- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Carlton had a much improved year under the new regime of Brendon Bolton, recording three more wins than the previous year under Mick Malthouse.
The Blues also showed a hunger and desire to win that fans had been crying out for, which gives the Carlton faithful hope going into 2017 and beyond.
Defence
Carlton’s defensive set up was terrific taking into account the talent they have at their disposal, but their defence is inexperienced, with second pick in the 2015 national draft Jacob Weitering the supposed cornerstone for the next ten years.
The Blues also paid a high price for gun Giants recruit Caleb Marchbank, who is a ready-made AFL defender, and the year before did the same thing in recruiting Lachie Plowman. Sam Docherty and Kade Simpson are both All Australian calibre, the latter however is in one of his last seasons.
The Carlton defence seems to be the only position on the ground that is seemingly set in stone for the next five to ten seasons, and 2017 is a stepping stone to proving that.
Midfield
The midfield mix of youth and experience is what’s needed for a rebuilding team.
Captain Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs are the star senior players, along with Ed Curnow. The best and most promising midfielder is Patrick Cripps, who will be one of the premier players in the competition over the next few years.
Carlton recruited promising young midfielders Sam Petrevski-Seton and Zac Fisher in last year’s national draft, along with Sam Kerridge and Rhys Palmer to help out the contested ball.
Their strength is no doubt around the clearances, where they have been among the best in the competition for last two or three years, however they have still wallowed around the bottom of the ladder due to their poor disposal (ranked 13th in clangers per game) and spread from the contest, which they have tried to address with Fisher and Petrevski-Seton.
Carlton’s midfield has the markings of being great, but still has plenty to learn – hopefully they learn quick.
Forward line
This is one of the worst forward lines in recent memory – Levi Casboult isn’t good enough to play at AFL level with his kicking skills, Sam Rowe is an honest footballer but can’t lead an attack, and young Harry McKay hasn’t yet played a game so shouldn’t have high expectations placed on him.
The small forward stocks are there, but whether the talent is AFL standard is yet to be seen. Youngster Jack Silvagni is a bright prospect, and journeymen Sam Kerridge and Mathew Wright were recruited as stop gaps, but they will be hoping Jarrod Picket and Liam Sumner can step up and take the reins.
This forward line will hold the football club until either youngsters develop or they recruit big names from opposition clubs.
Summary
It might be a case of one step forward and two steps back. This season will be all about watching the young players improve, as well as showing the desire to win as they did last year. Brendon Bolton’s second year as a senior coach will be harder, and will test his character.
Predicted finish: 18th
Carlton FC season preview
Best 22:
FB: Dylan Buckley, Caleb Marchbank, Lachie Plowman
CHB: Sam Docherty, Jacob Weitering, Kade Simpson
C: Dennis Armfield, Ed Curnow, Marc Murphy
CHF: Charlie Curnow, Levi Casboult, Jack Silvagni
FF: Mathew Wright, Sam Rowe, Harry McKay
F: Mathew Kruezer, Patrick Cripps, Bryce Gibbs
IC: Liam Sumner, Dale Thomas, Sam Petrevski – Seton, Jarrod Pickett
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.