AFL will consider giving Carlton a priority pick, but only if it asks for one

GILLON McLachlan says the AFL will consider granting Carlton a rare priority pick but the Blues would need to reconsider their stance and request one.

GILLON McLachlan says the AFL will consider granting Carlton a rare priority pick if the Blues backflip on their decision not to request one.

Carlton takes on Hawthorn on Sunday, hoping to dodge a one-win season after their worst start to a VFL/AFL season in the club’s history.

Speculation is mounting the Blues might reconsider their decision given the possibility the league might grant them an extra second-round pick.

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Carlton’s stance was made public in late May, but the Blues have lost six consecutive games by an averaging margin of 42 points since then.

McLachlan said that unless the Blues officially applied for the contentious list allowance, the AFL couldn’t assess their chances.

“I haven’t turned my mind to it because it’s well known they said they didn’t want one,” McLachlan said.

“Whether they change their position or not? If they do we will have a look at it.”

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McLachlan admitted he was surprised by the Blues’ on-field fortunes but confident in the leadership of chief executive Cain Liddle, who led the priority pick stance.

“Clearly any team that has won one game I worry about. I have got great confidence in the leadership there,’’ he said.

“They are rebuilding and made dramatic list changes. I wouldn’t have predicted this year.

“They have a very talented list, maybe it’s a bit young and when you get injuries with a young list you are vulnerable.”

Patrick Cripps leads the Blues off the ground after last week’s loss to St Kilda. Picture: Michael Klein

Blues president Mark LoGiudice told 3AW on Wednesday the club was still staunch in its stance on rejecting AFL assistance.

“At this stage we haven’t discussed the priority pick any further. At this stage we are going to focus on things we can control,” he said.

McLachlan will meet football boss Steve Hocking on Monday to assess the progress of potential list changes including starting points.

St Kilda will conduct a rules trial in coming weeks, with GWS putting up their hand for a full-length NEAFL trial on Wednesday.

GWS football boss Wayne Campbell told the Herald Sun yesterday the club had confirmed with Hocking they were happy to take part after meeting to view the AFL’s rules trial footage.

It would most likely happen during the type of September scratch match that took place between Adelaide and GWS last year to help give players not in the senior side match practice.

McLachlan made clear some rule changes will come in next year, less thrilled with Nathan Buckley’s provocative comments.

“He’s not being serious, ‘Bucks’, is he? He doesn’t even know what (the changes) are,” McLachlan said.

“Blight on the game? There’s a board meeting early-August and I’ve got a meeting on Monday afternoon where (Hocking) is going to brief me about where he’s at.

“I think there’ll be some changes. The extent of them, I’m not sure.”

He made clear he believed AFL runners guarded space at times as the AFL prepares to limit runners’ time on ground to 45 seconds after goals next year.

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