ADELAIDE coach Neil Craig says he expects emerging forward Kurt Tippett to make a decision on his long-term future in the coming weeks.

Tippett, 22, has already signed on for next season but the Crows are keen to extend the Queenslander’s deal to avoid losing him as an uncontracted player when the new Gold Coast franchise comes knocking at the end of 2010.

The promising 201cm forward, who only took up Australian Rules five years ago, booted 55 goals in just his second full season of AFL.

Crows’ coach Neil Craig said the club had already put an offer to the competitive big man.

“We’d love to extend Kurt’s contract even though he’s got another year to go because we don’t want that to linger. We’ll need a really clear decision either way on all that and we’re in the process of trying to get that decision,” Craig said.

“In the end, Kurt will make that decision and it’s important for him that he does, so there’s not continued speculation about it. He needs to use the next eight weeks to get mental recovery and whilst that (contract talk) is still sitting there he’s not mentally recovering because he’s still got things on his mind.”

Tippett is likely to be a hot prospect for the cashed-up Gold Coast football club when it enters the competition in 2011.

Craig would not reveal the nature of the offer put to Tippett, but said the club would be “financially responsible” if, and when, it came to negotiating a new deal.

“We could pay Kurt Tippett $1million a year, couldn’t we? Clearly we could and, maybe, some clubs are with some of their players but we won’t because it’s not fair,” Craig said.

“There’ll be a cut-off point there and I’m sure we’ll pay Kurt what we think he’s worth to us as a player and to our footy club.

“Once all that’s on the table, hopefully Kurt says ‘let’s go’ for another one, two or three years.”

The Crows, who lost midfielders Kane Johnson and Tyson Stenglein because of the ‘go-home’ factor between 2002-2004, boast a good player retention rate under Craig.

“I don’t like players leaving our football club. I’d like Kurt to play his whole career here and be a one-club, absolutely fantastic player for our club…but that’s me,” he said.

“He’s come into a squad of players pretty much his own age and they’re all working towards a common goal; it’s pretty special to get that. That’s not to say he couldn’t start that again somewhere else, but he’s started that process here now.”

The Crows are also in talks with part-time assistant coach Matthew Clarke.

Clarke, who is a qualified veterinarian, made the journey from the family business in Mount Gambier to Adelaide two or three times a week in 2009.

There had been speculation the former ruckman would toss in the coaching caper at the end of the season, but Craig said the club was still weighing up its options for the part-time position.

“I’m keen to keep Matthew involved if we can because I like his style and what he’s doing with our younger ruckmen, but it can’t be to the detriment of their performance,” Craig said.

“There’s a possibility he can continue, but we just need to get a couple of things in order before he makes that decision. He loves his involvement here and he does great work, but long-term [veterinary science] is his business.”