Carlton has more top-20 draft picks than any AFL rival except GWS
AS Carlton slumped to a 0-3 start to 2018, many have questioned whether the Blues have the cattle. But a look at the playing list shows Brendon Bolton’s side should be armed with talent.
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CARLTON trails only expansion club Greater Western Sydney as the club with the greatest array of high-end talent this year.
After the Blues slumped to 0-3 to start the season, many have questioned whether they are further than ever from a rise up the ladder.
Carlton has conceded it has a huge hole on its list in the 24-28 age group after delisting 42 players in the past three off-seasons.
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But while fans might be frustrated with the pace of the rebuild, what is unquestionable is that they club has enough talent on its list.
The Blues have 18 top-20 selections, more than any club except the Giants (21) and a dozen more than perennial contender Sydney (six).
Only GWS has more players taken in the top 10 of the draft (14). Carlton’s 11 top-10 picks includes six who were in the top three.
Ironically, Adelaide’s single player taken in the top 10 is former Carlton midfielder Bryce Gibbs, playing top class football after last year’s trade.
Adelaide’s brilliant list build despite losing a host of stars to rival clubs shows the power of astute trading and drafting, plus quality development of later picks and rookies.
Carlton coach Brendon Bolton was adamant that the club’s rebuild was on track despite only 13 wins from the past 47 games.
Bolton and list manager Stephen Silvagni signed on for a considerable rebuild after believing the stopgap solutions of past years had failed.
The positive for Carlton is that, despite growing pains, none of its high picks looks like the busts that plagued its recruiting in the previous 15 years.
Harry McKay is yet to show his potential, but Patrick Cripps, Charlie Curnow, Paddy Dow, Sam Petrevski-Seton have shown undoubted talent.
Value picks include Zac Fisher (27) and Tom Williamson (61), both of whom look like 10-year players.
While the Blues list is full of elite talent, much of it is second-hand.
Carlton has traded in 11 players, eight of them — Dale Thomas, Lachie Plowman, Caleb Marchbank, Matthew Kennedy, Darcy Lang, Jarrod Garlett and Jarrod Pickett — were former top 20 picks.
Paul Roos argued on Fox Footy this week clubs like Sydney and Geelong had been able to stay competitive in the past decade despite deciding not to bottom out.
Sydney has only three players taken in the top 10 of a draft and only six top-20 picks, while Geelong had only seven players drafted in the top 20 of a national draft.
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