Carlton are anticipated to be one of the busier clubs come the 2023 AFL trade and free agency space, with the proud Victorian club likely to be moving for star personnel as much as they'll be looking to retain their own.
The Blues enjoyed a quieter off-season exchange window in 2022 and placed the majority of their attention toward the draft, while this year they're expected to see a more even balance in how they look to fine-tune their list.
A bevy of senior players are still unsigned for next year and could find new homes come the trade period, while the Blues have already been linked with rival assets that they'll be hoping to lure to Princes Park.
Focussing on the latter, we've identified five players that could suit the Blues' list planning, with a focus on improving their attacking options and depth building.
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1. Lachlan Murphy
Examining the pool of unsigned small-to-medium forwards Carlton could consider, Murphy stands out as an attractive target for the Blues to set some level of attention toward.
The Crows flanker isn't the flashy forward type that Adelaide have in Izak Rankine or Josh Rachele, nor is he the bigger-bodied bustling attacker in Luke Pedlar, but Murphy is a jack-of-all-trades type that can help Carlton in more ways than one.
He's never been a player to pile on goals, instead, he offers pressure in the attacking half and is a great link-up in a chain toward goal. He has a sharp eye for the sticks, but it can be his unselfish nature that sees his assists tally surpass his number of majors in a game.
Murphy has recorded 23 goal assists since the start of last season and ranks above average for the metric among general forwards in 2023, with the Crows forward playing in the mould of Cats livewire Gryan Miers.
Forward
Disposals
Goal Assists
Goals
With his place behind the likes of Rankine and Rachele in Adelaide's pecking order, Murphy could benefit from a first-string role elsewhere. If the Blues are to look toward sharpening their spear this off-season through cheaper targets, Murphy could be of value.
