Carlton refuse to rule out trading star forward Brendan Fevola


September 29, 2009 06:00am
CARLTON are indicating to rival clubs that troubled forward Brendan Fevola will be available in trade week.

The Blues will not make a final decision until club directors vote on the matter later this week, but club president Stephen Kernahan refused to rule out trading Fevola on Monday night.

"Anything is possible, anything could happen," Kernahan said before the Carlton best and fairest count at Crown.

"We'll deal with Brendan in due course in a few days.

"We all want Fev to be there next year, but we're just getting over what happened the other night."

Coach Brett Ratten and captain Chris Judd are believed to be seriously considering a future without Fevola.

Major stumbling blocks to a potential trade include Fevola's salary next year, believed to be more than $700,000 as part of a back-ended contract, and a strong view of several opposition clubs that his latest alcohol-fuelled incident is proof of a man not worthy of being recruited.

Fevola has gone to ground since last week's Brownlow Medal and chose to not attend Monday night's best and fairest count.

A meeting planned for Monday between Fevola and Kernahan was postponed to keep Fevola guessing on their plans for him, in addition to keeping the best and fairest count free of distraction.

Carlton executives met on Monday after being told of Fevola's decision to bypass the best and fairest count, and decided to postpone until later this week a planned meeting with him.

Sydney Swans looms as the club best-placed to fit Fevola under the salary cap, and, despite intending to use their first pick in the national draft on a kid, it is known they have been monitoring Carlton's movements relating to the Coleman medallist.

Sydney coach Paul Roos publicly expressed a view on Fevola on Monday night that was regularly being offered privately by other clubs when he said the Blues forward was far from a neat trade option.

"We are not in a position at the moment to entertain someone like Brendan Fevola," Roos said on 3AW.

"You can't speculate on other players from other clubs.

"This close to trade week, we have done a fair bit of work on a number of players. (Mark) Seaby we are really keen to get.

"It is a big, big call for any club, not just Sydney, to look at a Fevola because clearly his salary is going to be quite significant.

"They are going to want something for him. He's contracted for two years. Really, it is a Carlton issue at the moment. It is not an issue for another football club.

"It is really up to them to decide what course of action they are going to take, if any."

The Western Bulldogs are not interested in Fevola, having struck an in-principle arrangement with fellow key forward Barry Hall.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has been in regular contact with Fevola and last week counselled him through the aftermath of his Brownlow actions.

But the Magpies are not expected to consider dealing for him.

Carlton had planned to place Fevola on the veterans' list from 2010, meaning half his wage would be paid outside the salary cap.