Carlton a flag chance in 2026.

[demondavey]

Putting it out there now. I am putting a target on my head and calling all Collingwood supporters for a free shot. I know you will. A scent to the wolves.

Carlton aren’t far away. It’s attitude and application. I am convinced the list is there. The core group is solid with enough experience to compete with the best. The second and third tier players need to sharpen their corners but I think the trading period could benefit them if they target the right players.

Last night I saw a really impressive burst of play that showed me that game plan, structure and names didn’t matter. It was energy, intensity and desire. The core foundations of the best sides that comes as second nature. I think they can bring themselves up to that level next year.

We see this happen typically with each premier. This century anyhow.

Geelong
04-06 was two finals years, bust, flag.

Richmond
13-16, three finals years, bust, flag.

WC
15-18 was a GF, few early exits, flag

Melbourne
Near Miss in 17, finals 18, bust for two, flag.

Carlton
Finals in 23, bust for two…..

I’d not be surprised if the signing of Voss was a bit of Mark Thompson 06 moment giving him the confidence to change and giving the players confidence and stability in leadership.

McKay
Curnow
Cripps
Williams
Saad
Weitering
Evans
Hewett
De Koning - you’d hope he stays
Walsh

There’s a plethora of talent. Sometimes the circuit breaker is between the ears. I’ll wear the inevitable laughing emojis from all and sundry, but there’ll be a handful of posters out there that’ll be able to identify with the trends and understand that Carlton aren’t far off.

I am throwing it out there now, and happy to be wrong as it’s a harmless prediction, but I think Carlton might go all the way next year.

Have at it.

 

[Bianconeri]

I tend to agree their list isn’t far off it.

The question is can they get the best out of it?

 

[rdhopkins2]

I agree. We know they are coming.
Dons v Blues in the GF
After beating Pies & Tiges in prelims.

 

[hawkman]

Not a chance! Their small forwards are the worst in the league, the midfield one paced, the rucks without TDK are poor and after Weitering the backline is a worry. Add in an average coaching box and they won't be getting close

 

[LeeCarvallo]

Their top few are great but their bottom 12 players are really average, and they're all getting to the point where they don't really have more years to develop that bottom tier without losing their best players primes.

Haynes 34
Zac Williams 32
Saad 32
McGovern 32
Cripps 31
Hewett 31
Acres 31
McKay 29
Curnow 29
Weitering 29

Docherty retired
De Koning leaving
Silvagni leaving

thats a lot of really quality players coming into their career twilights and either leaving or retiring.

Their 'younger' bracket of star power is Walsh (26 next year) and Cerra (27)

They aren't Geelong, where you can back in the culture and coaching structure to expect them just to return to the top 8. I'd say their year was '23.

 

[Acinath]

Hard no.

They are one-paced and their skills are shit. They still have no idea how to kick into the F50, they have two Coleman medallists there FFS.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Their top few are great but their bottom 12 players are really average, and they're all getting to the point where they don't really have more years to develop that bottom tier without losing their best players primes.

Haynes 34
Zac Williams 32
Saad 32
McGovern 32
Cripps 31
Hewett 31
Acres 31
McKay 29
Curnow 29
Weitering 29

Docherty retired
De Koning leaving
Silvagni leaving

thats a lot of really quality players coming into their career twilights and either leaving or retiring.

Their 'younger' bracket of star power is Walsh (26 next year) and Cerra (27)

They aren't Geelong, where you can back in the culture and coaching structure to expect them just to return to the top 8. I'd say their year was '23.

Bottom 12 now? Which 12 from our best 22 would even be considered our bottom 12?

 

[TheUnicorn]

Nah… Their list isn’t that great, their brand of footy is outdated, and they don’t have the players needed to fix it.

 

[RCAB]

 

[JackFlash]

Not under Voss they won't, they are years away from even returning to the top 8! They will have a massive cleanout at the end of the season and a couple will walk. 2026 predication for Carlton is 10-12th at best.

 

[BigVic]

Hate to say you might be right

2006 Geelong backed in Bomber after a poor season, won a flag and have a sustained period of success thereafter
2016 Richmond back in Dimma after a poor season, won a flag the following year and 2 more

 

[Chism]

We are no chance with Voss as coach.

 

[Fadge]

I was gonna ask whether their fixture in 2026 was going to exclusively be games against West Coast, North and Richmond to enable them to be a 'Premiership Change', but then I realised than if they had a 60% win rate against those teams in 2026 like they did this year, it wouldn't even be enough to make finals, let alone contend for a flag...

 

[Fadge]

Their top few are great....

What?

If you picked the top 100 performed players in the competition this year, how many would be Carlton players?

 

[hawkman]

What?

If you picked the top 100 performed players in the competition this year, how many would be Carlton players?

2 at most. Weitering and Hewitt

 

[Handsuper47]

There's enough talent there that they really should be contending and I do think it's shades of Richmond around the 2013-2016 mark, and you can see it when they play really good opposition but then they ruin their own seasons by losing games they really shouldn't.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

I thought they were on track for a good season when they were 41 points up against Richmond. But then.....

 

[carlton_99]

Their top few are great but their bottom 12 players are really average, and they're all getting to the point where they don't really have more years to develop that bottom tier without losing their best players primes.

Haynes 34
Zac Williams 32
Saad 32
McGovern 32
Cripps 31
Hewett 31
Acres 31
McKay 29
Curnow 29
Weitering 29

Docherty retired
De Koning leaving
Silvagni leaving

thats a lot of really quality players coming into their career twilights and either leaving or retiring.

Their 'younger' bracket of star power is Walsh (26 next year) and Cerra (27)

They aren't Geelong, where you can back in the culture and coaching structure to expect them just to return to the top 8. I'd say their year was '23.

Why are you adding two years onto some players? Weitering and Harry for instance are 27. Cerra 25. Unless you are using their ages at the end of 2026?

Regardless, I don't think players like Haynes, Williams, Saad, McGovern, Hewett etc are really going to be that difficult to replace. In fact there are young players on the list that have gotten a run in 2025 that are already playing those roles at a similar-ish level. The McKay/Weitering/Curnow types will be harder to replace with the current list but we have 5+ years to worry about that.

 

[Daka]

The difference is the age profile, 2017 flag Richmond's best players Cotch 26, Prestia 24, Martin 25, Grimes 26, Rance 28, Houli 29, Riewoldt 29 & Edwards 29.

Than you have guys like Lambert 26, Vlastuin 23, Nank 23, Broad 24, Short 21.
also young guys Dan Rioli, Butler & Castagna coming though.

Trying to look it unbiased as possible not sure Carlton have that talent, it's left up to too few in games.

 

[timokane]

nice for blues but in to be honest i think they are on the downhill tho.
be a middle of the road team for a few years.
2026 is a fork in that road.
but time like the pies have somewhat of a mini rebuild.
be some time before they make september again
2023 was their shot at it

 

[Cherki]

Pies have a better chance this year than Carlton have had in any single year this millennium.

Yikes. Pies have zero chance. Carlton must be really bad!

 

[The Feeder Club]

It's possible
We're talking about their AFLW team, right?

 

[LeeCarvallo]

Why are you adding two years onto some players? Weitering and Harry for instance are 27. Cerra 25. Unless you are using their ages at the end of 2026?

Regardless, I don't think players like Haynes, Williams, Saad, McGovern, Hewett etc are really going to be that difficult to replace. In fact there are young players on the list that have gotten a run in 2025 that are already playing those roles at a similar-ish level. The McKay/Weitering/Curnow types will be harder to replace with the current list but we have 5+ years to worry about that.

That's the age they turn next year, whether in season or not.

Regardless, they're not young. If they're not dragging you to finals by now, they aren't going to be the ones that move the needle.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Best players are too old and players in prime aren't good enough

 

[carlton_99]

That's the age they turn next year, whether in season or not.

Regardless, they're not young. If they're not dragging you to finals by now, they aren't going to be the ones that move the needle.

But we have been to the finals with the core of the list the previous two years. So they've shown they can do it.

I don't think Saad, McGovern, Haynes, and Williams are needle movers now but the likes of Weitering, Curnow, McKay, Walsh, and Cerra all have a heap of good footy left. We don't need to worry about replacing their output for a while.