Charlie Curnow and Mitch McGovern are keys to Carlton rising up AFL ladder in 2019

They’ve spent the past five seasons on AFL’s bottom rungs, but the Blues might finally be ready to make their move. Chris Cavanagh lists eight reasons Carlton fans should be smiling about 2019.

Patrick Cripps will lead the Blues on field in 2019. Pic: AAP

Carlton has spent the past five seasons on the bottom rungs of the AFL ladder, but is the worm starting to turn?

Some big off-season acquisitions, more quality young talent, some injury luck and another season with Brendon Bolton’s game plan burned into players’ minds should see enjoy a more fruitful 2019.

BUDDY BLAST: SWANS CHIEF SLAMS TRADE CRITICS

RISING SUNS? WHY GOLD COAST SHOULDN’T BE SO GLUM

EIGHT REASONS WHY CARLTON CAN GET EXCITED

McLOVIN McGOVERN

Carlton couldn’t have been much happier after securing Adelaide’s Mitch McGovern during the trade period. They didn’t have to give up much — essentially two picks in the 20s — but landed a player who could prove a steal. Yes, McGovern has only shown glimpses of what he is capable of during a 48-game AFL career to date. Two injury-interrupted seasons haven’t helped, and at 24 years old he needs to start finding consistency. But Carlton clearly thinks the swingman — who kicked 20 goals from 13 games in 2017 — can do that and McGovern’s addition helps fill the club’s void of players in the 23-to-27-year-old age bracket.

Mitch McGovern’s pre-season hit a snag with a back injury. Pic: Michael Klein

OTHER ACQUISITIONS

They won’t be plastered over the membership posters, but Carlton’s other trade and free agency pick-ups alongside McGovern could prove handy. Nic Newman, secured from Sydney, is a capable rebounding defender who averaged 17.5 disposals and 5.5 marks in his 11 games last season. He will also start next season aged 26, providing a more experienced head in the back half than most the Blues. Will Setterfield, from Greater Western Sydney, was Pick 5 in the 2016 National Draft so clearly has talent to burn if he can get his body right after two injury-interrupted seasons. Then there is former Collingwood livewire Alex Fasolo, who fell out of favour at the Magpies but does know how to find the goals. In fact, he kicked 29 majors in 19 AFL games in 2017. Not too shabby at all.

SUNNY SKIES

When you finish last on the ladder, there are not really any games you can pencil in as wins for the following year. However, Carlton would be thanking its lucky stars its fixture for 2019 sees it playing Gold Coast twice. The Suns were one of just two teams, along with Essendon, that the Blues beat in 2018. And Stewart Dew’s side has only been further depleted since, losing co-captains Tom Lynch and Steven May among a host of other senior players. The Blues other double-up opponents are a mixed bag with St Kilda, Western Bulldogs, Sydney and Richmond.

Patrick Cripps will lead the Blues in 2019 with co-captain Sam Docherty sidelined again. Pic: AAP

ONLY WAY IS UP

They say sometimes taking a step back can move you forward. The Blues will be hoping that is the case for them in 2019. The side won six games in 2017 before slipping to just two in 2018 but now, coming from last on the ladder, the only way is up. Entering his fourth year in the hot seat, coach Brendon Bolton has few excuses left to roll out having completed a significant turnover of the playing list since his arrival which has delivered a mix of footballers he thinks he can work with. Now is the time to deliver.

MORE KREUZ

After Sam Docherty’s injury during pre-season and Bryce Gibbs’ deflection to Adelaide, the last thing Carlton could afford last year was for another experienced senior player to miss a large chunk of the year, which ruckman Matthew Kreuzer did. Ankle and concussion issues and later an elevated heart rate complaint restricted Kreuzer to just 12 games in 2018. The limited campaign came after the big man had played 21 games in 2017, averaging 15.3 disposals and 31.7 hit outs to finish third in the club’s best-and-fairest. If he can stay on the park in 2019 and return to that sort of form it will provide a big boost for the Blues’ midfield.

Charlie Curnow’s emergence has Blues fans excited. Pic: Getty Images

CURNOW INFERNO

Much of the excitement around Carlton’s future revolves around the emergence of key forward Charlie Curnow. While he does not turn 22 until February and is just 47 games into his AFL career, Curnow has already been compared to a young Nick Riewoldt or Jonathan Brown and his rise to stardom is expected to only accelerate. The 194cm tall went from kicking 20 goals from 21 games in 2017 to booting 34 majors from 20 games in 2018 and has shown enough to suggest he is capable of boosting that figure to 50 goals in 2019.

ANOTHER No. 1

There is always interest aplenty in how the No. 1 draft pick performs in their debut season and Sam Walsh carries that baton this year. The midfield jet produced a dazzling under-18 season last year, averaging 32 disposals for Geelong Falcons in the TAC Cup and 29 touches in the national under-18 carnival. The 18-year-old made a big impression at pre-season training from his very first week and veteran Falcons talent manager Michael Turner has said Walsh could be the best player to come through his program, which has produced seven AFL captains.

WILLIAMSON’S RISE

Football can be cruel sometimes, evidenced by Blues co-captain Sam Docherty suffering another ACL injury just weeks into pre-season training which will rule him out of most, if not all, of the 2019 season. However, with heartbreak comes opportunity for others. Tom Williamson shapes as one player who might grasp that opportunity and make the rebounding intercept defender role his own. Highly rated internally, the 189cm Williamson played 15 games on debut last season, averaging 12.1 disposals and 3.4 marks. While still just 20 year’s old, the No. 61 draft pick from 2016 draft is certainly an exciting prospect.

Carlton coach Brendon Bolton with No.1 draft pick Sam Walsh. Pic: Michael Klein

TAB ODDS

Premiership: $251

Top-8: $9

Most losses: $4.50

TRAJECTORY

2014: 13th (7-1-14)

2015: 18th (4-18)

2016: 14th (7-15)

2017: 16th (6-16)

2018: 18th (2-20)

YOUNG BLUES

The Blues have got younger and younger under coach Brendon Bolton and are now ranked as the third-youngest list. Carlton also has the equal-most players who have played under 50 matches.

Source: CHAMPION DATA