Carlton rising star Sam Walsh confident Blues can maintain momentum into 2020 under coach David Teague
Can Carlton play finals in 2020? Rising Star Sam Walsh says the Blues have put no limits on their prospects for next season, declaring the Blues will be targeting a top-eight finish.
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Carlton young gun Sam Walsh has declared the “sky is the limit” for the rebounding Blues as they strive for a top eight berth in 2020 under new coach David Teague.
While Walsh acknowledged the Blues had plenty of work ahead to propel themselves up the AFL ladder, the Rising Star said the group should not place any limitations on what it could achieve.
After winning just one game in the first 11 rounds, Carlton showed some encouraging signs for the future after Teague stepped into the hot seat with six wins from the final 11 games.
Walsh, one of the shining lights for the club this year, said it was possible for the Blues to turn things around quickly to challenge for a top eight spot next season.
“That’s definitely our goal heading into the season (to push for top eight),” Walsh said.
“I think for us as a group we can’t put any limitations on where our season can go.
“We aren’t saying within the club that ‘we’ve got to finish here’ or ‘we’ve got to finish there’ but we definitely know that the sky is the limit for us if we are able to work hard and really buy in as a group.
“We are doing that at the moment, but the challenge is with the good teams you have got to be able to do that consistently and over a long time.
“We know it’s not going to happen straight away … we’ve just got to keep working hard and building as a team and I think we can do some good things with this group.”
The Blues have not finished in the top eight since 2013 when they finished sixth and lost their semi-final against the Sydney Swans.
They finished 16th this year after claiming the wooden spoon in 2018.
Walsh said the Blues’ results in the second half of the season had given the club impetus for its pre-season campaign, but they would not be looking backwards.
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“We should definitely take confidence from the second half of our year,” Walsh said.
“But we know the second-half of last season doesn’t mean much when you come into the 2020 season.
“You can’t be too carried away by what you’ve done in the past and I think that’s shown in our training at the moment that we are just focused on what the future holds.”
Walsh said Teague, appointed senior coach for the next three years, had made an immediate impact with the group.
“Teaguey has been great. Obviously to have him as the coach in the second half of the year, we really got to see what he was like as a head coach and he was awesome for all us boys and for the other coaches as well,” Walsh said.
“For him and the group it is very exciting times because we are able to build our season right now and start practising on what we can to perform at the highest level and Teaguey is definitely helping us do that at the moment.”
The Blues enjoyed a profitable off-season, welcoming Eddie Betts back from Adelaide, ruckman Marc Pittonet (Hawthorn), draftees Jack Martin, Sam Philp, Brodie Kemp, Sam Ramsay and rookies Josh Honey and Fraser Phillips.
Originally published as Carlton rising star Sam Walsh confident Blues can maintain momentum into 2020 under coach David Teague
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