Geelong senior coach Chris Scott has prodded further intrigue over an already unpredictable contract situation for star Carlton ruckman Tom De Koning during his post-match press conference on Sunday.
Scott was asked about the ruck duel between De Koning and Geelong's Rhys Stanley, a closer battle than many imagined with De Koning winning 39 hitouts to Stanley's 30, before jokingly implying interest in the out-of-contract Carlton phenom.
"Rhys is going well. A bit of a shout out to Mitch Duncan as well, I know he's not a ruckman but they are two guys we have kind of held back this year," Scott said.
"We've been really pleased with the way they've applied themselves. Rhys is playing well at an AFL level now off the back of the first month that he put in through the VFL. I think Mitch Duncan will come in and do that for us at some point as well.
"[De Koning] is a good player, I can see why club are interested in having him on their list. He'd be fine down in Torquay I reckon."
Scott's comments come after a number of reports stated that De Koning was in favour to recieve offers of over $1 million per season from numerous clubs as he weighs up his future in the navy blue guernsey. That includes a reported seven-year, $12 million offer from St Kilda, which, if signed, would be a record-breaking deal in the AFL.
Geelong's apparent interest in De Koning might not shock AFL fans considering the club's successful recent history of recruiting superstar talents, but there is a clear lure for Tom to join the club, with brother Sam De Koning a prominent feature in the Cats' backline. Sam recently penned a two-year extension at the Cattery, committed until 2027.
Furthermore, a weakness at Kardinia Park in recent years has been ruck depth. Stanley, despite his success for Geelong as a premiership ruckman in 2022, is now 34 but has been needed in the senior side with early season health concerns impacting the availability of Mark Blicavs and 2021 draftee Toby Conway.
Scott's potential interest in De Koning could suggest Geelong's plans to upgrade this position in the upcoming off-season, an addition that would certainly establish them as a premiership favourite for 2026 and beyond.
De Koning currently ranks 10th this season for hitouts per game (30.6) with a ruck contest win percentage of 37%.
Geelong will be hoping for another quality performance from Stanley next weekend as they look to get back in the win column, taking on Collingwood and Darcy Cameron, who averages 29.4 hitouts per game this season.