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After two good weeks, we once again saw where Carlton is at this season – a bottom six team.
In a regular board meeting in April, coach Mick Malthouse delivered a clear assessment as to where the list was at.
After Friday night, reality was stark and real. There are too many passengers when the heat is on and there is not enough depth to cover for the loss of key players.
They are well behind where they thought they were when Malthouse took over just 31 games ago.
Malthouse has always been a coach that has got a high level of consistency from his team and especially his role players. Added to this, when a quality player goes down, someone has the ability to fill the role. Right now, that is not the case.
“Our side right now has got passengers,” Malthouse said.
“We cannot afford to not have good contributors right across the board in a consistent fashion. At the moment … we have players who can’t give that consistency.
“Unfortunately, when we lose too many of our players that play vital roles, we really needed others to stand up.”
When evaluating a list at any point in time, you need to identify your A-grade players, players who can perform at a consistent AFL level, and players’ trade potential. You also need to look to the future and see where your squad will be in three of four years’ time.
After just seven rounds, this can be easily identified. Based on this, here is where all Carlton players sit:
Untouchables:
Walker, Murphy, Kreuzer, Henderson, Simpson, Jamison
Consistent Players:
Warnock, McLean, Tuohy, Curnow, Thomas, Everitt
Future:
Cripps, Docherty, Menzel, Giles, Buckley, Casboult, Temay, Holman, Watson, Bell, Graham
Entering final years:
Judd, Carrazzo, Waite, Scotland
Trade bait:
Yarran, Garlett, Lucas, Robinson, Gibbs
To keep or delist:
Bootsma, Ellard, White, Rowe, McInness, Armfield
Last year, Carlton turned over 10 players. Based on Malthouse’s comments on Friday night, there is more to come.
“In the position we are at, we are trying to regenerate our list. By regenerating our list you take some heavy falls,” he said.
What is clear is that despite many saying Carlton has very few young players, the truth is they do. Unfortunately we are yet to see them given consistent game time.
This is reflected when Dylan Buckley became Carlton’s first Rising Star nominee since 2010, when a young Jeff Garlett burst onto the scene.
Malthouse put faith in the young kids at Collingwood. At Carlton, this has not been the case.
Primary to this is he was given the task of winning a premiership with a list that was never in the hunt to do so. After Round 3 in 2012, they were top of the ladder. From there, it has been a consistency of inconsistency.
Patrick Cripps, Troy Menzel, Dylan Buckley, Nick Graham and Sam Docherty must be played. The time for winning a premiership is clearly not this year, but in three to four years’ time.
Despite criticism of the Dale Thomas recruitment, the fact remains there were no key forwards on the market. Thomas can add so much to this list, despite Friday night’s non show.
This year’s draft is littered with key position players. With a likely top 10 draft pick, the key recruitment must be a power forward.
Along with this is whether they allow Bryce Gibbs to take up free agency. Should they do so, there is no doubt that Carlton would receive a top 10 draft pick, so two picks in the top 10 would go a long way to solving their key position issues.
Along with this, Carlton must identify players from GWS and Gold Coast that are out of contract and go and get them.
These players have been in the AFL system for two to three seasons. GWS and Gold Coast can’t keep them all so, after giving the expansion teams draft concessions, the time is now to go and get back what was given.
Season 2014 will be a defining season. Much has been said about the 150th year anniversary celebrations. This is very much becoming a sideshow to the on-field reality.
Marc Murphy has copped his share of criticism. Like a good captain and player, he responded.
Chris Judd has played just six minutes of football and what happens at the end of the season is still unclear.
What is clear is that Carlton is in a rebuild mode and have the right coach to see this through. For all supporters there is going to be short term pain but, through tough decisions, a 17th premiership can be achieved.
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