carlton, a group that includes Sam Rowe, Kade Simpson and Dale Thomas. Thomas’ re-signing has been flagged, while Blues coach Brendon Bolton said after Sunday’s loss to the Western Bulldogs that Simpson’s career was also set to stretch into a 17th season.
Small forward Wright, who turns 29 in December, has played all bar one game for the Blues since being acquired as a delisted free agent from Adelaide at the end of 2015. He topped the club’s goalkicking in 2016, was second in 2017, and is again second on the list, kicking 21 goals from 20 games this year.
Wright’s manager Michael Doughty of TLA said that Wright had been told to wait until after round 23 before re-signing, but was confident his client would remain a Blue.
“They’ve asked him to wait until the end of the season, but it’s more likely than not that he’ll stay,” Doughty told The Age.
The Blues are set to enter trade period with a strong hand after being consigned to their fifth wooden spoon in 17 years following the defeat to the Bulldogs.
Carlton have softened their position on the prospect of being given a priority pick, with the AFL considering whether to give the lowly Blues and Suns an extra selection.
The Blues are also in the frame to land unrestricted free agent Alex Fasolo from Collingwood, and have been linked to contracted Greater Western Sydney star Dylan Shiel and young Giant Will Setterfield.
Jed Lamb, Cameron O'Shea, Sam Kerridge, Nick Graham and Aaron Mullett are among the other senior-listed Blues due to come out of contract. Rookies Kym LeBois, Alex Silvagni, Matt Shaw and Jesse Glass-McCasker are in a similar boat.
Ben Silvagni, the son of list manager Stephen and brother of Jack, is eligible to be drafted to the Blues as a father-son recruit this year.