Curnow signs on but Cripps waits
CARLTON has announced the signing of gun young forward Charlie Curnow, but the optimism around Patrick Cripps signing an extension soon appears premature.
Curnow has agreed a four-year deal that secures him until the end of the 2023 season.
The deal is reported to be about $800,000 a year, making him almost certainly the highest-paid 21-year-old in the AFL.
Cripps, 23, is contracted to the end of the 2019 and there have been discussions about extending him for a further two years.
But it is understood he is not yet ready to commit to the Blues beyond this contract.
While the Blues are confident of keeping him and would like to trumpet his contract extension as soon as possible, it is understood Cripps would like to see how the trade and free agency period plays out.
Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni said yesterday an announcement was coming on Cripps.
‘’We’re in a good spot,’’ Silvagni said.
‘’They’re very close (but) right at the minute, nothing’s been signed off, so until you’ve got a signature, you can probably say they haven’t agreed.’’
Cripps’s management group plans to meet Silvagni in the next fortnight.
Curnow’s signature will please Blues fans, who see Curnow and Cripps as the two players the club has set about building around.
The Blues are also confident skipper Marc Murphy, who is a free agent at the end of the year, will recommit.
“I really believe in where our football program is heading,” Curnow said in a statement.