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).
Defining Period
The six-week period at the start of the year is absolutely crucial for the Blues for a number of reasons. The early win-loss factor is an obvious stressor, with a side that has its eyes on finals needing to bank up as many wins as possible.
However, on a much broader scale, some early losses will put a tonne of pressure on the newly appointed Voss and the organisation as a whole.
Voss would have spent a fair chunk of the pre-season trying to build up the mindset of the boys in blue so to lose a string of early games would leave the club in tatters.
In this six-week time frame, the Blues will face the Tigers (H), Bulldogs (A), Hawthorn (H), Gold Coast (A), Port Adelaide (H) and Fremantle (A), potentially finding themselves underdogs in more than half of those.ย An early loss against the Suns or Hawks and all that pre-season talk could be undone before the Blues even reach winter.
