Carlton Supporters Club

In 2018 I would be expecting a general improvement in most of the squad. A professionalism to be able to take the club further into the future, a club showing a unity & understanding where they are at and having the application in management & leadership to carry out the process

We are looking at groundhog day for 2018.

Competitive, will lose more than we win, be in the middle six at best and could sneak finals but will just lack that bit of class to make finals.  9-12 is where we'll finish unless we really develope well this off season.

We had a good run of injury this year and traditionally players that have struggled played well. We won't get that lucky again IMHO.

The Blues will have a good year if …
Their experienced players have injury-free seasons and their youngsters continue to make incremental improvement. Having lost Sam Docherty for the season and traded Bryce Gibbs to Adelaide, they need skipper Marc Murphy, Kade Simpson, Dale Thomas and Matthew Kreuzer to provide leadership and guidance.

They're in trouble if …
Matthew Kreuzer is injured for a long period. While the Blues have solid back-ups in Andrew Phillips and Matthew Lobbe and Levi Casboult helps out with his fair share, the big-hearted ruckman has become so pivotal to Carlton's fortunes. He finally has got his body right and they need him around the ball and in attack.

Pass mark
Despite Sam Docherty's absence and Bryce Gibbs' loss, the Blues should be aiming for 6-8 victories, given that they won six last season, lost eight by under four goals and were competitive in most games. They need their better and more experienced players to stay on the field as their youngsters improve.

Reckon the Cats backline will become a problem for them. Harry T. is no spring chicken either, now - 32 this year....

I think Tuohy basically has one game style that he can excel at, if you stop him linking and running his weakness is body on body for any opponent his size or larger.

Henderson has the same problems at Geelong he had at Carlton, when the going gets tough he output becomes highly variable, it's like he picks and choses when to go with no consistent what for! That tells me it's all in his head!

When you see guys like Plowman, Marchbank, Weitering, SPS, Garlett and even Rowe(Before his injury) cracking in off HB 100% of the time, you really notice what Tuohy and Henderson lack!

Reckon the Cats backline will become a problem for them. Harry T. is no spring chicken either, now - 32 this year....

Dangerfield bung Hammy, Ablett on one leg at 34 after an interrupted preseason...   if they ain't on the park Kruds the Cats will come back to the pack very rapidly.

Anyone that is physical and can take a mark will trouble those two....Touhy was often outmarked, outbodied by smaller players and Henderson likes being the 3rd tall defender but doesnt enjoy taking the Charlie Dixon types...