INJURED Adelaide forward Brett Burton is yet to commit to the one-year deal offered to him by the club last week.

Coach Neil Craig, while confident the 30-year-old would sign, indicated that the financial incentives of the deal are below what they would be if he was fit.

Burton ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Collingwood in round 15 and is not expected to play until July next year.

"My understanding is that Brett has been offered a contract and that he's just weighing up the contents of it," Craig said on Wednesday.

"I want him to stay, but it's up to Brett to be comfortable with the terms and conditions of that contract.

"It's just like any other contract. It's obviously not of the same financial level that it would’ve been if he were playing, so that’s what Brett needs to weigh up."

Burton was in career-best form before the knee injury and Craig believed the high-flying forward was capable of playing on beyond 2009.

"We hope Brett can get the knee rehabbed back to a level where he can display the form he has this year because his form was consistent," Craig said.

"He’s played at the level [he reached this year] before, but I think the thing that stood out to us was the consistency of it. He stayed out on the track, he had minimal soreness and I still think he has a significant amount of football left in him provided he can get his knee right."

Craig said the presence of Burton, who still leads Adelaide's goalkicking this season, would be vital to the club's developing forward line.

"Irrespective of what happens, we’re still going to have a young, inexperienced forward line," Craig said.

"You’ve got Kurt Tippett, even Nick Gill’s not experienced at AFL, then there’s Brad Moran, Jason Porplyzia, Richard Douglas and Taylor Walker hopefully if not this year then next year.

"So you can see how young that forward [line] will be in the next two or three years and the thought of a Brett Burton up there makes a bit of sense."

However, another knee-hampered Crow, Trent Hentschel, is yet to be offered a deal for 2009 with Craig suggesting that his fate will be decided in October.

Hentschel has not played at the top level since late 2006 and has been recently troubled by hamstring complaints.

And amidst rumours that full-back Ben Rutten is being courted by Collingwood, Craig showed little concern.

"He’s contracted to us and I’d be disappointed to lose Ben Rutten," he said.

"I'd only take it (the suggestion) seriously if Ben Rutten came and talked to me about it."