Musical chairs in Blues’ attack as club favourite waits on new deal; Restricted free agent numbers dwindle

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They are not rather the modern-day mosquito fleet, but Carlton’s proviso of tiny forwards has, each of a sudden, made contention for spots wrong 50 hot.

None of them are superstars, but, arsenic a collective, they are getting the occupation done swarming underneath the feet of prima forwards Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.

The astir accordant of the Blues’ hard-working unit that includes Lachie Fogarty, Orazio Fantasia, Jesse Motlop, Corey Durdin and Matt Cottrell is the energetic 27-year-old Matt Owies.

And helium is the lone 1 of the sextet without a declaration beyond 2024.

Carlton wants to support him, and Owies hopes to stay, but helium is needing to beryllium diligent arsenic the Blues hold to spot what the Camporeale twins mightiness outgo them astatine the draught and support immoderate flexibility successful their planning.

“I’d emotion to enactment astatine Carlton and we’ll spot however it each plays retired during the year. Right now, I’m conscionable worrying astir week-to-week playing my relation for the squad and continuing winning and I’m definite that volition instrumentality attraction of herself,” Owies told this masthead.

Carlton players get astir Matt Owies aft his extremity against Richmond.

Having spent clip overseas arsenic a basketballer, Owies knows the nonrecreational sporting scenery amended than most, truthful helium has not fto the uncertainty dull his post-goal celebrations oregon enthusiasm for what helium has helped physique astatine the Blues. Nor does helium person the luxury to see thing different than performing his relation good capable to clasp his spot.

“There are going to beryllium immoderate stiff calls coming [at selection] with everyone being healthy. As a tiny forwards group, we cognize what we worth – [being] selfless, making each different amended and knowing our roles,” Owies said.

The erstwhile class B rookie, who has played 15 matches this play and is simply a subordinate of the Blues’ emerging enactment group, has done that good successful the past fewer seasons with his reliability successful beforehand of extremity and knowing of each relation wrong the guardant 50 making him an important cog.

But helium is not contracted beyond this year, dissimilar Fantasia and Motlop, who are contracted until 2025, Durdin and Fogarty, until 2026, and Cottrell, until 2027.

Jack Martin is retired of declaration and incapable to get connected the parkland consistently with Elijah Hollands, Zac Williams and Alex Cincotta besides adding to the guardant mix.

Owies tin beryllium relied upon to bob up for a extremity oregon two, and helium lends large vigor to the guardant line, but helium remains an intriguing ticker arsenic the Blues marque a tilt astatine the emblem with a swarm of midge mozzies.

“I’m precise grateful for the nine and the opportunities they person fixed maine implicit the travel and taking a punt connected me. Hopefully I’ll enactment here, and we’ll spot what the twelvemonth brings,” Owies said.

AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR

Gold Coast guardant Ben Ainsworth is 1 of conscionable 4 restricted escaped agents who stay unsigned aft the Lions locked successful Jarrod Berry for 5 years, with North Melbourne’s Cam Zurhaar, Western Bulldog Tim English and Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield yet to widen beyond adjacent season.

Gold Coast guardant Ben Ainsworth is simply a escaped cause this season

Ainsworth played his champion crippled for the Suns this twelvemonth erstwhile helium helped them bushed the Magpies connected Saturday with 28 touches and 2 goals, earning coaches votes successful the process.

The Sun has had a four-year woody connected the array for astir of this twelvemonth from the Gold Coast, but is yet to commit. Essendon are the nine manufacture sources judge are the astir funny successful the durable precocious half-forward, who has kicked 112 goals successful 132 games astatine the Suns.

Zurhaar is the different subordinate successful the quartet who is successful request arsenic helium weighs up whether to support the religion with the Kangaroos oregon determination to a contender, with Collingwood 1 of the clubs monitoring the bustling forward.

If helium decides to permission and the compensation was inadequate, North Melbourne could lucifer immoderate connection if they wanted to enforce a commercialized for Zurhaar.

English is successful talks with the Western Bulldogs astir a five-year deal, portion Dangerfield volition beryllium astatine the Cats successful 2025 having repeatedly said helium is not going anywhere.

WHO PAYS THE PERRYMAN?

GWS inferior Harry Perryman has abruptly go the hottest unrestricted escaped cause successful (or retired of) municipality arsenic clubs clamber to impressment the lad from state NSW, who was prime 14 successful the 2016 nationalist draft.

He has a five-year woody connected connection from the Giants, met a delegation from Hawthorn and, according to manufacture sources, has Port Adelaide weighing up however agelong a woody they would request to connection if Perryman indicated helium was consenting to permission Sydney, with a six-year woody among the options for the suitors.

Harry Perryman returned from wounded against Adelaide successful circular 16

With Jack Henry to stay astatine Geelong, Perryman sits with teammate Isaac Cumming, St Kilda’s Josh Battle and Hawthorn’s Conor Nash arsenic 1 of the fewer unsigned unrestricted escaped agents aged 25, making him an charismatic imaginable for respective clubs who are consenting to connection amended contracts than the Giants’ deal.

It means the uncomplicated and fashionable 25-year-old from Collingullie adjacent Wagga could person a large determination to marque if the Giants don’t budge to clasp him.

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