Carlton is searching for answers after giving up the first five goals of the game against Adelaide on Sunday before eventually going down by 16 points at Metricon Stadium.
It was the 17th game in coach David Teague’s 27 matches that his side has given up a 30-point unanswered deficit, with their uncanny ability to concede blocks of goals cruelling them throughout the current season.
As the Blues search for answers ahead of 2021, Jordan Lewis says Hawthorn free agent Isaac Smith would suit a side like Carlton “really nicely”, saying recruiting a player of his calibre would allow them to continue their incremental improvement.
“They’ve got talent and they just need to show improvement,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“They need to add maybe a few players to their list, you think of someone like (Hawthorn's) Isaac Smith who has that outside run would suit them really nicely.
“But I do think there’s been improvement (this year at Carlton).”
Lewis broke down where the Blues are currently going wrong and wondered whether COVID-related training restrictions were hurting the side.
“Where they fall away (in games) is situation stuff,” he said.
“Good sides, and when you have the ability to train during the year, can train situations that may pop up in the game. They haven’t had time to do that (because of COVID training restrictions), they have a young list and a new coach who would want to put his players in positions that they might find themselves in games.
“It’s hard and been a very difficult year to practice that but you rely on your leaders (like) Patrick Cripps to will your side over the line but when you give up a lead like they did against Adelaide, it’s just too much to pull back in a shortened game.”
The Blues currently sit in 12th spot on the ladder, having won seven of 16 matches in 2020.