Carlton had enough players on their injury list to build a starting 18 coming into this week – and, well, we did.
But with crisis comes opportunity and multiple Blues have made huge strides that may hold the club in good stead for years to come.
Ruckman Tom De Koning is seemingly emerging before our eyes, putting in a career-best performance on the weekend up against Fremantle star Sean Darcy.
While the 22-year-old lost the hit-out totals, his 22 hit-outs, 13 disposals and three clearances helped separate the teams and his tap work coupled with his leap has made him dangerous.
His natural leap and strong hands overhead make him a tantalising forward prospect, but his ruck work is developing fast.
De Koning has been Carlton’s sole ruckman for most of the season with Marc Pittonet out with a knee injury.
At times he has hasn’t felt quite ready for the role, beaten comfortably early in the season by the likes of Todd Goldstein, Jarrod Witts and, in Round 6, Sean Darcy.
But De Koning’s confidence has grown as the season has gone on and Essendon great Tim Watson is a fan.
“It was an unbelievable performance for a young ruckman. He absolutely smashed our man Sean Darcy. Absolutely smashed him,” Watson told SEN Breakfast.
“He’s only getting his time in the ruck at the moment because Pittonet is injured.
“They would’ve been preferring Pittonet to De Koning. He wouldn’t have got the game time that he’s been able to get. He wasn’t this player four weeks ago.”
“He’s getting more and more confidence being out there and being able to produce and this is what happens.”
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Pittonet is slated to return from the knee injury in the next month, with the Blues likely to return to their two-pronged ruck setup.
De Koning started the year as the club’s third key forward and ruck relief.
He isn’t the only young Blue who has taken full advantage of the club’s injury ward. Key defender Lewis Young has arguably been the biggest beneficiary.
Carlton traded for Young at the end of 2021, before even knowing they would be without Liam Jones going forward. He was initially expected to be a third tall in defence who could grow into a larger role as he develops.
Then Jones quit and suddenly Oscar McDonald was thrust into the starting key defensive role for Round 1, with Mitch McGovern the side’s third tall option.
Both McDonald and McGovern were both on the long-term injury list within the first month of the season and Young received his chance next to Jacob Weitering.
Going into Round 13, Weitering, along with McDonald, McGovern, Luke Parks, Caleb Marchbank and even mid-season draftee Sam Durdin were all on the club’s injury list, leaving Young as the only healthy key defensive pillar.
While he had performed admirably as a 23-year-old key defender before Weitering’s injury, he has excelled in his absence in a larger role.
He kept Peter Wright goalless. The Essendon key forward has since kicked eight in a fortnight. He battled manfully against Richmond star Tom Lynch and comfortably beat Fremantle’s Rory Lobb on the weekend.
Young will likely face the daunting task of manning St Kilda’s Max King on Friday night, before Weitering is expected to return in Round 17.
Like Jones before him, the Blues now know they can trust Young in tricky matchups – and he will hopefully only improve with coming pre-seasons.
The ‘next man up’ mentality has almost been the defining phrase of Carlton in the Michael Voss era.
Zac Fisher has had an outstanding fortnight filling in for the injured Adam Cerra through the midfield. Jordan Boyd has played well across half back with Zac Williams out. Silvagni has fought hard in the ruck.
Fisher had 29 disposals, seven marks and five inside 50s against the Dockers on Saturday afternoon.
It speaks volumes of Voss and his coaches and the system they have put in place.
But the likes of De Koning, Young and Fisher will benefit in years to come from the opportunities forced upon them in 2022.