Carlton is expected to get Harry McKay, Jack Silvagni, Sam Walsh, Adam Cerra, Mitch McGovern, Matt Kennedy and Corey Durdin back from injury before finals.
All of whom were in the club’s best 22 back in Round 1, but given the eight-game streak, it’s tough to change a winning recipe.
Naturally, the question now becomes who loses their place in the senior side to make way for them – or if they break into the side at all.
Silvagni and McKay are expected to be available for their Round 23 clash with Gold Coast, while the rest are aiming to be ready the following week or for the first week of finals, following the bye.
Starting with the talls, Marc Pittonet misses out for the returning Silvagni.
While the ruckman has performed well in the ruck, he is clearly behind an emerging Tom De Koning in the pecking order and doesn’t offer enough around the ground or forward to warrant playing essentially five talls.
Now, there has been some media discussion about whether McKay should come in at all. We are simply ignoring that debate given it borderlines madness.
The Blues will likely need to omit a small forward to get McKay back in, which will change their overall structure slightly, but Charlie Curnow needs a partner to draw a key defender away from him.
Lachie Fogarty will reportedly make way for Harry McKay as he is dealing with soreness, though his work across the half-forward line, through the midfield and his tackling pressure has seen him secure a spot in the best 22.
Jesse Motlop feels like the player who will come out, however, when Fogarty returns for Round 24. Motlop has kicked 10 goals since returning to the side in Round 18, but such is the selection squeeze.
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The return of Mitch McGovern from a minor hamstring niggle likely sees Caleb Marchbank lose his place. The Blues flirted with playing the four talls together, but they will likely favour the rebound of the likes of Alex Cincotta, Zac Fisher and/or Jordan Boyd.
Bringing back Sam Walsh, Adam Cerra and Matt Kennedy will rev the midfield engine, but who misses out for them? Can they fit all three plus Patrick Cripps, Sam Docherty and the in-form George Hewett?
You’d imagine one of Matt Cottrell or Ollie Hollands misses out for Walsh firstly. Cottrell’s ability to cover the ground and his defensive positioning makes him invaluable.
He can also slot back into a wing role with Hollands missing out and Walsh returning to that on-ball/half forward rotation.
Cerra’s availability unfortunately would have to come at the expense of Paddy Dow, who has put together the best five quarters of his career and filled the midfield void superbly.
Again, these are the selection headaches that come with availability.
Matt Kennedy may be the unlucky one who has to serve as the substitute if the Blues are at full strength. Playing the extra on-baller at the expense of Fisher/Boyd at half-back or David Cuningham at half-forward is maybe a step too far given how well the current balance is working.
Corey Durdin’s spot in the side has been usurped by the likes of Cuningham, Fogarty and Jack Martin. While Matt Owies is ahead as the pure small forward. He remains a talent, but will have to add more strings to his bow over summer.
Overall changes
Out: Marc Pittonet, Jesse Motlop, Caleb Marchbank, Ollie Hollands and Paddy Dow
In: Jack Silvagni, Harry McKay, Mitch McGovern, Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra
Unlucky: Matt Kennedy and Corey Durdin