List Mgmt. 2026 List Management

[AndyLucimitis]

In addition to the positive list changes (both in terms of who we've brought in and who we've moved on) I’m particularly encouraged by the updates to our coaching staff. We’ve added people from successful programs who bring not only strong tactical insight but also a strong focus on player engagement.

These kinds of coaching and off‑field additions genuinely elevate the playing group and help them reach their full potential under the old 'talent only takes you so far' mantra.

We want players who operate with an abundance mentality... unlike a few of those we've recently let go.

Once again - season hasn't started but in the interviews I've seen with Voss on Fox, for example, he seems more confident and re-assured. Perhaps having that depth of coaching underneath him is helping.

 

[skadoosh]

In addition to the positive list changes (both in terms of who we've brought in and who we've moved on) I’m particularly encouraged by the updates to our coaching staff. We’ve added people from successful programs who bring not only strong tactical insight but also a strong focus on player engagement.

These kinds of coaching and off‑field additions genuinely elevate the playing group and help them reach their full potential under the old 'talent only takes you so far' mantra.

We want players who operate with an abundance mentality... unlike a few of those we've recently let go.

Thanks Chris. Apart from your own appointment, which coach has impressed you the most since joining our club?

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

Thanks Chris. Apart from your own appointment, which coach has impressed you the most since joining our club?

I think each of them brings something valuable to the table:

Josh Fraser - Fresh strategic ideas for our newly shaped medium‑sized forward setup, similar to what Collingwood executed so effectively.

Leigh Adams – Brings interim senior coaching experience and a high‑IQ midfielder’s perspective, which is great to finally have applied directly to our midfield group (outside of stoppages).

Damian Truslove – Development experience across three strong clubs (Richmond, GWS, Sydney) and has also worked as an opposition tactical analyst.

Ash Close – Development experience from a high‑performing club in Collingwood, along with development work through key pathway programs like the Eastern Rangers and Oakleigh Chargers.

Chris Davies – A sharp, devastatingly handsome, no‑nonsense operator with strong strategic and analytical instincts who lifts the performance of everyone around him. Also an excellent public representative for the club.

 

[katmanblue]

Chris Davies – A sharp, devastatingly handsome, no‑nonsense operator with strong strategic and analytical instincts who lifts the performance of everyone around him. Also an excellent public representative for the club.

 

[CCurnow3picks]

I think Lewis Young cops more criticism than he deserves, but it’s still a lot of a heart‑in‑mouth stuff whenever he gets the ball.

That’s generally the criticism he cops..

Get’s ball & either belts it long or his head starts rotating - that’s when we have a problem.

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

That’s generally the criticism he cops..

Get’s ball & either belts it long or his head starts rotating - that’s when we have a problem.

My biggest gripe with his decision‑making is his inability to direct his spoils into dead‑ball areas and kill the contest - more often than not, his punches keep the ball in play rather than taking the heat out of the contest.

 

[teddy-hopkins]

i disagree on that letting the ball roll out... no one would have stopped that ball... it just did what footballs do sometimes...erratic bounces...

He did do a couple of dumb, too cute efforts at short passes - just not his thing. His longer kicking is very good.

You may want to take another look at that. He slowed down and let it roll out. Very obvious.

 

[JJBagger]

You may want to take another look at that. He slowed down and let it roll out. Very obvious.

The ball never sat up for him. He could’ve been better, but I don’t think he consciously thought to let the ball go out of bounds

 

[teddy-hopkins]

The ball never sat up for him. He could’ve been better, but I don’t think he consciously thought to let the ball go out of bounds

As I say - it wasn't really debatable. It was obvious. Anyway, for me his mentality just keeps him locked between too good for VFL and never established AFL.

 

[JJBagger]

As I say - it wasn't really debatable. It was obvious. Anyway, for me his mentality just keeps him locked between too good for VFL and never established AFL.

That’s completely your opinion. I don’t think anyone would argue he’s much more than a fringe player. Even though I do think people give way to much weight to his weaknesses over his strengths

 

[agro]

My biggest gripe with his decision‑making is his inability to direct his spoils into dead‑ball areas and kill the contest - more often than not, his punches keep the ball in play rather than taking the heat out of the contest.

If only if this could be taught.

 

[BigFrizz36]

I agree re. Swann - I absolutely don't agree re. Malthouse. I heard really worrying stuff he was saying behind the scenes right throughout his tenure at Carlton.

He made it clear Mick was in it for Mick. He did not give a flying fig about Carlton - he was just here to get the games coaching record.

That lack of care showed up throughout the club and he left in a selfish tantrum phoning into SEN and with a playing list down the bottom yet a maxed out salary cap.

SOS, for all his faults, was 100% crystal clear that he was to be left alone to do his job. He had enough aura / cred to ignore outside voices (mostly the board) and do a proper job of resetting the playing list and fixing the cap. Don't underestimate how important it is to break this habit. Ess do it to this day with the president's ego dictating whether or not Merrett is worth 3 first rounders or 4. That is an unhealthy place for a club to be - and it's exactly where we were pre-SOS.

But I maintain recruitment has always been our biggest issue. List manager / head recruiter arguably the 2 most important people at any club.

And this extends to leadership. They get to interview all of the draftees / trade targets yet can't find players who have real leadership ability. I love Cripps - this is not a pot-shot at him but it's across the board.

For whatever reason we've had a raft of "nice boy" types at the club. Compare that to the golden era dawks who had Mitchell + Hodge - but also Roughy, Lewis, Burgoyne, Frawley, Birchall, Smith, Breust, Gunston, Sicily, etc. They were strong characters and leaders in their own right.

The people Carlton had interviewing the young draftees had absolutely no clue what they were doing. They continued to gravitate towards introverts and we never invested enough $ in the recruiting dept.

All anyone needs to know about how committed Mick Malthouse was to coaching Carlton need only remember that when appointed he couldn't begin his coaching commitments straight away because he was doing a book signing tour for his biography. Yep the coaching role (that he was probably getting $1 million a year for) had to take back seat to a book signing tour.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

Once again - season hasn't started but in the interviews I've seen with Voss on Fox, for example, he seems more confident and re-assured. Perhaps having that depth of coaching underneath him is helping.

I suspect internally GW has had discussions with Voss and he has a clear set of KPI's that will trigger his contract extension, this would have removed all ambiguity and Visa can go in fully aware of what he needs to do. This clarity allows Voss to make decisions knowing they are his decisions and if they don’t work he knows the outcome and has no one else to blame.

 

[SurreyBlue]

I suspect internally GW has had discussions with Voss and he has a clear set of KPI's that will trigger his contract extension, this would have removed all ambiguity and Visa can go in fully aware of what he needs to do. This clarity allows Voss to make decisions knowing they are his decisions and if they don’t work he knows the outcome and has no one else to blame.

Totally. The club has done everything in its powers to set him up for success in 26. It's up to him now.

 

[teagueyubeauty]

And I for one, hope he succeeds

 

[gbatman]

Weird Peter Dean debuted as a forward back in the day and ended up a great defender- you reckon Harry is going to go the other way.

Deano did, I don't think Harry Dean will end up forward. I think there is a very good chance of Harry O'Farrell ending up a forward. He will play there or CHB. He's a very very talented footballer.

 

[agro]

Deano did, I don't think Harry Dean will end up forward. I think there is a very good chance of Harry O'Farrell ending up a forward. He will play there or CHB. He's a very very talented footballer.

It’s really a shame that Harry O’Farrell is going to miss a dozen or so games this year - would have been invaluable for his development.

 

[gbatman]

I agree re. Swann - I absolutely don't agree re. Malthouse. I heard really worrying stuff he was saying behind the scenes right throughout his tenure at Carlton.

He made it clear Mick was in it for Mick. He did not give a flying fig about Carlton - he was just here to get the games coaching record.

That lack of care showed up throughout the club and he left in a selfish tantrum phoning into SEN and with a playing list down the bottom yet a maxed out salary cap.

SOS, for all his faults, was 100% crystal clear that he was to be left alone to do his job. He had enough aura / cred to ignore outside voices (mostly the board) and do a proper job of resetting the playing list and fixing the cap. Don't underestimate how important it is to break this habit. Ess do it to this day with the president's ego dictating whether or not Merrett is worth 3 first rounders or 4. That is an unhealthy place for a club to be - and it's exactly where we were pre-SOS.

But I maintain recruitment has always been our biggest issue. List manager / head recruiter arguably the 2 most important people at any club.

And this extends to leadership. They get to interview all of the draftees / trade targets yet can't find players who have real leadership ability. I love Cripps - this is not a pot-shot at him but it's across the board.

For whatever reason we've had a raft of "nice boy" types at the club. Compare that to the golden era dawks who had Mitchell + Hodge - but also Roughy, Lewis, Burgoyne, Frawley, Birchall, Smith, Breust, Gunston, Sicily, etc. They were strong characters and leaders in their own right.

The people Carlton had interviewing the young draftees had absolutely no clue what they were doing. They continued to gravitate towards introverts and we never invested enough $ in the recruiting dept.

What was he saying? I think he developed a riff with the board because the board. I find it hard to believe the whole Mick was in it for Mick thing. The guy is too competitive and you could see the fire was still there. He was trying but I believe he lost faith and respect with the club and that was because of the board. The board should stay out of the coaches' way and support them, not but in and control them. Most of our clubs issues have come from the board and the football department. Make no mistake, what ever Malthouse ended up being was because Carlton and it's board made him that way. West Coast and Collingwood didn't have those issues because they were good clubs, well run and well structured and supportive of their staff and ther board stayed within their boundaries. Malthouse would have worked at a good club and he did, we ruined him, again it was the board. Probably Carlton's biggest scapegoat in its history.

Maxed out salary cap. Carlton were one of the last clubs to appoint a list manager. Let's take some time to think about this and and think who was to blame for not structuring the football department properly. We were a 1990's AFL club operating in the 2010's.

I still believe we were lucky to get SOS when we did. He was the only one who had the balls and standards to do what he did and gut the list. It needed to be done to clear out the bad culture residing in that era's playing list but also the lack of talent and salaries. I actually don't think there are many out there who would have achieved what he did and had the aura to get the board off his back.

I am with you with recruiting. There are certain talents we have been good at recruiting. Talls, defenders, big bodied mids. Forwards not so much. Pace and kicking skills, getting better. Wright will be a good one for us, he will be there with our recruiters.

Leadership, 100% it's been lacking. Since the early 90's.

I like the hard hitters, competitors and guys who are there to win, push the boundaries and play hard footy. I agree we are too nice. Too within the rules. I see a few youngsters like Dean and Byrne and they are not like this. They will hurt you if they can, they will push you over for fun. You need a few leaders like this.

Look at our choice of Captains post Kernahan. Bradley, brilliant player, outside player, not your mongeral type. Ratten, not a bad choice. Kouta, same, Mr Nice Guy. Whitnall, talented, the guy who kept rocking up over weight and getting sent to "fat camp". Judd, nice guy, intelect, nerd with bucket loads of talent really, our discipline under him could have been better. Murphy, same as Bradley. Docherty, not too bad. Honestly we should have been going for tougher, hard training, more outspoken people like Kade Simpson. Cripps, I have been critical of him before, but he developed here. I think we have had a history of picking our best or most marketable player, not the best option.

Wright I think has set our recruiters straight.

 

[gbatman]

It’s really a shame that Harry O’Farrell is going to miss a dozen or so games this year - would have been invaluable for his development.

100%, would have been great to have him up and going. Missed a lot of match sim and footy, glad he will be back mid season.

 

[Revenant1995]

And I for one, hope he succeeds

So do I, hope he's a beauty more than teaguey was...

 

[JustOneTime]

In addition to the positive list changes (both in terms of who we've brought in and who we've moved on) I’m particularly encouraged by the updates to our coaching staff. We’ve added people from successful programs who bring not only strong tactical insight but also a strong focus on player engagement.

These kinds of coaching and off‑field additions genuinely elevate the playing group and help them reach their full potential under the old 'talent only takes you so far' mantra.

We want players who operate with an abundance mentality... unlike a few of those we've recently let go.

I hope you're right and that this works out well.

• Fraser used to work at Carlton and has now returned.
• Wright for Cook and we were excited about how good and steady Cook was. I do like Wright having said that.
• Leigh came from North - enough said there.
• And you () came from Port which is no great shakes of a club. But I like you on camera, you talk like there isnt another view that is relevant. Extreme tunnell vision even. It's what we need, total belief or die. An absolute positive change from our previous wishy washy invisible Bradly.

Genuinely the boys are looking good. I just hope it doesnt derail cause i'm sick of singing We're the team that always lets you down.

 

[JustOneTime]

My thing with Young is he is always good for a short spell when brought in but fades on his mental profile as the weeks go on and evntually loses his confidence. Doesnt have the grit mental profile of a defender so far on display for 22 + weeks of footy.

Queue Riley Bonner

36

Riley Bonner

Age

29

Ht

190cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.2

4star

K

12.1

4star

HB

5.2

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.4

3star

MG

279.8

4star

D

12.3

3star

K

10.3

4star

HB

2.0

1star

M

3.5

3star

T

1.3

2star

MG

279.8

4star

D

21.4

5star

K

14.0

5star

HB

7.4

5star

M

5.0

5star

T

2.0

4star

.

 

[agro]

100%, would have been great to have him up and going. Missed a lot of match sim and footy, glad he will be back mid season.

Are you really expecting him back playing mid-season?

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

Wright I think has set our recruiters straight.

How has he supposedly 'set our recruiters straight'??

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

Wright I think has set our recruiters straight.

I like what Wright has brought in terms of presence and structure, but I think there’s a bit of white-coat halo syndrome happening on this board when it comes to assessing his impact.

I’ve seen him get credited for the Charlie Curnow trade (even though it was Nick Austin who handled the negotiations with Sydney and Charlie’s manager), for how he handled the Elijah situation (which was again Nick Austin) and now he’s apparently responsible for who we selected in the draft as well?