Veteran AFL recruiter Matt Rendell believes Carlton may still be a year or two away from being the team many expected them to be in 2021.
The Blues sit 14th on the ladder at their bye and are likely out of the finals race, but Rendell feels they have a clear “void” on their list that may be holding them back.
The former Collingwood recruiter believes Carlton is missing key players over the age of 28.
The club has seven players who are 28 or older in Eddie Betts, Marc Murphy, Ed Curnow, Levi Casboult, Liam Jones, Nic Newman and Jack Newnes.
They have all been regulars in the Carlton side this year, but Rendell has questioned the quality of the group in comparison to other clubs and wonders whether the Blues’ group overall is still too young to contend.
“I had a good look at their list and I found a big hole that I didn’t really realise without looking hard at it,” Rendell told SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“They’ve got only about half a dozen players 28 or over.
“I haven’t got one of their 28 and over players in their top 10 players.
“You could probably mount an argument for Ed Curnow, a great role player for them, maybe an argument for Liam Jones, but he’s hot and cold.
“They’ve destroyed the top end of their list through poor recruiting and poor trading over a period of time.
“All of their players are in the 18 to 27 bracket, so when I looked at that I’ve gone they’re still two years away.
“I thought they were ready to go this year. I had them making the eight.
“Studying this, they’re not ready yet. Patrick Cripps is 26 and nearly their most senior player.
“Their kids are still a year, maybe two, away and I wouldn’t be jumping off this year.
“I think we just expected natural improvement to make the eight.
“Kade Simpson leaving, he would’ve been in their top five let alone their top 10."
“They’ve got a massive void there and only time is going to fix it. I’d be hanging tough with them.
“Murphy will be finishing this year and Betts will be finishing this year. They’ve got a kid called Corey Durdin who could take Betts’ spot, but he’s a kid and the VFL hasn’t played for three weeks.
“I’m not sure about the coaching side of it. I hope the review comes out and says ‘we messed up the recruiting and trading a few years ago and that’s why we’ve got a big hole here’.”
Carlton has numerous players between the ages of 25 and 27, including co-captains Sam Docherty and Patrick Cripps, as well as Adam Saad, Zac Williams, Lachie Plowman, Mitch McGovern, Jack Martin, Michael Gibbons, Oscar McDonald and Marc Pittonet.
The Blues have seven players in the 28+ age bracket, with even the ‘baby’ Bombers having nine.
Geelong has 17 in that group and the rebuilding Kangaroos have 10.
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