AFL general manager of football operations Mark Evans told 3AW on Tuesday evening that the Blues, who have the first pick in the draft, might miss out on pick two as compensation if Kreuzer went elsewhere on a deal similar to that signed by Melbourne's James Frawley last year.

Carlton finished last on the ladder, just below the Brisbane Lions on percentage, and under the most straight-forward circumstances they would get draft picks one and two.

But last year Melbourne scored draft pick three — the next selection after their first-round pick — as compensation when Frawley moved to Hawthorn, for a salary similar to that which Kreuzer is rumoured to have been offered by rival clubs.

Evans said the formula used to calculate the worth of players was complex and salaries were compared to others available in the same year. "It does depend on what contract value is formed for a player who leaves as a free agent," he said. "The different structure of that could mean the difference between a first-round selection or a second-round selection."

Collingwood has expressed an interest in signing Kreuzer.