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THE good news is Bryce Gibbs is set to re-sign with Carlton, ending months of speculation about his future.
The bad news is a civil war could erupt at board level, continuing months of speculation about the club's future.
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Gibbs' management and Blues football boss Andrew McKay are understood to be tidying up the final sticking points in a contract probably worth about $500,000 a season, with $50,000 depending on other variables.
An announcement could be made within a fortnight.
Bryce Gibbs flexes his muscle at Carlton training. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: News Corp Australia
It's welcome news at a club which has had a topsy-turvy season.
The Blues play St Kilda on Monday night at Etihad Stadium and a loss would be — and it is said every other week at Carlton — devastating for this occasionally proud football club.
Things have gone haywire under coach Mick Malthouse.
Blues fans must be disillusioned — and confused.
One week, against West Coast, Malthouse rated the victory as one of the best of his career and the next, against Collingwood, he says the club has to take "heavy falls" and his team has "passengers".
Off the field, there is a whiff of blood in the air.
And the worst case imaginable is possible, and that is a Pratt v Mathieson board showdown.
The two billionaires — Jeanne Pratt and Bruce Mathieson — are not close and Pratt is not entirely satisfied with the club's direction.
She — and others — were not happy about Mathieson's outspoken comments made after Round 1 and after the loss to Melbourne.
That Mathieson is not a board member and pulls the strings from Queensland has also prompted questions for the board, namely: Who is running this club?
Outgoing Carlton President Stephen Kernahan chats with Dermott Brereton on the boundary line. Picture: Michael Klein Source: News Corp Australia
It is a cluttered leadership at the Blues.
Stephen Kernahan was president, and he had three vice presidents — Mark LoGiudice, Pratt and businessman Ryan Trainor.
The club announced two weeks ago LoGiudice would replace Kernahan in June, which prompted Trainor to resign, while Pratt remains in her position.
A smooth transition from Kernahan to LoGiudice might suddenly not be so smooth.
LoGiudice has strong support from Mathieson — it is said he rang Mathieson seeking his blessing — and certainly Pratt and her gang on the board, which includes son-in-law Raphael Geminder and billionaire Zac Fried, initially supported LoGiudice's selection.
Pratt is understood to be wavering.
Carlton's next president Mark LoGiudice. Picture: Michael Klein Source: News Corp Australia
It's understood she recently approached former vice-president Richard Newton and asked him to consider returning to the club.
It's too early to speculate if a ticket will be formed to challenge the leadership, but you'd suspect Pratt wouldn't be asking Newton to come back and cut up the crayfish at the monthly board meetings.
Remember, too, there has been murmurings for two months about a board challenge, and names such as Tom Elliott and former player Fraser Brown have been linked to a possible takeover, which both have softly denied.
Tom's father John Elliott and Mathieson are not friends, and in fact John Elliott savaged Mathieson after he recently called for Kernahan and chief executive Greg Swan to immediately resign. It's also known the Elliotts and Jeanne Pratt are close.
Mathieson might plough millions into the club, but there are some at the Blues who thinks he is destabilising and that if he disappeared, the club would be all the better for it.
But now, of course, Mathieson has his man as chairman-elect in LoGiudice.
An extraordinary general meeting might not be a terrible outcome, either. It could finally reduce the board from current number of 12 to a more manageable six or seven and in doing so rid the club of factions on the board.
As for Newton, who served under Kernahan as vice-president for several years and was once tipped to be Kernahan's replacement as president, he might suddenly have a massive decision to make.
He did not return calls last night.
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