2019 in a Nutshell
It was a season of two very distinct halves for the Blues in 2019 with the team that played under David Teague a very different prospect from that which was coached by Brendon Bolton. In the last 11 games the former won six games, the latter only able to win one from the same number of games to start the season. As a result Carlton is one of the most intriguing teams ahead of season 2020.
2020 Playing List
| 1 | Jack Silvagni | 2 | Paddy Dow | 3 | Marc Murphy |
| 4 | Lochie O’Brien | 5 | Sam Petrevski-Seton | 6 | Kade Simpson |
| 7 | Matthew Kennedy | 8 | Matthew Kreuzer | 9 | Patrick Cripps |
| 10 | Harry McKay | 11 | Mitch McGovern | 12 | Tom de Koning |
| 13 | Liam Stocker | 14 | Liam Jones | 15 | Sam Docherty |
| 16 | Darcy Lang | 17 | Brodie Kemp | 18 | Sam Walsh |
| 19 | Eddie Betts | 20 | Lachie Plowman | 21 | Jack Martin |
| 22 | Caleb Marchbank | 23 | Jacob Weitering | 24 | Nic Newman |
| 25 | Zac Fisher | 26 | Harrison Macreadie | 27 | Marc Pittonet |
| 28 | David Cunningham | 29 | Cameron Polson | 30 | Charlie Curnow |
| 31 | Tom Williamson | 32 | Jack Newnes | 33 | Sam Ramsay |
| 34 | Sam Philp | 35 | Ed Curnow | 37 | Ben Silvagni |
| 38 | Finbar O’Dwyer | 40 | Michael Gibbons | 41 | Levi Casboult |
| 43 | Will Setterfield | 44 | Matthew Owies | 45 | Hugh Goddard |
| 46 | Matthew Cottrell |
| INS | Eddie Betts (Adelaide), Marc Pittonet (Hawthorn), Jack Newnes (St Kilda), Brodie Kemp (Bendigo U18), Sam Philp (Northern U18), Sam Ramsay (Calder U18), Jack Martin (Gold Coast). |
| OUTS | Alex Fasolo, Matthew Lobbe, Jarrod Garlett, Patt Kerr, Angus Schumacher, Kym Lebois, Andrew Phillips, Josh Deluca. |
Labeling it the ‘fixture for everyone’ the Blues have every reason to be happy with their 2020 schedule. Opening the season with their traditional showdown with the Tigers, Carlton play in every mainland state but face double up encounters with just two finalists – Richmond and Western Bulldogs. They will be excited by the prospect of two games against non-finalists – St Kilda, Sydney and North Melbourne, and the prospect of seven games in Melbourne to round out the season.
Five Fearless Predictions
Charlie’s offseason woes will take a toll
Charlie Curnow is without question one of the most exciting young forward prospects in the competition but his offseason has not been a happy one leading into the 2020 season. A number of injuries have hampered him and will delay his start to the new season. If we have learned anything in recent times, a strong pre-season is invaluable for young players and to have seen his disappear will mean Curnow will struggle to find his best consistently in 2020.
Docherty to be Blues ‘recruit’ of the season
While the Blues were extremely active in the off-season in their efforts to improve their playing stocks for this season, it could be a returning hero who could prove their biggest ‘in’ this season. Sam Docherty has been stuck on 92 career games since being named All-Australian in 2017 and will be a welcome inclusion to the Blues lineup after two seasons lost to knee injuries. Still only 26-years-old there is a lot of football left in this talented backman.
2020 Will Make or Break Mitch McGovern
Ok, we do understand that this is less fearless and a little closer to an indecisive prediction but for Mitch McGovern he will need to ensure that he has it the other way around in 2020. A big money recruit at the end of 2018, he failed to repay the Blues faith in him during his first season at the club in 2019. A repeat performance might be terminal for his hopes of a long and prosperous stay at Princes Park.
No Second Year Blues for Walsh
The 2019 Rising Star had a consistent first year in the big time and we expect this to continue this year. A level headed youngster, Sam Walsh enters this season having broken the record for most possessions in a rookie season and will be looking to build upon that platform this year. Nothing we’ve seen so far suggests that he won’t do just that.
Forty Goals from Harry McKay
The Blues leading goal scorer with 26 majors, we expect a career best season from Harry McKay in 2020. One of the leading contested marks in the competition, his radar was off for much of 2019 but he can unquestionably improve on this part of his game.
Where Will They Finish?
The first three rounds loom as an early insight into just how good the Blues can be in 2020 with matches against three 2019 finalists. Just how well they fare in these early skirmishes may have a major effect on a young club’s confidence and ability to build on their late season improvements from last year. Carlton to finish between 8th and 13th.
Have an opinion you want to share? Be sure to join the conversation online by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
Better yet, why not write for us?