By Marc McGowan
Defensive dasher Zac Williams’ season-ending ACL setback threatens to continue a cursed injury run at Carlton that coincides with Michael Voss’ men finally becoming finals contenders.
Champion Data figures reveal the Blues lost the fifth-most games from their best team to injury last year, after ranking an undesirable second the season prior, in a nightmare period that has extended to their 2023 pre-season.
Sam Walsh is also going to be missing for at least the first month of the Blues’ season.Credit: AFL Photos
Carlton’s key defensive stocks were hit particularly hard in 2022, with Jacob Weitering, Mitch McGovern, Caleb Marchbank, Oscar McDonald and mid-season recruit Sam Durdin all sidelined at different stages.
The injury bug hit at the worst of times, with the Blues blossoming in recent seasons after their prolonged struggles, to the point they are rated a top-four chance this year. They lost 109 games to players considered to be “best 22”, in stark contrast to the Brisbane Lions (32) and Sydney (39).
Williams missed 19 matches to injury and another two through suspension in his first two seasons at Carlton after crossing from the Giants, while his third will be a complete wipeout. Halfway through his monster six-year deal, which is believed to be worth about $800,000 per season, he will have made only 23 senior appearances.
The Blues will also be without All-Australian midfielder Sam Walsh for at least the first month of this season after he underwent back surgery in December, but captain Patrick Cripps is making no excuses.
“I try not to think about last year too much, in terms of [injuries],” Cripps said.
“We can only control the things that we can control, and you’ve got to keep doing the work and try and make your body as durable as possible. We’ve always talked about next man up – we spoke about that last year.
Oleg Markov may score another AFL lifeline at Carlton after Zac Williams’ season-ending injury.Credit: AFL Photos
“We’ve got a lot of depth in our squad, and you only have to look at the teams that have won [the premiership] in the past.
“It’s the squad that takes you there, so we’ve got a lot of depth and a lot of trust in other players to step up and play the role Zac would have played.”
Joining Williams and Walsh on the sidelines are Matt Cottrell, Jordan Boyd and 2019 first-round pick Sam Philp, all of whom have varying foot fractures, while injury-prone pair Marchbank and David Cuningham remain on modified programs.
Jack Martin hopes to resume full training soon and Marc Pittonet plans to play in at least one of the club’s practice games, with Carlton facing Collingwood on February 24 and the Swans on March 3. The Blues are considering ex-Richmond and Gold Coast defender Oleg Markov, who unsuccessfully trialled for Collingwood’s vacant list spot, as a potential replacement for Williams.
But Cripps said they were “spoilt for choice” at half-back, with Adam Saad, Nic Newman and Sam Docherty all options, particularly with Blake Acres’ arrival to fill one of the wing spots.
“The tough thing for [Williams] is he was going really well. He was in really good condition and had a strong pre-season, so it’s just the nature of footy sometimes,” Cripps said.
“You never like to lose players to injury but, as a club, all you can do is wrap your arms around him and support him and that’s what we’re doing at the moment.
“He’ll get in and have surgery and start his rehab. You only have to look at other players across the competition and also other players at our club: Sam Docherty has had two [knee reconstructions] and he’s come back a better player.
“Although it’s not ideal for him, once surgery happens, and he starts his rehab process, there are definitely ways you can keep improving.”
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