Carlton list plan revealed after Jack Silvagni knee injury, Harry McKay’s efforts to fix goalkicking yips

With a list spot open after Jack Silvagni’s shattering ACL injury, Carlton has room to move before the summer rookie deadline closes. Will the Blues get aggressive?

Carlton’s Coleman Medallist Harry McKay will rely on greater momentum in set shots and clarity around when to attempt snap shots as he attempts to break out of his 2023 goalkicking funk.

McKay has had an excellent pre-season at Ikon Park and has followed through on his finals pledge to improve his goal kicking.

At Ikon Park in the club’s weekly match simulation on Thursday he clearly kicked at goal with more positive forward momentum than last year’s faltering approach.

Harry McKay of the Blues reacts after missing a set shot at goal during the third quarter of Carlton’s round one game in 2023. Picture: Michael Klein

After he botched two-close range attempts in the Sydney final his forward coach Ash Hansen said the pair had pledged to work on his goalkicking across the summer.

And rather than rely on outside experts to help, McKay has done a power of work reinforcing his action in goalkicking training with that more fluent run-up.

McKay kicked 29.29 in 21 games across 2023 as well as 13 total misses but rebounded from an elimination final concussion to kick two goals against Brisbane in the preliminary final.

Hansen said leading into that Lions final the off-season was the perfect time to tinker with McKay’s technique.

“It gives him more time to make those adjustments which is really hard in season with the grind of the year. So we’ll do an assessment of where those shots are with being really deliberate with the practice and get to work on it.

“He’s still young now. He signed for seven years.

“There is a level of urgency that he wants to get it right and he will put the time in.”

The Blues have the list depth to cover Jack Silvagni’s recent ACL tear, with Jacob Weitering’s high-grade calf sprain some chance to keep him out of the early rounds of the year.

Carlton will not add a train-on player in coming weeks ahead of the summer rookie deadline, happy to keep a list spot open for the mid-season draft instead of finding a ruck-forward replacement.

Last year the Blues had Anthony Caminiti and Oleg Markov training with them at various stages before they were signed by rivals St Kilda and Collingwood, then still got 19 excellent games from running defender Alex Cincotta when he signed on.

But with depth across most areas of the field they will pass this time around.

The Blues have exceptional defensive depth so if Weitering misses round zero they have Caleb Marchbank, Mitch McGovern, Lewis Young, Brodie Kemp and Sam Durdin as options to fill the void against Brisbane at the Gabba on Friday March 8.

Originally published as Carlton list plan revealed after Jack Silvagni knee injury, Harry McKay’s efforts to fix goalkicking yips