In the days leading up to the AFL draft Sporting News is taking a look at each club’s selections, needs, likely draftees and historical performance on draft day.
Do they like to load up on youth, or prefer to trade away early picks?
Will they lean towards home-grown talent or trust their systems to stop homesick kids leaving in a couple of years’ time?
MORE: Carlton Blues' 2018 AFL season review
And what’s on this year’s shopping list: talls, midfielders or a creative small forward?
CARLTON BLUES
Draft picks after the trade period: 1, 69, 71, 77
What Carlton needs
When a team’s coming off a two-win season it’s pretty obvious they need whatever they can get, but with 24-year-old Mitch McGovern already added to young key position players Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay and Jacob Weitering, the priority is on the midfield.
Carlton’s likely draftees
If the Blues take the number one pick to draft day – and it’s hard to see them trading it – they’ll snap up Geelong Falcons midfielder Sam Walsh in an instant. Walsh is as close to the ideal footballer as you will find and will operate nicely with Patrick Cripps as Carlton’s main prime movers for years to come.
The Blues are then out of the draft until pick 69. There’s not a lot that can be done that deep in proceedings, but they will likely spend a fair bit of time researching ruck options with Matthew Kreuzer getting on and nothing great currently in reserve.
Carlton’s draft history 1986 – 2017
Number of top-20 selections: 34
Average games played at Carlton by top-20 selections: 80.6
Most games played for the Blues by a top-20 selection:
250 Marc Murphy (pick 1, 2005)
244 Andrew McKay (pick 13, 1992)
233 Scott Camporeale (pick 15, 1994)
Least games played for the Blues by a top-20 selection:
0 Peter Bubner (pick 13, 1987)
0 Damian Hampson (pick 7, 1990)
5 Murray Vance (pick 6, 1998)
Most games played for the Blues by later selections:
307 Kade Simpson (pick 45, 2002)
201 Ryan Houlihan (pick 73, 1999)
187 Brendan Fevola (pick 38, 1998)
Most games played by rookie draft selections:
192 Andrew Carrazzo (2004)
188 Bret Thornton (2002)
Through AFL draft history Carlton has …
… had four number one selections, equal with the Brisbane Lions as the most of any club. However, unlike the Lions, the Blues have chosen wisely, with Marc Murphy (252 games), Matthew Kreuzer (173) and Bryce Gibbs (231 at Princes Park) all giving great service to the club. Jacob Weitering (56 games so far) has the pressure on to keep the good record intact.
