14/05/2008 1:08 PM
Carlton appears in no rush to re-sign Brendan Fevola despite the enigmatic forward's outstanding form.
Senior coach Brett Ratten said on Wednesday the club would stick by its mid-season window for negotiating a new deal with Fevola, who is in the final year of his current contract.
Fevola's future at Carlton was seriously compromised by a pre-season alcohol-fuelled escapade which prompted the club to fine him $10,000 and resolve to sack him if he should re-offend.
But the 27-year-old, has responded brilliantly both on the field - where he's scored 31 goals in premiership matches and six in a best-afield performance for Victoria in last Saturday's Hall of Fame Tribute match - and off it, following his promise to stay off the booze for the remainder of his playing career.
"We know Brendan's an outstanding player and what he can do on the field and we all know what he did earlier in the year and that's still hanging over his head," Ratten said.
"Brendan's done everything right by the team - he had that one incident and his form's been outstanding this season."
"We haven't really spoken about many of the contracts so far, I think that will come in the next month leading up to the half-way mark of the season."
Carlton's timetable for sitting down to discuss a new deal has given Fevola time to search for a new management team following his split from former manager Paul Connors late last year.
While the club canvassed the prospect that recurring one-year deals would help to keep Fevola on the straight and narrow, Ratten hinted on Wednesday at a softening of that stand.
"I don't know if we offered him a single year, I think that might have got mixed up in the media," he said.
"If we offer Brendan a contract it probably would be more than one year but we'll just wait and see what comes out on the table."
Ratten said Fevola had pulled-up well from the Hall of Fame match along with fellow Victorian reps Jarrad Waite and Chris Judd.
"We had just a normal Monday, fairly light, where our boys got back into it - they're fine," Ratten said.