Carlton's list chief Nick Austin has heaped praise on the two newest Blues, claiming that Ashton Moir's resilience and the positional flexibility of Billy Wilson will add plenty to the club's premiership-contending list.
Following a season in which both injury and form saw him slide down the draft board, Moir's AFL dreams were realised with the last pick of Monday's first round, with Austin and company bringing the forward from Glenelg to Melbourne's inner north.
Though once seen as a potential top-five pick, a hip injury saw Moir drop in draft conversations, however, with a proven ability to persevere and an eye-catching skillset, Austin pressed that Ashton had been on the Blues' radar for some time.
โWe've liked Ashton from a fair way out, we've had our eye on him for a while,โ Austin told the press pack at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday night.
โ[He's] a point of difference forward of centre, really tough matchup, he's got beautiful skills. So we think he's going to be a point of difference for us down there.
โHe had an indifferent year, had some injury and confidence (battles). It's a funny one, coming into the year being touted that's [puts a large] level of pressure on a player but he sort of fought through that.
โWe had some really honest conversations with him the last few weeks and worked through the year with him, but he also played some great footy as well.โ
While clean on both feet, Austin stated that like any teenage talent, Moir had numerous lessons to learn across what the Blues are hoping will become a long and prosperous career.
"He's an 18-year-old kid," Austin added.
"He's got a lot to learn about his body, but we're in a really good position that we don't have to rush him in."
After Moir's path to Princes Park was paved with the final pick of the opening night, Carlton's list crew went back to the board on Tuesday, eventually bringing Dandenong Stingrays product Billy Wilson into the fold with the 34th pick.
Though noted for his acumen behind the ball, it was the Dromana native's ability to get to work within the engine room toward the end of his 2023 campaign that most caught Austin's eye.
And with variability and flexibility already a strength of Michael Voss' midfield, Austin was happy to contend that Wilson's ability to go inside and back behind the ball gave the Blues another exciting avenue.
"I know that he's listed as a general defender, but we love what he did as an inside midfielder in the back half of the year and through the finals," Austin said.
"Playing pure inside, he did some fantastic things. [He's] super clean, his burst out and his ball use was terrific and that's a point of difference for us."
Ahead of his debut season in Navy Blue, Austin revealed that the newest Stingray on Royal Parade would train with the club's midfield unit in a bid to bring him up to speed.
Before exiting the media scrum, Austin also pressed that Carlton would take their pick to Wednesday's Rookie Draft.
The 2023 Rookie and Pre-Season Drafts will commence at 3pm (AEDT) on Wednesday afternoon.
