Carlton started like a house on fire in 2022, going 8-2 in the first ten rounds with Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps and twin towers Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow shredding opposition defences to ribbons.
The Blues had total control of their illusive decade-long finals destiny after defeating West Coast in Round 17, sitting fifth at 10-6. Carlton fans could at last see September action on the horizon. Then calamity struck, losing five of their final six games to bundle out of the finals - most agonisingly in narrow defeats to Melbourne and Collingwood in the final two matches by five points and one point respectively.
The devastation of being a fingernail away from punching their September ticket will be motivation for the year to come for Michael Voss' men.
In this piece we'll touch upon these five burning questions for Carlton in 2023.
2. Will the Blues stem the injury bug?
Injuries are a common prevalence in footy and in 2022 the casualty ward hit Carlton hard. From key defender Jacob Weitering (AC joint), Mitch McGovern (hamstring), George Hewett (back), Matthew Kennedy (foot), Harry McKay (foot), Zac Williams (calf), Corey Durdin (shoulder), and Marc Pittonet (knee), Carlton couldn't catch a break on the injury front.
According to statistical leader Champion Data, Carlton had the fifth-most games lost to injury with 109. To make matters worse, Williams will miss the entire season after rupturing his ACL, and classy midfielder Sam Walsh is sidelined for the first month of the season after undergoing back surgery in December.
Unlike seasons past, the Blues have the depth to cover for both players. Carlton will be looking to avoid a lengthy injury list, especially in the midfield where Sam Docherty spent time in the middle to cover the key losses late last season.
Asked about addressing its lengthy injury list in 2022 on the club's Summer Sessions series, Blues President Luke Sayers says the club will look closely at its medical department.
"We've had a look at the high-performance area, the medical area and the interconnectedness to coaching and the way in which we do all that," he said.
Results may be on show this year as Carlton look to recover from a difficult and injury-riddled 2022 campaign.
