Carlton will not ask the AFL for a priority pick this year as Blues remain bullish about their future

CARLTON will not ask the AFL for a priority pick at this year’s national draft as chief executive Cain Liddle remains bullish about the club’s future and even its chance of winning more games in the second half of this season.

Carlton will not ask the AFL for a priority pick. Picture: Getty

CARLTON will not ask the AFL for a priority pick at this year’s national draft despite sitting at the bottom of the ladder with just one win from its first 10 games this season.

The Blues have the worst percentage of any team — 63.2 per cent — after heavy losses to Melbourne (109 points) and an undermanned Adelaide (55 points) in the last month.

The club also hasn’t played finals since 2013, when it was awarded Essendon’s position following sanctions for the supplements scandal.

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But Blues officials remain bullish about the club’s future despite it’s on-field struggles and insist the tide will soon turn after making mass changes to the playing list.

“We’ve got a clear plan,” Carlton chief executive Cain Liddle said. “When you decided to cut a list back by 42 players over three years you appreciate that at some point there’s going to be a compounding affect of all that change and we’re experiencing that right now.

“What we didn’t plan for was the huge array of injuries that we’ve managed to receive this year, which has just increased that instability we see on the field.

Carlton will not ask the AFL for a priority pick. Picture: Getty

“The reason the priority pick wasn’t even thought about and hasn’t been mentioned and we’re not interested in it is because we’re really confident in the plan and really confident in the kids we’ve been able to bring in.

“Everyone understands that it just takes time for those kids to develop.

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“Anyone who would’ve seen our game on Saturday (night) would have seen a few more kids stepping up. Paddy Dow was outstanding, Petrevski-Seton comes off a really interrupted pre-season probably had his best game for the year, Lachie Plowman is another one with a really interrupted pre-season and I won’t bore you with all the guys we had sitting on the sidelines.

“We feel like we’re in a good place and we’re on the right track.

“For us the priority pick is not even something we’re considering and not even something we’re interested in.”

Liddle, who is in his first season as Carlton chief executive, said asking the AFL for assistance would send the wrong message.

Marc Murphy has suffered another foot injury.

“The putting your hand out, personally, I’m not all that comfortable with,” he told SEN.

“We’ve come up with a plan and when you’ve made as savage list cuts as we have over three years then you’ve just got to expect to go through what we’re going through now.

“Essentially putting your hand out would potentially suggest you’re not in control of the situation.

“We’re really comfortable on the track we’re headed on.

“We’ve got a number of players sitting on the sidelines who will be back after the bye and to be honest, I think by the end of the year a priority pick wouldn’t even be a consideration for Carlton anyway.

“We’re just keen to knock it on the head and move on.”

The Blues have been struck by injuries to key players this year, which has contributed to its struggles with captain Marc Murphy (plantar fascia), Levi Casboult (ribs), Caleb Marchbank (ankle) and Matthew Kreuzer (groin) all missing extended periods and Sam Docherty (knee) out long-term.

Paddy Dow is getting more comfortable at senior level. Picture: Michael Klein

Bryce Gibbs was also traded to Adelaide at the end of last year.

Kreuzer is back playing, while Casboult and Marchbank will resume in the next 2-3 weeks and midfielder Matt Kennedy is also nearing a return.

Liddle says expect to see a different Carlton after its Round 12 bye.

“We’ve consistently mentioned we don’t want to put a ceiling on the capability. I can’t tell you how many we’re going to win,” he said.

“We’re coming off a low base early in the year but I can’t stress any more that we are really confident in the direction we’re headed.

“I think you’ll see a different Carlton after the break when we start getting some of these players back.”

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