Preview 2025 Rd 24 Carlton vs Essendon Thursday 21st August 7:30PM AEST @ MCG

[Aphrodite]

Team is in …

AFL team news: Youngsters return for 2025 swan song

Carlton's Round 24 team has been confirmed.

www.carltonfc.com.au

2 changes:-

 

[Opium]

I have to say that Gov has more than got his money's worth out of Carlton. It's no surprise he is comfy here.

I would have dropped TDK a couple of months back, but he was actually decent last week.

TDK was playing with a pretty serious Throat injury from the reports. So nobody really knows what affect that had on his form.

 

[The Blue Weirdo]

Highly doubt we're cutting him.... just giving us flexibility to refine his contract

Didn't Daisy refine his contract at the end, with a mutual agreement with the club.

I'd be surprised if Gov isn't wearing different colours next season, probably with a modest salary.

 

[SurreyBlue]

Anyone else suprised Ben didn't get a debut game given its the last round with Lord out? Not sure we need another Winger in the side.

We don’t need another runner?
Ben hasn’t played for a month or so and is another inside Mid. We have 2 of the best and can’t juggle them, we don’t need another. Get the kid to play his first next year.
The Lucas selection for this week is finally the correct move. Run and carry for wing!!

 

[Coona Blues]

We don’t need another runner?
Ben hasn’t played for a month or so and is another inside Mid. We have 2 of the best and can’t juggle them, we don’t need another. Get the kid to play his first next year.
The Lucas selection for this week is finally the correct move. Run and carry for wing!!

The Lucas selection was the bleeding obvious one once the McGovern trigger was clarified. Ben was never debuting at the higher level off a six week playing hiatus. Elijah is still having his future tenure assessed after being welcomed back to the VFL program only.

The trio of Pittonet, McGovern and White were the pool for selection. With TDK, Skull and Harry fit and in the team, no way was Pitto getting a gig. It is somewhat galling that he was held over from the VFL when he was due to play game 100 at that level and had no hope of selection when the three big boys pulled up OK from Saturday. The McGovern trigger precludes him from playing, leaving only Will White as a fit and rested replacement. Came down to Lucas, “uncapped” Charleson and out of favour Boyd along with Cincotta struggling to get a kick in the twos and Fantasia who is clearly not being renewed. Binns, the other candidate certainly covered much more ground than his team mates so probably wasn’t considered. (Also very likely to be “shopped”)

Lucas was the obvious to sit on the sub bench against *.

Wright is already not pulling punches, with list changes being telegraphed. We are going to be making room for changes, even if those changes are only elevating rookies to create room in that area.

 

[carlton_99]

Fantasia who is clearly being renewed.

Sorry what do you mean by this?

 

[Coona Blues]

Sorry what do you mean by this?

Omitted a word, fixed.

 

[carlton_99]

Omitted a word, fixed.

Ahh makes sense now. I thought I had missed something

 

[norway blue]

I’m happy with the Gov decision. Reduced contract next year and good depth. Will watch TDK with interest . Especially final siren. Bombers will come out hard so must be on our mettle. I want the youngsters to play well and the whole team to savage the Dons. Go Blues.

 

[juzza316]

Imagine the season bookends being losing to Richmond in Round 1 then losing to Essendon in Round 24

 

[norway blue]

Calm Voss .

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Bounce the ball FFS!!

 

[bigblueboy]

Highly doubt we're cutting him.... just giving us flexibility to refine his contract

Agree … and giving him more incentive to look elsewhere. Either way we win imo.

Good list management.

 

[RPCB]

When Tom walks off the ground tomorrow night, I think he might demonstrate some emotion which will give us the confirmation we have all been expecting.

How often has an impending free agent signed with his current club after the season has finished when his contract has expired? For me that’s the confirmation I need that he’s gone.

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

There hasn't been much to cheer this year really. Let's end a dismal season on some sort of positive note by pounding Essenscum into the dirt.

 

[Sam The Doc]

Bounce the ball FFS!!

 

[Opium]

Actually think this will be much closer than people think. Essendon playing some good football and were unlucky to lose last week. Merrett back is a big inclusion.
Interesting to see how McMahon goes.

 

[Lukeblueboy]

Actually think this will be much closer than people think. Essendon playing some good football and were unlucky to lose last week. Merrett back is a big inclusion.
Interesting to see how McMahon goes.

Agreed. I think it will be a good game tbh

 

[Red_man2008]

Clearly we don’t want to automatically extend him at the cost obliged in the contract

I imagine we have spoken to him about something different and Mitch has said no I want what’s in the contract

Clubs response is ok we won’t play you let’s have a discussion post season

This makes a lot of sense. If he thinks he’s paid his fair share to the club over the length of his over priced salary then he’s an idiot. And there is no place for him here. If he’s wagering that he’s a required player and deserves to get some of the JSOS money he’s got another thing coming.

He should have renegotiated weeks ago and ensured he would get to play the last few weeks in the seniors. He didn’t take the opportunity and now he’s likely gone at seasons end.

Would someone actually offer him enough to get us another compo pick.

 

[CarmenSandiego]

I'm gonna be one out here, but unless this was discussed with Gov a few weeks back, it's an absolute piss poor decision. Total disrespect for Gov imo.

Voss coming out during the week talking him up, then doesn't select him. I wonder if Voss would have selected him if his job was still on the line.

And we wonder why there's rumours of players wanting out if that's the way we treat our own.

Anyway, rant over....come at me, I've got the suit of armour ready and waiting.

It's pretty ruthless for sure.

However, it's genuinely a business decision. Yes, that contract offer was made at the time, but things change. We probably didn't think we would need a mini-reset.

It could be smoothed over with:

'gov, we ****ed up when we did this initial contract. if you hit your trigger we can't afford this next contract unless we move other players on - which we're not willing to do, we misread our situation at the time but this is where we're at now. we're genuinely sorry, but this is the direction we're heading in. we can offer you $300k on a 1-year contract with no guarantee to be automatic Seniors when fit. fair enough if you've got the shits, you're welcome to look around elsewhere'.

Players and their agents hold their clubs to ransom all the time, taking forever to sign contracts, requesting trades to 'go home' but only to certain clubs, requesting trades mid-contract etc.

Things change in footy, it's lucid with a million variables. He will get over it.

 

[CarmenSandiego]

Gov had maybe 7 good games his entire time with us, seems like a lovely guy but glad we're moving past him.

He would be a great depth player if his ego can take it.

Whilst he's no superstar, if names like his come in when we have injuries, it's bloody handy.

 

[Moon]

Ok ... I get the pay rise TDK is choosing ... as in ... too good to refuse ... only I also get no love for TDK now or in the future from Carlton supporters once it is official he is leaving.

Time for a miracle

harsh but fair

 

[dumb]

cripps generally has a stinker against essendon. with lord out this could be more of a problem. wright typically is the type of opponent weitering likes but he kicked 3 last time. don't think mcmahon is weitering's preferred type. so hopefully the zoning and intercept game is where it needs to be.

think our forward line, such as it is, should account for them despite what happens on the rest of the ground.

 

[DollarsandSense]

I'm not confident about tonight... Let the season be done with already....

 

[carlton_99]

cripps generally has a stinker against essendon. with lord out this could be more of a problem. wright typically is the type of opponent weitering likes but he kicked 3 last time. don't think mcmahon is weitering's preferred type. so hopefully the zoning and intercept game is where it needs to be.

think our forward line, such as it is, should account for them despite what happens on the rest of the ground.

Think Young might take McMahon and Weitering Wright. I seem to remember a game Young struggled against Wright

 

[Jatz]

I'm extremely confident about tonight. Think we'll smell blood and win rather easily.