[Ralph] Carr reiterated on Monday that he and Bolton, averaging almost 22 touches per game, would wait until the end of the season to weigh up Richmond’s offer and any that came from rival clubs.
“We made that decision earlier in the year, nothing has changed since then,” Carr said.
“Do we talk about it? No. We are just getting on with business ... what I mean by business is the footy side.”
A three-year deal for Bolton would take him to free agency but he could expect a grander offer on the open market, particularly if, for instance, North Melbourne believe he could play a key role in their rebuild or the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle attempt to lure him home.
Player-agent sources indicate Bolton is worth between $500,000 to $600,000 a season but former St Kilda star Nick Dal Santo said that could rise to $700,000 or $800,000 a year offers from interested rival clubs.
Speaking after Friday night’s win, Hardwick expressed confidence Bolton would remain a Tiger.
“I just stay out of it but Shai is an important player to us and he knows the fact that, and our players realise it, they can get paid more somewhere else, there is no doubt about that and they sacrifice to stay. But that’s what Richmond men do,” he said.
Source: The Age