Dare To Dream: The Blues’ Pathway To Success In 2023

Written by Luke Cornell

It’s time. 

Following one of the most grueling off-seasons in recent memory; riddled with uncertainty, unfulfillment, and a test of patience from a fan perspective; season 2023 is all but ready to launch with the Blues set to face the Tigers in their homecoming as the true season openers. 

The hype surrounding the Blue’s 2023 campaign is no hot take, nor an overdose of coolaid, the new hive mind nature that’s seeped through all levels of the club has paved the way for one of the most closely watched preparations for an AFL season in our club’s history. 

While blue baggers alike continue to ruminate about the 23 games ahead, the true measure of the club’s success this year has been difficult to pinpoint in the wake of one scratch match and one head-scratcher in Blacktown in the final countdown to March 16th. Nonetheless, here is your season preview for 2023.

Next “Plan” Up

The players can revel in the fact that they’ve put in the work to integrate new team values and system to go head to head against the competition’s best, complimenting now second-year coach Michael Voss’ plan and staff in implementing an exciting, contest hungry brand of football. 

This was and still is the Voss mantra which fans have become enthralled with, branded by his “next-man-up” mentality when against the flow of the game or the harsh realities of an AFL season.

However, not everyone’s impressed. Former Pies coach Nathan Buckley praises Carlton’s best as “bloody good” but can’t seem to shake the feeling that 2023 is not the season Blues fans should be hoping for (shocker). 

“I think their plan A is really good. I just don’t know - I don’t know, if they don’t get it on their terms, that there’s enough capacity to win more than one way. Like clearances and aerial out of the front half looks like it’s it.” (Buckley’s comments via SEN and The Age)

It should come as no surprise that the Blue’s “plan A” has been a hallmark of the Voss era, with a 2022 league ranking of 2nd in disposals per game, 2nd in clearance differential per game, and 2nd in contested possessions per game. A hungry contested ball game has never gone out of style. 

Buckley however shines a light on the ability of the Blues to adapt when “plan A” simply isn’t enough. 

The Blues will be looking to improve vastly on areas that seemed to rip through their game plan in the second half of the season, ranking 15 in tackles and opponent rebound 50s per game, as well as 17th in hitouts per game in 2022 alone. 

These somewhat glaring stats could be attributed to the loss of key players in Marc Pittonet and George Hewett for extended periods, what it does highlight is the Blue’s “capacity” to adapt and win the game against the flow. 

In regards to defensive transition, the Blue’s acquisition of Blake Acres fills more than just a void in the wing department, but the ability to slow opposition transition and create turnover opportunities that will hurt teams in the long run, as showcased during his first two outings for the club. 

The Kreuzer academy has gone leaps and bounds in developing a craft that will bolster our entries out of the middle, with Pittonet and TDK all taking new strides in their dominance in the middle as well as glimpses of the future with Alex Mirkov slowly being integrated into more senior match sims. 

New tall Hudson O’Keefe will be primed to take on the challenge of cementing his spot on the list in what we hope is a rich development. 

The mongrel that sparked from the likes of Matt Owies and Jessie Motlop up forward, in terms of constant pressure, is bound to seep through all areas of the ground, helping to increase our tackle numbers in the long term. 

Where “plan A” fails, plan b, c, d, through to z, will prevail. 

Breakout And Break-In

It’s no secret that the Blues have developed one of the stronger lists league wide, with the prediction for numerous players on our lists to have breakout seasons a testament to the variety and depth of our club through primed acquisitions and seasonal development. 

What constitutes a breakout year however is the ability of that player to make not just an immediate impact on-field, but their capacity to bolster our game plan and style through the whole season. 

Whilst this isn’t a necessity considering the number of players who can easily slot in at a minute's notice throughout the season, the true breakout players to look out for this year are primed to make a long-lasting statement in ushering a new era for our football club. 

Across the forward half, it’s hard not look at the possibility of a revived “three amigos” busting their guts out at every ball spilled in our forward line, spearheaded by Jesse Motlop. His ability to compliment the likes of Matt Owies and Cory Durdin and their hivemind like mongrel is paramount in this competition. 

Creating a sense of calm and excitement through each midfield entry (or the occasionally bomb inside 50), Motlop’s size and craft is bound to create problems come round 1 to make any defense in the league scramble. It’s invaluable to a team who is striving for clean entries through their own elite tall timber in Curnow and Mckay, whilst looking for the failsafe up forward if they aren’t firing on all cylinders.

With an established midfield of some of the best contested ball winners in the competition, it’s hard to pinpoint who will go that extra length in terms of contribution. While he’s known to have already had a break-out season, expect Matthew Kennedy to break-in to the team as a non-negotiable through the middle come every night of selection. 

Highlighted by his one-on-one work with Patrick Cripps through match sims throughout the pre-season, Bam Bam’s work around the middle and underrated poise with the ball in hand compliments his ability to work with intent. It’s a season for Kenners to fire on all fronts and finish with the respect of having no questions asked as one of the most important players on our list. 

Spanning across the wings, it’s a sight for sore eyes to see the likes of Lochie O’Brien and Matthew Cottrell being surrounded by the workrate and talent of seasoned veteran Blake Acres off the back of their own breakout seasons in 2022. However, it would be remiss to back in and highlight the buzz around draftee Ollie Hollands. 

While his decision making with ball in hand is bound to be a product of development in the long run, physics would usually be against someone the likes of Hollands. His size and build don’t constitute an impeccable work rate and strive to do better in the next contest for most other wingers and young players in the competition.

The same goes for other draftee Lachie Cowan, who will nonetheless stun the league with his ability to create chances through our backline if given the chance at senior level. His craft and build for his age alone is otherworldly, but expect him to take his time to ease into the rigorous nature of AFL football, it takes time to break-in as opposed to breaking out. 

Look for Alex Cincotta to show up and “go to battle” as he takes his chance to stamp his VFL form on our list as he looks more and more likely as the Zac Williams replacement for this season.  

Set The Bar

A new season structure comes with its own challenges for the Blues. What was once a “12 wins-in” lock for any aspiring finals team is now a bygone era. For better or for worse, the league is the most competitive it's ever been. 

There’s no determining factor locking away any team this time around; and midway through the season, St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt hints at a possible “set-eight”. 

“By halfway through the year, I think we’re going to have a really solid idea of what the ladder’s going to look like,” he said on Tuesday. (via the Footy Talk podcast)

“Look out if you’re one of those bottom eight clubs. I think it’s going to be ugly.”

For the Blues, predictions like these wouldn’t phase a fan base who know how high the ceiling can be in 2023, but what secures Carlton’s place as a serious finals contender when all is said and done in round 24? 

From a win-loss perspective, Carlton’s fixture presents an opportunity to stamp their game style on the competition while also gaining much needed momentum after the first month of the season; with the Blues projected to win 5-6 of their first 7 games of the season and the prospect of going undefeated by April’s end staring them right in the face. 

This speaks to the respect the club has earned in all facets of the league over the last 12 months alone.  

While this projected hot start could inflate wounds inflicted from the missed opportunities of an 8-2 start in 2022, the narrative has been the same for all football clubs looking to go the distance, we can only control what we can control. 

What the Blues can control however, in a restructured season, is set the bar. To go beyond what is expected of teams cemented in football folklore, and reap the benefits of inviting the challenge. 

That’s what 2023 holds, and that’s what 2023 will warrant from a team as hungry as the Carlton Football Club.