There won’t be much of a honeymoon period for the next Carlton coach, whoever that may be.
The Blues have not played finals since 2013 and have openly stated that their expectations are to play finals again in 2022.
The road to September action will be a long one with the Blues needing tweaks across the board.
Here are eight areas or questions the incoming Carlton coach will need to address in their first summer at the helm.
1. An overhauled defensive system
Only North Melbourne gave up more points in 2021 than a Carlton team striving for a top eight finish.
Their defensive woes have been well fleshed out and don’t really need to be mentioned once again. They clearly contributed to the downfall of David Teague.
Structurally, the Blues need an overhaul and to move from a one-on-one defensive style to the team-defence we see from most other teams. The new coach must also instil a desire for players to work hard defensively, something that was simply not there in 2021.
2. How to get Patrick Cripps back to his best
This is another topic that has been done to death and does not need an in-depth going over. Patrick Cripps has had two seasons below his best after winning the AFLPA MVP award in 2019.
Injury niggles have hit him at poor times across the two years, but the conclusion can only be drawn that he struggled under Teague.
The new Carlton coach and the team around him must come in with a plan to revitalise their struggling skipper – and on that…
3. Who should captain the club in 2022 and beyond?
Would Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty both benefit from relinquishing the club captaincy?
Docherty has his own battle on his hands with his health to focus on and if he wishes to step aside from the leadership position, no one would begrudge him.
Similarly, the new coach should probably have the discussion with Cripps as to whether he would be better simply focusing on his footy and his body in 2022.
Carlton has a natural next captain in Jacob Weitering and future leaders behind him in Sam Walsh, Liam Stocker and Jack Silvagni.
4. What to do with Paddy Dow, Lochie O’Brien and Sam Petrevski-Seton
Carlton has had six top 10 draft picks since 2015. Jacob Weitering, Harry McKay and Sam Walsh have surpassed expectations while Paddy Dow, Lochie O’Brien and Sam Petrevski-Seton still have question marks on them.
O’Brien (pick 10, 2017) is out of contract this year and the coach will first have to decide whether to give the wingman another contract.
Petrevski-Seton (pick 6, 2016) is also out of contract, but the question surrounding him will likely be two-fold. Whether the club finds him a new home in the trade period or commits to the midfielder and locks him down in a position.
Dow (pick 3, 2017) showed signs on-ball in 2021 but was dropped on multiple occasions by the outgoing coaching staff – and at odds times of the year. The new coach must find out what they really have in Dow and attempt to turn him into the player they thought he would be when they drafted him so high.
Finding midfield time for these players will also be tougher if Adam Cerra comes through the door.
5. How Mitch McGovern is used in 2022
With (hopefully) a fully fit Charlie Curnow next to Coleman Medallist Harry McKay and Jack Silvagni, the Blues will have to decide whether they want another marking forward in Mitch McGovern inside 50 as well.
If not, they could consider flipping him into defence to play as their intercept marker, a role his brother perfected at West Coast. Keeping McGovern healthy and fit and maximising his output will be equally important, given his consistent back and hamstring issues since arriving at the Blues.
6. What their ideal forward line will look like
On a similar topic, the Blues will (hopefully) have a luxury in 2022 that has completely alluded them for two years now in having McKay, McGovern and Curnow all fit simultaneously.
On top of that, Eddie Betts’ absence now opens the door for the likes of Matt Owies, Corey Durdin and Josh Honey to stake their claim as permanent small forwards. All three showed signs in 2021 and could go to another level with greater opportunities.
Simply having Curnow and McGovern all season alongside McKay would be a big win for the Blues by itself.
7. How badly they want Adam Cerra
How much is Carlton willing to give up to bring Fremantle midfielder Adam Cerra to the club? Pick six seems like the starting point as the Blues opt out of any of the pressures associated with developing a top 10 draftee for the second straight year.
However, we all know how these trade narratives work and develop and the Dockers have been known to drive a hard bargain in the past. The Blues might have to decide whether to throw in a Western Australian player like Fisher or Petrevski-Seton.
Both players went backwards under Teague and were thrown around positionally, never settling and growing in a particular role. How Carlton gets the deal done and how much they give up will be something to watch closely.
8. How do they bring a sense of stability back to Carlton?
Carlton has not known stability since the midway point of the Brett Ratten era back in early 2012. Since then they have been plagued by coaching uncertainty, discontent behind the scenes and rebuilds.
The new Carlton coach needs to establish their brand and take the Blues not only up the ladder, but find a level of consistency and predictability that fans have not seen in a decade.
The Blues have changed key roles across the board and they risk the disenfranchisement of their fans if another era of personnel fails to bring them success.