Our last game for the season, unless there is a miracle, playing the "Aints at Carlton on Sunday at 1305.

Backs:  Gen Lawson-Tavan  Vaomua Laloifi
Half-backs:  Ciara Fitzgerald  Madeline Hendrie  Gab Pound
Centreline:  Keeley Sherar  Abbie McKay  Brooke Vickers
Half-forwards:  Mia Austin  Erone Fitzpatrick  Harriet Cordner
Forwards:  Darcy Vescio  Breann Moody 
Followers:  Jess Good  Mimi Hill  Lily Goss
Interchange:  Keeley Skepper  Amelia Velardo  Marianna Anthony  Imogen Milford  Taylor Ortlepp

Emergencies: Chloe Wrigley Daisy Walker Annie Lee

In: Maddy Hendrie, Taylor Ortlepp 
Out: Dayna Finn (suspension), Paige Trudgeon (hamstring)

Not exactly our strongest line-up for the year, but that is how it goes.

John Ralph goes bang!

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/t...1c73085407

The List Manager: Jon Ralph runs the rule over Carlton’s current group, its future and everything in between
The Blues won’t have a better chance to end their flag drought than 2024 with how their list is placed. Jon Ralph dives deep into where the Carlton list is right now and how it could change.

It’s go time.
Nearly 30 years on from the 1995 premiership win, Carlton will never have a better chance to hold the cup aloft than in 2024.

It wants for nothing on any line, has assembled an array of match-winning stars that eclipses any team in the competition and enters 2024 brimming with momentum.

In the late-season charge that included 11 wins in 13 games (including two finals victories) the Blues conquered Sydney, Port Adelaide, Collingwood, St Kilda, Melbourne (twice) and the Suns (twice).

With any luck the Blues will hit round 1 with Harry McKay, Zac Williams, Sam Walsh and Jack Martin fully fit after various injuries through 2023.

And they should believe the premiership can be theirs next year.

TRADE PERIOD OUT OF TEN

Rating: 7/10

Carlton admitted its salary cap was close to overflowing so it prioritised retention, an improved draft hand, points for 2024 father-sons Ben and Lucas Camporeale and a trade for No. 7 draft pick Elijah Hollands.

It ticked all of those boxes, even if the shock of the trade period was Hollands’ drug charge that only emerged the day after the trade period.

Carlton has done its due diligence on Hollands – and approval from the coaching group, leadership group and board – and believes he is not a rotten apple but rather a young kid who will learn from his mistake.

The Blues traded pick 17 and eventually turned it into picks 22 and 28 as part of the Zac Fisher move to the Roos, also clearing cap space.

They cleared inside mid Paddy Dow for very little but believed they owed it to him to find his preferred home.

Carlton will back Hollands, brother Ollie, Matt Cottrell and second-year mid Jaxon Binns to fill Dow’s role and Lachie Cowan, Zac Williams and Alex Cincotta to fill Fisher’s role, with neither of Dow or Fisher playing a final last year.

The Blues 2024 national draft hand has them stocked with a trio of back-end picks, so they have accrued enough points if both Camporeale boys are taken in the top 30 of the draft.

Then came the throw at the stumps – a two-year deal for injury-prone Orazio Fantasia that has plenty of upside and not much risk.

LIST HOLES

Carlton has talent to burn on every line.

The midfield has elite match winners (Patrick Cripps, Adam Cerra), outside pace (Sam Walsh, Ollie Holland), and depth (Matt Kennedy, George Hewett).

Michael Voss has a pair of complementary rucks (Marc Pittonet, Tom De Koning).

The backline has a defensive pillar (Jacob Weitering), a strong interceptor (Mitch McGovern), three more talls competing for spots (Brodie Kemp, Caleb Marchbank, Lewis Young) and a bevy of lockdown and rebounding smalls.

And the list demographic is spectacular with Ed Curnow’s retirement meaning only Nic Newman and Sam Docherty are 30 or over.

The stars are all in their sweet spot – Cripps at 28, Weitering only 26 in November, Harry McKay 26 in December, Cerra 24, Walsh 23, Charlie Curnow 27 in February.

While there are only 14 players under 24 on the list many of them have real promise – 22-year-old Kemp, 19-year-old Jesse Motlop, 19-year-old Ollie Hollands, 21-year-old Corey Durdin, 21-year-old Elijah Hollands, second-year outside runner Jaxon Binns.

Elijah Hollands and Fantasia will both play half forward to add experience to a group of small and medium-sized forward that hasn’t had an on-field leader since Eddie Betts and is probably the one area that needs improvement.

So to frank this spectacularly talented list Michael Voss needs to turn individual finals cameos into entire 2024 campaigns.

Tom De Koning could be a top-five ruckman in the comp if he can replicate his semi-final against Melbourne – two goals, 15 touches, 12 contested possessions, profound influence.

And Harry McKay doesn’t need to be the 58-goal hero of 2021, he only needs to play his part as he did selflessly handing goals to Sam Docherty and Charlie Curnow early in the elimination final victory over Sydney.

DRAFT STRATEGY

The Blues would love to move up from picks 22 and 28 but don’t have the draft capital so will likely take only those two picks, put Orazio Fantasia on the primary list and take one selection in the rookie draft.

The beauty of having such a balanced list is Carlton can keep adding depth without having to reach for any particular type of player.

Last year it was an elite running mid in Ollie Hollands (pick 11), a flint-hard defender in Lachie Cowan (pick 30), a quality mid in Jaxon Binns (pick 32) and a project forward in Harry Lemmey (pick 47) plus summer rookie Alex Cincotta.

With the Camporeale brothers coming in for the 2025 season as hard running mids and flankers next year, the Blues could consider taller prospects this year including 203cm key position player Archer Reid.

WHO’S UNDER THE PUMP?

Zac Williams has played only 23 games across three of his six contracted seasons because of injury, tearing his ACL in February after an excellent summer.

Carlton still has high hopes for him but there will be pressure to perform and competition for spots with Adam Saad, Sam Docherty, Nic Newman, Brodie Kemp, Alex Cincotta and Lachie Cowan all keen to play as small or mid-sized defenders.

PREMIERSHIP WINDOW

Dean Bailey once said the Demons would open the “bi-fold doors” to a premiership window given how wide it could be, but it is Carlton in that position.

The Blues should set themselves for a five-year window where their stars are all at the peak of their powers.

THE TOP 100

PLAYERS WHO MADE THE TOP 100 IN THE AFL PLAYER RANKINGS IN 2023 AND A 2024 BOLTER

Charlie Curnow (31st), Adam Cerra (40th), Patrick Cripps (54th), Sam Walsh (63rd), Jacob Weitering (89th), Adam Saad (91st).

Harry McKay was the 353rd ranked player this year as he battled injury and form.

As above, he only needs to play his role. But he has pledged to put in place an off-season goalkicking routine overhaul that should get him back into the top 100.

TRADE TARGETS FOR 2024

Something would have to go badly wrong for the Blues to need to splash the cash on a big-name free agent and their picks will be taken up by the Camporeale boys.

The Blues can again consider low-cost big-upside plays like Orazio Fantasia, set to join them this week as a delisted free agent.

SALARY CAP SPACE

Mid-season the Blues looked to have cap space to spare but was surprised when both Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni stayed, with David Cuningham, Lachie Fogarty and Caleb Marchbank all winning new deals.

So the Blues are again fairly tight in the cap but will have some space for the kind of targeted acquisitions that brought in Acres last year and Hollands this year.

Carlton admits it is top-heavy in wages with the Blues not getting much change from $3 million from McKay, Curnow and Cripps’ deals next year.

Walsh, Williams and Weitering are among those on $800,000 a season but the Blues will go to the draft this year and next so while they are in retention mode they have their cap issues in hand.

Mitch McGovern’s $800,000K a year deal finished last year while Jack Martin’s lucrative five-year deal of $600,000 a season was front-ended and expires at the end of 2024.

TRADE BAIT

Give full back Lewis Young all the credit in the world for realising he had to work on his weaknesses rather than asking for a trade when pushed into the VFL.

But if he can’t find a spot in the back six he is too good to continue playing VFL in 2025 despite a three-year deal to 2026.

Carlton believes Marc Pittonet and De Koning work perfectly in unison – Pittonet bashing up his opponent then De Koning jumping over the top of them.

So it would take De Koning going to another level for Pittonet to be pushed out of the side, which would spark trade inquiries.

CARLTON CRYSTAL BALL

2024 FINISH
1st. Going all in on the Blues but what do they want for in talent?

2024 BEST AND FAIREST
Sam Walsh. Was Carlton’s best finals player and finished eighth in the John Nicholls trophy despite missing eight games.

2024 LEADING GOAL KICKER
Charlie Curnow. How can you go past him?

PLAYER ON THE RISE
Matt Cottrell. A point of difference in the midfield with his speed. 17 possessions at 91 per cent efficiency and seven score involvements in the Sydney finals win. Can he churn out eight games of that standard?

PLAYER ON THE EDGE
Jack Silvagni. Blues fans were thrilled he signed on, but now comes the challenge of establishing himself as a regular best-22 player.

Some sh1t for brains racially vilified Mua at Windy Hill on Saturday.

There are some really sick people out there  >

Mua is understandably very upset and it's sad to think that such a happy, effervescent character has to put up with this garbage.

https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/145912...lw-round-9

We play the Drug Cheats at Windy ill at 15:05 today.

Backs:  Harriet Cordner  Vaomua Laloifi 
Half-backs:  Gen Lawson-Tavan  Paige Trudegon  Gab Pound
Centreline:  Lily Goss  Abbie McKay  Erone Fitzpatrick
Half-forwards:  Mia Austin  Darcy Vescio  Keeley Skepper
Forwards:  Imogen Milford  Ciara Fitzgerald
Followers:  Breann Moody  Mimi Hill  Keeley Sherar
Interchange:  Brooke Vickers  Amelia Velardo  Jessica Good  Marianna Anthony  Dayna Finn

Emergencies: Taylor Ortlepp Daisy Walker Maddy Hendrie

IN: J Good, M Anthony
OUT: K Peterson (managed), D Walker (omitted)

We'll miss Kez, but she has struggled with injury this year. Marianna Anthony's inclusion gives us about a ten tackle boost.

A bunch of Carlton players, and some recently departed players, have gathered on the Sunshine Coast to celebrate the wedding of Jack Silvagni and Grace.

Congratulations and best wishes to the newlyweds ?

One of the best guys that should have been a PM.
RIP

I want to post a warning about the use of weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic. I fear we will see a spate of seemingly healthy young people dropping dead unexpectedly due to the dodgy prescriptions and black market in these weight loss drugs.

These diabetes drugs make you lose weight as a side effect, what they call an off label use.

I've read recently it's become fashionable for young girls in particular to "Shred" by injecting these drugs even though they are already thin or at a healthy weight. All of a sudden you are seeing young females with six-packs without seemingly needing to do anything to obtain them, some will perish because of this behaviour!

I was on this type of drug for an extended period after having heart surgery, they wanted me to lose weight and it did, but it was under strict supervision from an endocrinologist and a cardiologist. I'd have a suite of 34 bloods tests every 3 months.

The drugs do assist in weight loss, but they can potentially have severe side-effects, organ damage (kidney, liver, intestines(bowel)), heart issues, stroke, there is even a concern in healthy people they might trigger the very blood sugar issues they are designed to prevent in diabetes patients (So called paradoxical effect).

If you know of anyone using these drugs who are not diabetic, and as such using them to lose weight, please warn them.

There are tells those drugs are being used, the first and most obvious is what they call Ozempic Face or Wegovy Face, it sticks out like dog's balls.
Relatives who haven't seen you for a while will think you are gravely ill. This is because the drugs cause you to lose body fat everywhere not just naturally from normal fat stores, you become gaunt. Your neck, cheeks, jowls, hands, feet all lose some of the natural fat layers that usually aren't lost via healthy weight lose methods, you also lose fat layers inside you mouth, throat tongue, ears, (another side effect is that the drugs can reduce / stop sleep apnoea due to the way they cause lose of fat layers in your throat and mouth).

There are several celebrities around OZ at the moment that you'll identify this appearance in, they recently seem to have achieve extraordinary weight loss after struggling for many years with weight management. They are probably wealthy enough to have it correctly monitored with regular blood tests and check ups, but even then they are still at risk.

Another interesting observable effect is that people using the drugs no longer seem to be as sensitive to heat, in fact you feel cold even when it's warm. And you do not seem to perspire as much or like those around you in warm environments. At first this seems to be a good thing, no BO, but in fact it can lead to severe conditions because you aren't really cool, you can be overheating and not know it, so the doctors monitor you for fluid retention and the like.

Set for GWS in Sydney (Henson Park) at 15:20 on Saturday.

Our lime-up:
Backs:  Kerryn Peterson  Vaomua Laloifi
Half-backs:  Gen Lawson-Tavan  Paige Trudegon  Gab Pound
Centreline:  Brooke Vickers  Abbie McKay  Daisy Walker
Half-forwards:  Mia Austin  Breann Moody  Imogen Milford
Forwards:  Darcy Vescio  Phoebe McWilliams
Followers:  Harriet Cordner  Mimi Hill  Keeley Sherar
Interchange:  Lily Goss  Amelia Velardo  Keeley Skepper  Erone Fitzpatrick  Dayna Finn

Emergencies: Taylor Ortlepp Ciara Fitzgerald Maddy Hendrie

In: Imogen Milford, Keeley Skepper, Paige Trudgeon, Brooke Vickers
Out: Ciara Fitzgerald (omitted), Maddy Hendrie (omitted), Jess Dal Pos (leg), Jess Good (ankle)

Good will be missed; she's been very good this year. Like to see Paige Trudgeon back.

We play at 15:00 on Sunday.

[1] Jaxon Binns
[2] Paddy Dow
[2] Lachie Plowman
[4] Ned Cahill