Tom De Koning was all-but gone to St Kilda at the start of May.
In Round 8, the Saints smashed Fremantle by 61 points, while the Blues lost by 10 goals to Adelaide on the road.
It looked as if St Kilda was on the up, and Carlton's season was plummeting - vindicating a decision by De Koning to change clubs.
Not only was success looking more likely at Moorabbin, but the Saints' contract offer to the star ruck is $1.7 million-a-season over seven years.
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With the Blues only able to offer around $1 million per annum because of salary cap constraints, De Koning stood to earn up $5 million more at St Kilda over the duration of the contract.
However, in the last two months, the Saints have only won one game, while the Blues have won their last two matches and secured a win over Ross Lyon's side in Round 9.
St Kilda's declining performance and with new concerns about the club's ability to have future success, De Koning held a meeting with incoming Blues chief Graham Wright last Friday, reports Sam McClure.
It's understood De Koning enquired to the new Blues official about the direction of the club going forwards, signalling a possibility he could forego millions at the Saints to remain at Carlton.
Attention now turns to the on-field performance from both clubs in Round 15 with the Blues hosting the Kangaroos at the MCG and the Saints taking on ladder leaders Collingwood at Marvel Stadium.
The stakes for both clubs are now high - one of the competition's best ruckman is wrestling with a decision between them and every match, every performance and every sign for the future could matter.
For Carlton, keeping De Koning would be a statement for the direction of the club's future, while also announcing they are still a big club able to retain their players despite less finances.
If the Saints don't manage to snare De Koning, it will add another rejection to the long list of free agents the club has chased, suggesting they just really aren't seen as an up-and-coming team to be a part of.