Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and in the world of football we as fans tend to get caught up in the events of days gone past.
Every footy fanatic has that one player that they long to see take the field, however long gone their days of handling a Sherrin may be.
Whether it be Daicos or Doull, Ricciuto or Richardson, fans can usually point to a single figure that captured their imagination during their formative years of watching AFL football.
Similar to our 'If your club could steal one player...' series, this trio of pieces will go through all 18 teams in the league, pointing at the weak spots in their best 22 and picking one of four past players to slot into their lineup and remedy their club's ailments.
We start off today with the first six teams of the competition based on alphabetical order.
Carltonย
Option 1: John Nichollsย
The greatest ever Blue according to many, Nicholls was a hard-nut ruckman despite being unconventionally sized for the role.
Standing at just 189cm, the bulky Victorian somehow turned out to be Carlton's best ever ruckman by using sheer footy smarts to dominate opposition talls.
Nicholls managed to win three flags with the Blues between 1968 and 1972, making the AFL Team of the Century and winning a staggering five club best-and-fairests, with the medal subsequently being named after him in 2004.
Finishing his 18 season career with 328 games and 307 goals from his ruck role, it's easy to see why there is so much nostalgia surrounding "Big Nick" and the legend he created at Princes Park.
Option 2: Stephen Silvagni
It'd be hard not to throw "Soss" onto this list, with the legendary defender touted by many to be the best defender to ever play the game.
A one-club player, Silvagni ran out for the Blues on 312 occasions and was imperious wherever he was deployed. At times he was even put down at full-forward, booting 202 goals throughout his career, including a mammoth haul of 10 goals against Fitzroy in 1993.
Even though he could score goals regularly the man from Marcellin College's bread and butter was defending. So good was Silvagni that he claimed full back in the AFL Team of the Century for his sheer dominance as a backman.
His son Jack now dons the famous navy blue, however, the forward will have to pull out a remarkable career to fill the Herculean boots left behind by his father.
Option 3: Brendan Fevola
One of the most enigmatic players of this century so far, Brendan Fevola delighted Blues fans for years with his habit of getting the crowd off their feet.
Carlton still haven't found someone quite like "Fev" yet, and likely never will with the high-flying forward being one of a kind. Finishing with 623 goals in 202 games for Carlton, at points throughout the 2000s it seemed like the only thing bringing Blues fans through the turnstiles was the promise of seeing Fevola in action.
His best year, 2008, saw him boot a mammoth yet still disappointingly total of 99 goals throughout the home and away season, famously falling short of the tonne against the Hawks when Lance Franklin famously booted his 100th major of the year to cue pandemonium at Telstra Dome.
Despite his footy career ending in controversial scenes in Brisbane, Blues fans still cherish the memories that 'Fev' gave to them through his footballing genius.
Option 4: Bruce Doullย
Throughout his star-studded career which spanned three decades, Bruce Doull is fondly remembered by those fortunate enough to witness him strut his stuff for the Blues
Famously nicknamed "The Flying Doormat" on account of his matted hair, Doull is heralded as one of the most consistent performers to ever play football with his 356 games in the navy blues a testament to his longevity.
Doull managed to rack up four VFL premierships over his 17-year stint as a footballer, as well as the same amount of Carlton best-and-fairest awards. The ever-steady half-back flanker was honoured in 1996 by being named across half-back in the AFL Team of the Century as well as inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame for his efforts on-field.
Verdict
You could genuinely make a case for each one of these past icons to be picked to slot straight into the present-day Carlton side, however it's no secret that with the departure of Liam Jones in the off-season the Blues' back-six needs reinforcing.
Therefore, it seems that the most suitable option would be none other than Stephen Silvagni, with the legendary defender improving the standard of the current Carlton defence dramatically should he slot in.
His dominance in the air, as well as footballing intelligence, was unparalleled and we have yet to see a backman rival him for the title of the greatest ever defender since his retirement. With the reliable Jacob Weitering alongside him, suddenly the Blues defence would transform in a very tough nut to crack.
