After flirting with a cross to Hawthorn, Carlton defender Bret Thornton has signed a new, three-year deal to remain with the Blues.Thornton advised the Blues on the eve of the AFL trade period that he wanted to leave the club after five seasons to join the Hawks, but Carlton steadfastly refused to entertain a deal with the Hawks, and rejected an offer of two second round selections – picks 24 and 33 overall – shortly before the close of the trade period on Friday."We have stayed steadfast in our view that Bret is a required player at the Carlton Football Club," Blues chief executive Michael Malouf told carltonfc.com.au."Bret was drafted as a rookie and the Club has invested heavily in his development into a young key defender who will be the cornerstone of our young emerging defence in the coming years. It was imperative to retain his services and therefore the club and I am sure all Carlton people will be delighted with the outcome."Thornton is holidaying in Fiji but decided to remain with the Blues, rather than try to join the Hawks in the pre-season draft. Carlton had indicated it would have re-drafted him in December, while Essendon, which had the second selection, had also expressed interest, meaning Thornton was unlikely to have lasted until pick six, which belonged to the Hawks."While it has been a difficult period for everyone involved, importantly we have reached a very positive outcome and Bret is looking forward to returning from his holidays and continuing his career with his team-mates at Carlton and being a part of the rebuilding of the Carlton Football Club," said his manager, Anthony McConville.Hawthorn's general manager of player personnel, Chris Pelchen said the Hawks were disappointed Thornton would not be nominating for the pre-season draft, but respected his decision to remain with the Blues.