Sam Walsh’s transformation into a bona fide star of the AFL was franked on Brownlow Medal night. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

CARLTON
2021 record: 8 wins, 14 losses (13th)

THE INS
Adam Cerra (Fremantle), George Hewett (Sydney), Lewis Young (Western Bulldogs), Jesse Motlop (South Fremantle), Domanic Akuei (Northern Knights)

THE OUTS
Eddie Betts (retired), Marc Murphy (retired), Liam Jones (retired), Sam Petrevski-Seton (West Coast), Levi Casboult (delisted – Gold Coast), Michael Gibbons (delisted), Sam Ramsay (delisted)

THE STRENGTHS
It’s been a frustrating decade for the Blues, but one thing that is undeniable and should give them plenty of optimism for the future is that they have one young superstar on each line – Sam Walsh in the midfield, Harry McKay up forward and Jacob Weitering down back. That’s certainly something meaningful to build around. Walsh’s transformation into a bona fide star of the competition was franked on Brownlow Medal night when he polled a whopping 30 votes – a tally that would have been enough to win the medal in 2018, 2014, 2013 and 2012. At just 21 years of age, he has already overtaken captain Patrick Cripps as the club’s best midfielder, earning All-Australian honours last year as well. McKay realised his enormous potential last year, too, by winning his first Coleman Medal and also making it into the All-Australian team, and Weitering, who made the All-Australian squad, continued to enhance his reputation as one of the best one-on-one key defenders in the league. Carlton will be hoping that the return of a fit and firing Charlie Curnow on a full-time basis will help take McKay’s game to even greater heights. The Blues went hard again at the trade period, giving up another first-round pick to secure Adam Cerra from Fremantle, a beautiful midfielder who is sure to complement Walsh and Cripps nicely.

THE WEAKNESSES
Another season full of turmoil engulfed Princes Park last year, in what is becoming an all-too-familiar story. The treatment of former coach David Teague over the course of the 2021 was rather distasteful, as the Blues essentially let him hang out to dry in the public eye in what became a death by a thousand cuts. His fate was basically sealed in February when outgoing president Mark LoGiudice said finals were the expectation. But once again, the club grossly overrated its list, and internal prognostications fell way short of reality. Having sacked their previous five coaches Brendon Bolton, Mick Malthouse, Brett Ratten, Denis Pagan and Wayne Brittain, the Blues handed Teague the same fate, which probably shouldn’t have been a surprise given their track record. Chief executive Cain Liddle followed Teague and LoGiudice out the exit door as well, and more egg was left on the club’s face when its first two coaching choices, Alastair Clarkson and Ross Lyon, pulled out of the running, completing a massive year of upheaval on Royal Parade. Teague’s successor Michael Voss will surely know what he’s getting himself into, but has been around long enough to understand what is expected of him. And the clear indication is that Carlton again thinks it’s a finals team. Twelve months after bringing Adam Saad and Zac Williams to the club, the Blues have loaded up again by recruiting Cerra. But are they actually on the verge of September action? Or are they deluding themselves again? Carlton’s record against top-eight sides last year was a horrendous 1-9, with their one win against eighth-placed Essendon back in round seven. Their thumping loss to last-placed North Melbourne in Ed Curnow’s 200th game, and their equally embarrassing defeat to Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium two weeks later, were particularly shameful performances. They had a middle-of-the-road attack that was ranked 10th in the competition last year, and only wooden spooner North had a worse defence. Carlton also topped the league for ineffective kicks on differentials, and its soft underbelly was exposed time and time again as the Blues ranked bottom four for contested possession (15th), clearances (16th) and tackles (17th). Hardly finals material. The retirement of Liam Jones, who was forming a really good tandem with Weitering in defence, might also be a tough blow from which to recover.

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ONE TO WATCH
There’s no doubt all eyes will be on Charlie Curnow for the majority of the year as the immense talent embarks on what will hopefully be his first full year of AFL footy since 2018. Encouragingly, after more than two years out, the key forward returned to the senior team in round 20 last year and played the final four games. After a raft of knee injuries cruelly cut him down in his prime, it will be fascinating to see if Curnow can not only reach the heights expected of him, but also form a lethal partnership with McKay.

UNDER THE PUMP
Zac Williams crossed to Carlton on big money from GWS at the end of 2020, but did not make a very good first impression at his new club as his fitness and attitude came under serious scrutiny. He’s reportedly on $800,000 per year over six seasons with the Blues, and he would want to start repaying the enormous faith the club initially put in him, otherwise his spot in the team could be in jeopardy. The 27-year-old embarks on arguably the most important year of his career.

BEST 23
B: Caleb Marchbank, Jacob Weitering, Nic Newman
HB: Adam Saad, Lewis Young, Zac Williams
C: Adam Cerra, Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh
HF: Matthew Kennedy, Charlie Curnow, Jack Martin
F: Matthew Owies, Harry McKay, Jack Silvagni
R: De Koning, Ed Curnow, George Hewett
Inter: Liam Stocker, David Cuninhgam, Lachie Fogarty, Zac Fisher, Jack Newnes
Emerg: Marc Pittonet, Sam Docherty, Lachie Plowman

The Zac Williams midfield experiment was a failure and the Blues should move him back to his natural habitat in defence. Stocker is unlikely for round one due to a syndesmosis injury suffered in mid-December, but should again play a significant role this year. Marchbank, who hasn’t played since round 16, 2019 due to knee and calf injuries as well as a fractured vertebrae, would be a welcome addition to the backline if he can get back to full fitness, especially with Jones retiring. Season 2022 should also be the year De Koning takes over the No.1 ruck role from Pittonet. Cuninhgam is still recovering from an ACL injury suffered in round nine last year, but when fully fit, is part of the best 23. With a full list, there’s probably no room for Docherty, Plowman, Newnes, Paddy Dow or Tom Williamson in the best 23 at this stage.