Carlton enters 2022 under a new regime led by Michael Voss, and the Brisbane great has had a summer to sort out his best 22 and delegate roles and positions for his playing group.
The very early signs are promising. Forwards playing inside 50, mids in the midfield, defenders in the backline… a low bar to clear, but nonetheless a necessary one coming off the previous coaching staff.
However, the Blues have clear deficiencies on their list and key roles that will need to be filled.
The Liam Jones role
This one is no one’s fault. Well, except Liam’s, I guess.
Say what you want about Carlton’s defensive structures in 2021, but they had a formidable key defensive duo that excelled at halving contests.
With Jones taking his talents to the QAFL, the Blues must find a replacement. In the realest terms: Who plays on Jack Riewoldt in Round 1?
Oscar McDonald will seemingly get the fist crack. He was delisted by Melbourne at the end of the 2020 season, but immediately thrown a lifeline at Princes Park. He proved serviceable as a utility, playing both forward, ruck and his natural defensive positions in 2021 before a serious back injury cut his season short.
The club’s intentions seemingly became clear when the teams were named for the club’s scratch match with St Kilda. McDonald was named in the AFL side, while Lewis Young, a young and developing key defender who the Blues acquired from the Western Bulldogs, played the VFL match that followed.
This appears to indicate McDonald will receive the Round 1 nod and the Riewoldt matchup. Though it must be noted his opponent Tim Membrey got the better of him on Thursday morning.
Caleb Marchbank may be the long-term solution, but is still recovering from a torn ACL and may be out of the frame for the first half of the season. Mitch McGovern will play the third-tall intercepting role, but may be forced into a more key defensive role if injuries occur.
Both wing slots
Carlton under David Teague tended to punt the wing position. One side pushed in as an additional on-baller, while Jack Newnes roamed the other in inoffensive fashion.
How will the Blues utilise it under Voss? The practice match saw Will Setterfield and Lochie O’Brien start in the positions, while Newnes also still featured.
The trio didn’t set the world on fire, though Carlton fans cling to the hope that former top 10 draft pick O’Brien will make it at AFL level.
He had his moments against the Saints, hitting a few targets and covering the ground, though his deficiencies in contested situations reared up once again.
Voss has hinted at Sam Docherty potentially playing a wing role when he returns to the side, while Adam Cerra may also start on the wing when Sam Walsh returns to the side.
For now, the Blues will have to experiment to see who flourishes in the new system.
Small forwards
With Eddie Betts out of the picture, Carlton essentially has a clean slate at the small forward position. Aside from Betts, Teague liked to rotate midfielders through the forward line like Zac Fisher, Marc Murphy, Paddy Dow and Ed Curnow, seemingly hoping they could fill the role.
This wasn’t particularly successful and the Blues have a few younger options they can turn to in 2022. Matt Owies showed he belongs at AFL level last season and impressed during the scratch match with the Saints. Similarly, Corey Durdin’s speed and tenacity as well as his clear upside should see him receive early-season opportunities as well. Even if they don’t necessarily impact the scoreboard hard, both have shown they can provide the forward-half pressure required in the position.
Josh Honey may be the best of the group, but will miss the first month of the season with a knee injury. Honey has the intangible small forward x-factor and should have received more opportunities in 2021. Draftee Jesse Motlop will also be one to watch, but he will likely be given time to find his feet at VFL level.
This will be another position where the Blues must experiment. Jack Martin and Zac Fisher seem the logical choices for half forwards rotating through the midfield. Lachie Fogarty could also be utilised.
Key forward depth
Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay will (seemingly) finally get the chance to show the footy world what they can do as a one-two punch in 2022. Something Carlton fans have been waiting for since the 2015 National Draft.
But if one goes down (knock on wood vigorously), what does the forward line look like? Mitch McGovern could be thrown forward again, but after a full summer learning the defensive craft, it wouldn’t be ideal. The same could be said for Oscar McDonald, who was used forward early in 2021.
Jack Silvagni has played tall his whole career, but is better suited as a third marking option who can push up the ground and tackle players into dust, while Tom De Koning could be thrown forward to replace a McKay or Curnow and the ruck duties could be carried by Marc Pittonet.
Brodie Kemp is the surprise factor in all of this. His versatility was a key part of his attractiveness as a draft prospect, but the tall midfielder was utilised as a key defender in his first healthy season as a Blue in 2021. He has seemingly been swung forward over summer and showed some aptitude for the role against the Saints, providing a marking contest and having a few shots at goal.
So the Blues do have options if one of their starters gets injured, but none are the perfect fit into the jigsaw puzzle and genuine key forward depth will be something for the Blues to explore with their remaining list spot. Key forward Joshua Cripps is currently training with the squad in the hopes of earning a list spot, while Ben Crocker was their best VFL player in 2021.
Overall
This article may seem negative or pessimistic at a glance, and no doubt there are comments underneath this piece on Facebook furious that this topic is even being written about. Of course, they probably haven't read this far.
But really, the whole point of this article is about opportunity. Voss and his staff have a clean slate and full year to problem solve and if you’re a Carlton fan, you should be excited to see what they come up with and who puts their hand up.
It may not all click into place immediately and it may be a rocky road, but at least Carlton’s flaws going into the season are clear and solvable.