ZAC Williams will nominate Carlton as his club of choice as early as Tuesday after the line-breaking free agent told GWS he was leaving.
Williams used the day of his 26th birthday to yesterday tell Giants coach Leon Cameron he was out – seven years after becoming the first academy graduate to join the GWS list when he was taken with pick 54 in the 2013 rookie draft.
The decision has surprised and hurt the Giants, with Cameron only last month saying his “gut” told him Williams would be “running around in Giants colours for another four or five years”.
But Williams left Sunday’s meeting with Cameron to complete a Carlton medical.
It’s believed Blues forward Eddie Betts, who played a pivotal role in luring Jack Martin to Princes Park, has been equally influential in Williams’ choice of club.
While Williams will be well-paid at Carlton, sources said the Blues’ offer was dwarfed by North Melbourne’s to the point where the Blues told their free agency target that if money was his sole motivation then Carlton wasn’t the club for him.
The Giants’ season ended meekly at the hands of St Kilda on Friday night, with the GWS players then hiring a hotel suite for a post-season function to let their hair down.
It’s understood Williams bypassed the gathering to immediately head home and visit his mum, who he is conscious of caring for.
The Blues are also expected to announce a round of delistings tomorrow, with Hugh Goddard, Ben Silvagni, Darcy Lang, Finbar O’Dwyer and Harris Macreadie expected to be among those cut from the playing squad.