CARLTON is the frontrunner to acquire Greater Western Sydney midfielder Josh Kelly if he decides to leave the Giants, according to Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown.

Kelly’s stocks have only risen throughout the 2017 season after moving full-time into the midfield, with North Melbourne reportedly placing a deal worth approximately $9 million over nine years on the table.

Kelly and his manager Paul Connors met with Giants officials in Melbourne on Monday. The meeting was described as a ‘check-in discussion’ as to where the 22-year-old currently sits.

But Brown told Fox Footy’s On the Couch that although Kelly has been linked to the Kangaroos and St Kilda — who publicly pulled out of the race for Nat Fyfe last week — the Blues are “having a red hot crack”.

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“Everyone’s talking about St Kilda and North Melbourne with Josh Kelly as his most likely landing spots if he does leave GWS. But my understanding is that Carlton is well and truly in this race,” Brown said.

“And it’s almost to the point where they’re the frontrunner in this race.

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“He’s obviously got a connection with the Carlton boys, there’s a few of his ex-teammates there, he’s friends with a few of those boys that are at Carlton. He's got a good relationship with Stephen Silvagni.

“My understanding is behind the scenes Carlton is having a red hot crack for Kelly.”

Kelly is averaging a career-high 29.3 disposals per game this season, ranking in the top eight in the AFL for total tackles, inside 50s and disposals.

He has played 72 games for the Giants after being selected with Pick 2 in the 2013 national draft.

Brown told the On the Couch panel he believes if Kelly doesn’t sign with GWS at the end of this season, he will be in navy blue.

“I think it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other (as to whether Kelly will stay or go),” he said.

“I think the lure of winning a premiership in the next couple of years would almost entice Josh Kelly to stay, maybe two more years at GWS. But I can’t see him signing a long-term deal, especially at GWS.

“I can see him signing a long-term deal at Carlton.

“He’d take a five-year deal, I can’t see him taking a ten-year deal — we’ve seen the way the salary cap has increased with these new TV deals. You’d be mad if you took a ten-year deal.”

With an enormous number of talented youngsters on the books, the Giants face an upcoming salary cap crunch as they try to keep all of them at the club.

Those list management difficulties could mean that if GWS does manage to re-sign Kelly, it would be at the expense of another player, according to Brown.

“At the end of the day, GWS is going to have to give up something. If they want to keep him, they’ll have to give up a player — that could be a Devon Smith or a Tom Scully,” he said.

“Obviously their salary cap is starting to get tighter and tighter as they’ve got a huge amount of talent there. Watch this space.”