North Melbourne champion David King has questioned whether Carlton star Tom De Koning could live up to the hype if he leaves the Blues for a big-money contract.
De Koning, 25, is out of contract at the end of this year and will be a restricted free agent, which means a club will have to trade for him if Carlton matches the contract offer given to him.
It seems unlikely the Blues would match St Kilda’s offer after the Saints reportedly offered De Koning a seven-year deal worth $1.7 million a season. In comparison, Carlton can only offer $1 million a season.
David King has explained that the decision to move is harder than just looking at the money offered, wondering if De Koning could handle the pressure of the contract.
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“You are the man at that football club. If you walk into St Kilda, you have to be a top-tier player from minute one, and everything you do, you’re going to be the spokesman, like it or not, for that football club,” King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack Preview.
“Are you ready for that responsibility, and are you ready for what the $1.6 million tag brings?”
King added that staying at Carlton would be a safer decision for De Koning, who has already put in the hard work at the Blues.
“You’re still going to get good money at Carlton if you stay, and you’ve already got your credibility there. In a lot of ways, it’s a safer, easier decision to stay rather than to leave,” he said.
“But if he leaves, be under no misconception that this is going to bring a lot of pressure on one man, and I just hope he’s ready for that.
“I just get an uncomfortable feeling. I understand that the finance is huge, to put yourself in that position is a significant shift and a big move in terms of what you must deliver upon from minute one.”
De Koning’s Blues are sitting in 10th position as pressure mounts around the club’s poor performance so far this year.