Carlton coach Michael Voss has confirmed multiple positional changes fans can expect to see come the 2025 season, with returning Blues forward Jack Silvagni among those training for a new role.
Silvagni is set to integrate into training next month in the next stage of his recovery from an ACL injury that sidelined him for the entire 2024 season.
The 26-year-old had been utilised as Voss' third tall forward who could support in the ruck prior to his setback, with Tom De Koning's emergence as a full-time figure in the middle now able to free up the Blues' front third this coming season.
In Silvagni's absence this year, defender Brodie Kemp showed glimpses as a forward target as Voss shifted the magnets late into the home and away season to combat injury issues.
Kemp is now set to trial for a starting role in attack for Carlton this summer, with Silvagni placed at the other end of the field in a period of experimentation for Carlton.
"He certainly did some good things at the back end of the year," Voss toldย Carlton Mediaย of Kemp.
"Kempy likes the creativity of the forward line. It's like Zac Williams, who played defence most of his career and then goes forward. When you find something different, that creative gene gets flicked on. He's doing some good things (as a forward) as well.
"We're always looking to find out where we want to get better and some of it is to do with their roles.
"Kempy will play [forward]. We're going to look at 'SOS' down back. We're certainly committed to getting both of those two roles done. The strength of being able to do that is we can flip those two with 'SOS' forward and 'Kempy' back.
"We feel like a pre-season spent somewhere else will add to us and add to them."
On top of the positional changes for Silvagni and Kemp, swingman Ollie Hollands has been deployed in defence to start pre-season in a move that looks to be bearing fruit early.
Entering his third season at the level, Hollands headlines a young pack of Blues players Voss is keen to see "have more of a presence" in his side next year.
Pick 3 draft selection Jagga Smith is among that group, as is Mid-Season Draft addition Cooper Lord, who has also turned heads at training this summer. Young forwards Ashton Moir and Harry Lemmey have also looked to impress, while wingman Jaxon Binns has continued to grow at a rapid rate over the past two seasons.
"I'd like to put a bunch of our younger players on the radar. I think they've presented really well and have given themselves every opportunity to have a strong season. I'd like to see some of those players get more presence in the team," Voss added.
"Ollie Hollands, he's had a really strong pre-season so far and has elevated himself with a slightly different positional change.
"Cooper is getting a fair bit of airplay at the moment, but he's earned that through the work he's done.
"It's only early days, but to see Jagga come in and settle in has been particularly pleasing. Harry Lemmey has been able to come in and really get after his running and his physical profile, I'd like to see how he evolves. Ashton is another player, Jaxon Binnsย is having a strong pre-season.
"I'm hoping there are these five or six emerging players that can come in and have more of a presence within our team in 2025."
Carlton are locked in for a trip to Canberra to face GWS for their Community Series match in the pre-season before opening their 2025 home and away campaign against Richmond at the MCG on Thursday, March 13.
