NO EXCUSES FOR CARLTON NOW

The Blues deserve huge credit for sticking fat off the field last year.

With only three wins to round 13, they went on to ride a tidal wave of momentum to a preliminary final.

But good teams thrive on expectation – and that is the job ahead of Carlton this year.

Few other teams have such top-end talent in a Brownlow medallist (Patrick Cripps), multiple Coleman medallists (Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow) and a player who is the equal of any defender in the AFL (Jacob Weitering).

So anything short of a deep finals run would be massively disappointing for Michael Voss and co.

CAN BLUES PROVE DEPTH IN THE FIRST MONTH?

Carlton oozes depth across the midfield and also boasts a stunning array of small forwards.

But Weitering likely won’t return until after the round 2 bye and Sam Walsh’s stiff back is an early watch.

It was only a tune-up clash, but against Melbourne its midfield was touched up, and the defensive backups Lewis Young and Brodie Kemp were regularly outmarked.

Great teams can hold up – even if only for a few rounds – when their stars are absent.

So if last year’s player of the finals Walsh is missing against Brisbane, can the next in line show they are ready to pick up the slack?

IS ZAC WILLIAMS READY TO JUSTIFY INVESTMENT?

Carlton fans who finally grew to love Mitch McGovern in 2023 as he turned from an injury-prone forward into a classy rebounding intercept defender hope Williams can follow.

He showed glimpses in his first two seasons but managed only 23 games before his ACL tear wiped out 2023.

Carlton can look slow without the run of Walsh and Matt Cottrell.

Williams has such explosive leg speed and the will to attack through the corridor that if he and Adam Saad can become a dynamic duo again Carlton looks like a different team.

No. McKay has remodelled his kicking and when he shanked a shot against Melbourne those in the cheap seats wondered why he had bothered.

But that action is vastly improved with more forward momentum and McKay should remember he kicked 58.33 in 2021 and 45.23 in 2022.

He will have dirty days in front of goal but he only needs to get back to 60 per cent accuracy to deliver for the Blues.