The Brock McLean metamorphosis is now complete; the hard-nosed Carlton midfielder having re-signed for 2013 with an option on the following season.
 
Of further welcome news is the fact that promising on-baller Tom Bell has also committed to the Blues for the next two seasons with an option on the third, thwarting a serious overture from a rival AFL club.
 
McKay regarded McLean’s capacity to impact at senior level in the second half of the season after battling away for so long with the Northern Blues as THE good news story at Carlton in 2012.
 
“Not so long ago Brock was playing good footy in the VFL and would get the call up, only to go back when we didn’t play well,” McKay said. “But his attitude never changed, he just kept on keeping on and in the end the coaches just had to pick him.
 
“He worked very hard, made the most of it, and to hear the cheer ring out from the crowd every time his name was called out at the B and F was fantastic.”
 
While he conceded McLean was no Usain Bolt, McKay acknowledged the players other attributes. “He’s a pretty smart footballer, he’s learnt to spread quicker than the other guys both ways, he’s got great hands and he actually kicked a couple of handy goals in the second half of the year which saved the day in at least one instance,” McKay said.
 
McKay confirmed that Tom Bell, just seven senior matches into his senior career, had agreed to terms with the club. He said that Bell would retain his rookie status for 2013 and remain tied to Carlton into the second “with triggers on a third”.
 
“We’ve come to a happy medium with Tom and we’re confident he’ll be a listed senior player in 2014,” McKay said.
 
“He’s got a lot of upside, Belly. He got to the club late, having been taken in the rookie draft, then suffered those stress fractures in his back pre-season and did nothing for four or five weeks, so his pre-season was non-existent.
 
“He did remarkably well to break in at senior level and we were very keen to keep him in that inside midfield role, which he gave us in the last seven games of the year. He’s got a lot of learning and developing to do as he’s pretty raw, but there’s certainly a lot of upside.”
 
McKay also took the liberty of extending best wishes to Paul Bower, the 70-game Carlton defender de-listed last week.
 
“The club wishes to thank Paul for his services to Carlton over the past seven seasons and extends every good wish to him for the future,” McKay said.