Who will be better in 2026? Carlton or North Melbourne.

[bungalow_bill]

Do better at bottoming out at the worst possible time, sure.

We had COVID, and now they get Tassie.

Even if they did it might be a good thing considering they will need a high pick to match a bid on Walker.

 

[Fadge]

Even if they did it might be a good thing considering they will need a high pick to match a bid on Walker.

Yep...

It's all about winning the draft nowadays for Carlton...

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

This is a tough one. In red corner we have a team who has forgotten how to win. Had to import players who use to be good but are now D graders to show some leadership and have a coach who was the best and most passionate but now looks like he no longer cares. On top of this no decent players want to join their club.
In the blue corner we have a team stacked with slow inside mids with outside run that cant kick. Most of the good players are trying to run away and the team is looking like they did 15 years ago when they were racking up spoons. On top of this their biggest issues are that they have lost all heart and have a D grade coach. Their 2027 coach recently just joined as well, (which isnt going to be good for morale in 2026) to take them through their 7th rebuild this century.
My prediction. I have to pick Carlton to win in 2026 but it's a tough call.

 

[Sir Hugh Percy]

TBH, not sure why Collingwood isn't in this conversation. All 3 teams trying to avoid bottom 4 at this point.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

TBH, not sure why Collingwood isn't in this conversation. All 3 teams trying to avoid bottom 4 at this point.

Not enough space down there with Eagles, North, Carlton, Melbourne and Richmond all in full rebuild mode.

 

[Outtatym]

Nil all draw. For North it's about finally getting out of the bottom 4 and for Carlton it's avoiding it.

 

[sante]

Reckon North finish higher

 

[ferball]

Kangas fans may be able to help but I have heard two theories. The first the players arrived at training with blood on their shinbones the other was that shin boning was part of the job in the abattoirs

That's got something to do with it.

Old days North was a pretty brutal place with a pretty brutal side however well we played. So kicking opponents in the shins probably had something to do with it. There's a line in the Tigers theme song about risking head and shin.

 

[bzparkes]

Tricky one.

Carlton could be forgiven for having a down year after letting Curnow go and bringing in some better depth players to balance the squad out better. Fans may not like it but at least they have Cody Walker to look forward to at the end of the year.

North absolutely should be pushing for Wildcard round as a pass mark otherwise Clarkson will be under huge pressure, if not gone. The can no longer hide behind being a young side, considering their core players are all entering their prime.

If they don't improve next year, then that's on Clarkson and his inability to implement and effective gameplan. They have enough talent.

 

[Fadge]

Carlton could be forgiven for having a down year....

I LOL'd....

 

[matey]

North and give me North’s list any day of the week. Rebuilds ain't easy but Carlton need another one!

 

[bzparkes]

I LOL'd....

You don't think it's quite clear they're going for a reset after offloading Curnow?

As I said fans may not like it but they clearly are trying to replace their aging stars after picking up Smith last year, Dean this year and Walker coming through next year. I imagine they saw the writing on the wall with this lot, which is why they agreed to let Curnow go but they're clearly trying to reset before Tassie pillage everything.

Their fans may not like it but they weren't going to be a contender in the next few years anyway.

 

[Fadge]

You don't think it's quite clear they're going for a reset after offloading Curnow?

21st century Carlton are perennially 'resetting'.

Wind the clock back to 2022, and they were about to enter a 5 year premiership window, and peaked with a 13 win home and away season.

4 years later, you're now saying we should be expecting another 'down season', at a time they should be smack bang in a flag window?

And we are hopeful they will be contending for flags when Smith, Dean and Walker - 3 players who are yet to play a single game at the level - have established themselves in the system?

I'd be ropeable if I were a Carlton supporter.

 

[bzparkes]

21st century Carlton are perennially 'resetting'.

Wind the clock back to 2022, and they were about to enter a 5 year premiership window, and peaked with a 13 win home and away season.

4 years later, you're now saying we should be expecting another 'down season', at a time they should be smack bang in a flag window?

And we are hopeful they will be contending for flags when Smith, Dean and Walker - 3 players who are yet to play a single game at the level - have established themselves in the system?

I'd be ropeable if I were a Carlton supporter.

Blind Freddie can see they're not in a flag window.

SoS as list manager was a disaster, for starters. At the very least Wright has done this before from the list management perspective.

No guarantees it'll be 'different' this time but at the very least it appears they might actually have some kind of plan for once.

 

[Fadge]

Blind Freddie can see they're not in a flag window.

But Blind Freddie couldn't see this current list build wouldn't result in a flag window.

I was in the vast minority 2 to 3 years ago by daring to suggest this most recent Carlton rebuild wouldn't see them contending for a flag...

 

[bzparkes]

But Blind Freddie couldn't see this current list build wouldn't result in a flag window.

I was in the vast minority 2 to 3 years ago by daring to suggest this most recent Carlton rebuild wouldn't see them contending for a flag...

People got sucked into the Vic media hype over a couple of finals appearances but yes, they never had the depth to properly contend.

 

[Fadge]

People got sucked into the Vic media hype over a couple of finals appearances but yes, they never had the depth to properly contend.

No, people got sucked into the hype of their best 5 or 6 players, even before they qualified for finals for the first time in a decade.

Carlton folk came at me in their droves by daring to suggest what you have just posted - their lack of quality players beyond the top 5, and lack of depth beyond that.

But guess what became reality?

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

No, people got sucked into the hype of their best 5 or 6 players, even before they qualified for finals for the first time in a decade.

Carlton folk came at me in their droves by daring to suggest what you have just posted - their lack of quality players beyond the top 5, and lack of depth beyond that.

But guess what became reality?

You also said Finn McRae would be a better player than Matthew Kennedy (amongst hundreds of other dumb calls) so your opinions are generally looked at as dogshite when it comes to all things Carlton.

Mason Cox better than Walsh was another

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

People got sucked into the Vic media hype over a couple of finals appearances but yes, they never had the depth to properly contend.

5 goals up against Brisbane at home and only lost the game by a few goals but we were never a chance?

 

[bzparkes]

5 goals up against Brisbane at home and only lost the game by a few goals but we were never a chance?

History's written by the winners my friend and Carlton weren't one.

See Adelaide in 2017.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

5 goals up against Brisbane at home and only lost the game by a few goals but we were never a chance?

It was an absolute flogging after the first 15 minutes

You were in contention for a few milliseconds at best

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

History's written by the winners my friend and Carlton weren't one.

See Adelaide in 2017.

Were Adelaide 2017 not a contender?

 

[bzparkes]

Were Adelaide 2017 not a contender?

Kind of came from nowhere after being in the bottom of the 8 for a couple of seasons, then fell away.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Kind of came from nowhere after being in the bottom of the 8 for a couple of seasons, then fell away.

So yes?

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

North absolutely smacked around Carlton for 3 quarters.

Says all u need to know.