Carlton don’t have a coach, list manager or a national recruiting manager and just a decade after undergoing one of the most savage rebuilds the competition has seen, the Blues again face another overhaul of their list.
They are fielding teams with an age profile that should be in premiership contention, rather than sitting 16th. In Michael Voss’ last game as Carlton coach, the Blues ran onto the Gabba with more players who had played 100-plus games than the Lions, and only a marginally younger side. They had seven players aged 30 or over.
Football boss Chris Davies has the job of overseeing Carlton’s list management until they find a replacement for Nick Austin, who left the club on Tuesday.
Fate has dealt the Blues a cruel blow. The tightening of draft rules means their prized picks of Jagga Smith, Harry Dean and Cody Walker will have cost them six first-round selections. Tasmania’s arrival will dilute the pool.
Blues CEO Graham Wright said the club wants more selections in this year’s draft, the last uncompromised one before Tasmania’s entry, but how can they find their way out of the hole they’re in?
This masthead spoke to sources in list management across the AFL who discussed the Blues on condition of anonymity to talk about a rival side.
Which Blues have trade currency?
After losing Charlie Curnow, Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni at the end of last year, the Blues are low on players with significant value at the trade table.
With Sam Walsh locked away on a long-term deal signed in March, key defender Jacob Weitering shapes as the Blue who can command the highest price.
Weitering is contracted until the end of 2031, so the Blues would hope to at least match the haul West Coast received at the end of 2024 for Tom Barrass, who cost Hawthorn a future first, future second and future third, with a future fourth going back to the Eagles.
He would be an attractive proposition for North Melbourne, who are desperate for a defender of his quality. The Western Bulldogs could also do with Weitering, though they will need their draft capital for Zak Butters.
Weitering is having a down year by his own lofty standards but, at his best, is among the top backmen of his generation. The Blues cannot afford to lose a player of his quality, and Weitering was emphatic this week that he wants to stay.
Life will also be easier for Harry Dean and Harry O’Farrell if they have Weitering protecting them as they develop their games.
Harry McKay, the 2021 Coleman medallist, was among the leading key forwards in the league but has found life difficult as the No.1 man after Charlie Curnow’s defection. As he showed against Brisbane, his best is excellent. But as he also showed the week before, his worst is substandard, and his confidence can be fragile.
As one rival list boss said, it is vital for the Blues to have their bookends intact as they embark on a rebuild/reset/regeneration.
That leaves skipper Patrick Cripps, who, unlike Weitering, spoke like a man keeping his options open. Few can match Cripps for his contest and clearance work but, aged 31, and with a strong suit no longer as valued after recent rule changes, he won’t fetch a king’s ransom.
If sentimentality can be cast aside – not easy when talking about a player who has given so much to Carlton – it can be a win-win for both parties. Cripps, should he choose, can go home to Western Australia, free of the burden he has carried his entire career at Ikon Park.
It would allow Sam Walsh to own the midfield, enable George Hewett to fulfil the role of inside bull at a much lower price, free up cap space, and give opportunities to youngsters Cooper Lord and Ben Camporeale.
The Blues can also shop around one of their two first-round picks from the 2027 draft, acquired through the Curnow trade.
The untouchables
These are the players who must form the cornerstone of Carlton’s next contending team: Smith, Dean, O’Farrell, Walsh and Walker.
In Walker and Smith, the Blues have two midfield aces who can burst out of stoppage. Neither are elite kicks but, as a rival list manager said, their acceleration from traffic allows them to take easier options. Combined with Walsh, it forms a strong start to a next-generation midfield.
Dean has impressed in his first year, as did O’Farrell in 2025, before injuring his knee. The pair have the potential to hold down the Blues’ key defensive posts for the next decade.
As one source in recruiting and list management put it, contrary to many views in the industry, the Blues are “not a complete train smash because their good ones are very good”.
Those out of contract
The Blues have 20 players out of contract. Some will be straightforward calls, but several involve players who still command a regular game and, in Mitch McGovern’s case, are contributing strongly. Making the right decisions can expedite the Blues’ recovery.
Voss’ departure gives the Blues more freedom to explore their list with an eye to the future. Interim coach Josh Fraser needs to find out about those on the fringes.
Billy Wilson deserves more than half a game to prove he has the physicality to transfer his VFL form to AFL level.
Flynn Young has been the Blues’ best in the VFL, but can he prosper as a small half-forward who uses the ball well but does not have blistering pace? The jury is still out on the Camporeale twins. Can Ben be a prolific ball-winner in the ones?
Adam Saad, Jordan Boyd and Lachie Fogarty all featured in Carlton’s 2023 preliminary final team but have fallen out of favour. Nick Haynes has been serviceable but turns 34 this month, while Zach Williams is 31. The Blues need to move past them.
Lewis Young performs the same role as Wade Derksen, providing key position depth. There won’t be room for both.
Ollie Hollands has become maligned by sections of the Blues’ supporter base for his kicking but is a strong runner – an area the Blues lack in. Nic Newman remains an important defender and, barring injury, is well-placed for another year. McGovern is leading the Blues’ goalkicking but, aged 31, is near the end.
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