There is a real sense of urgency at Princes Park following yet another disappointing season.ย
Failing to make finals for the eighth year in a row, the pressure is mounting on both the playing group and those staff members who have somehow escaped the boot.
Following such a poor year, the Blues looked to the off-season to try and bolster their stocks.
Throughout this time, not only did the Blues replace David Teague with Michael Voss, but they also added Adam Cerra and George Hewett to the mix.
With Blues fans eager to see how their new-look team fares, Carlton will be one of the most intriguing teams in the competition with all rival fans watching with anticipation.
Off-Season Moves
Ins:ย Adam Cerraย (Fremantle),ย George Hewettย (Sydneyย Swans),ย Lewis Youngย (Western Bulldogs),ย Jesse Motlop, Domanic Akuei.
Outs:ย Michael Gibbonsย (Delisted), Sam Ramsey (Delisted),ย Liam Jonesย (retired),ย Eddie Bettsย (Retired),ย Marc Murphyย (Retired),ย Levi Casboultย (retired),ย Sam Petrevski-Setonย (West Coastย Eagles).
Last Season
At the beginning of the season the Blues had, not for the first time, attracted major attention from the AFL community.
And once again, not for the first time, the Blues didn't live up to expectations, finishing the year 13th with a record of 8-14.
Whilst their season was generally filled with poor results, most notably their 95 point loss to Port Adelaide, they also had some good results which appeared to show signs of what is to come.
Among these, the Blues picked up a terrific win against Fremantle in Perth where they prevailed by 16 points. Coincidentally, their second-best win was against top-eight side Essendon where the boys from Princes Park had to dig their teeth in for another 16 point win.
However, many issues stemmed not just from tactics or personnel, rather, many of them were due to injury.
With players like Sam Docherty,ย Harry McKay,ย Patrick Crippsย and most notablyย Charlie Curnow all either struggling to get on the ground or perform at their standard levels, the Blues selectors were left with multiple headaches on a weekly basis.