PORT Adelaide coach Mark Williams says he will consider taking back premiership hero Josh Carr if the West Australian opts to leave Fremantle at the end of the season.
The Power reluctantly complied with Carr’s request at the end of 2004 to be traded to Fremantle where he could be nearer to his family and also play alongside his now-retired brother Matthew.
Carr has played all but three games, missed through suspension, for Fremantle this season, but the 28-year-old is yet to ink a new deal to keep him in WA.
“Yes, I’ll entertain that thought [of getting Carr back]. He was an exceptional player for us. He was a premiership player and a great leader,” Williams said.
“We’ll seriously talk about Josh if he’s ringing me up wanting to come back, I’ll seriously have a talk with him.”
Port Adelaide is in the midst of a self-proclaimed ‘revolution’ in terms of developing its young playing list and Williams said it was “debatable” whether Carr would fit into the club’s future plans.
“We’re not exactly sure [if Carr fits into out list]. You can run the story to say that he’s definitely coming back, but you’d be wrong and you might get your fingers burned,” he said.
“I like the guy, I like the way he plays and I like what he was at our club. Is that something from yesterday? Maybe it is and we’ll consider that. I can honestly say we’ve never talked about Josh, as a collective group, once, so that’s where it’s at.”
However, Williams was less forthcoming about a potential move to the Gold Coast.
Williams, who is contracted at Alberton until the end of 2009, has been linked to the new 17th franchise, but the former Brisbane Bear vowed he would not join the queue of senior staffers to leave Port Adelaide this year.
“Well I suppose I spent some time up on the Gold Coast and I’m a very keen surfer, so they [the media] put those two things together and they probably get me there [on the Gold Coast],” Williams said with a laugh.
“There hasn’t been any discussion about that at all and I’ll be coaching Port Adelaide next year.”
