AFL Blues went back on their word: Lucas

Dumped Carlton midfielder Kane Lucas has revealed he was given false assurances by the Blues that he was a required player before being axed.

And Lucas says he is still yet to speak to Blues coach Mick Malthouse about the decision.

Lucas was handed an AFL lifeline on Wednesday when he was snared by West Coast via the rookie draft.

The 23-year-old hopes the move back home will refresh a career that promised so much when he was taken by Carlton with pick No.12 in the 2009 national draft.

Lucas managed 42 games for the Blues over five years, and was told he had done enough to retain a spot on the list for 2015.

But the West Australian was left devastated after being informed of his axing while on a family holiday in Bali in October.

“They said I was a required player, and things kind of changed through the trade period,” Lucas said on Thursday.

“I think they were telling a few guys at Carlton the same thing – Brock McLean and Mitch Robinson.

“But we were doing the numbers and it didn’t quite add up that enough players were going to make the list. So once that started to happen, we started talking.

“Footy’s a pretty tough business. I just got a call from (football operations manager) Andrew McKay, and he just said, ‘thanks for the five years service and everything you’ve done’.”

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