The 2026 AFL season is just around the corner, with the Opening Round officially starting on Thursday, March 5 at the SCG. Here at the Huddle, we’re running our eye over all 18 AFL teams to predict what the year ahead holds for every footy club.
The Princes Park faithful have long been accustomed to the ‘sleeping giant’ narrative, but expectations are lowering as they enter their 31st year without a flag.
The Carlton Football Club are slowly becoming the perennial underperformers of the AFL. A footballing basketcase, at over 100 000 members (top 3 in the league) their mediocrity in the last 30 years has been nothing short of distilled disappointment for their fans.
But the Carlton fans keep showing up, anything but fair weather, the Blues fans still come out in droves, even after three generations of dashed hopes.
If the Carlton Football Club were any business other than a footy club, they’d long since be bankrupt with this history of disappointing its stakeholders.
The pressure of expectation falls on them again in 2026. For years the ‘Bluesprint’ was around the twin-tower dominance of Harry McKay and two-time All Australian Charlie Curnow.
They were a dual-threat forward line that struck fear into every defensive coordinator in the league.
However, the off-season trade period didn't just rattle the cages; it knocked the whole house down. The departure of a dual Coleman Medallist in Curnow has created a vacuum of star power that hasn't been seen at the club in decades.
This isn’t just a new season; it’s a new identity. The Blues’ in 2026 must shift towards a more balanced, hard-running system under coach Michael Voss.
With a staggering amount of turnover in the Best 23, the question isn't just whether the Blues can win games, but whether they can find a playing style that works in a post-Curnow world.
If they can’t, it’s going to be another long season for Carlton fans, nothing they’re not used to though.
Find out whether the Carlton Blues will be able to keep touch in our season preview below.
Carlton Blues Players 2026
Carlton Blues Key Signings and Draftees
The revolving door at Ikon Park was spinning so over the off-season that it practically created its own weather system.
In a move that sent shockwaves through the competition, the Blues bid farewell to their talismanic spearhead, Charlie Curnow, who was traded to the Sydney Swans in a deal that effectively signalled a top-to-bottom squad restructure from Vossy.
The exodus didn't stop there, as the ruck-forward division took a massive hit with both Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni opting for a move to St Kilda as free agents.
Perhaps the most emotional blow, however, was the official retirement of Sam Docherty, the heart and soul of the club whose resilience has defined Carlton’s culture for a decade.
The list was further thinned by the delistings of Jaxon Binns, Alex Cincotta, Orazio Fantasia, Harry Lemmey, and Will White, while Corey Durdin sought a fresh start at Port Adelaide via a trade.
Carlton Blues Players Lost
To fill the cavernous holes in the Blues’ list, they went shopping with a clear mandate for speed and grit.
They raided the Harbour City for Swans duo Oliver Florent and Will Hayward, two players whose hard-running and goal-kicking craft are expected to transform the Blues' transition play.
Ben Ainsworth arrives from the Gold Coast Suns to provide extra polish and mid-forward versatility, while Campbell Chesser comes across from West Coast to inject some much-needed youth and leg speed into the wing rotation.
In the ruck, Liam Reidy was brought in from Fremantle to shoulder the load alongside the existing stocks, supported by SSP signing Wade Derksen.
Perhaps the most exciting inclusion for the long-term future is the arrival of Harry Dean, the son of club-legend Peter Dean who landed at Carlton with the No.3 draft pick.
Rounding out the intake are national draft selection Talor Byrne (pick 45) and Academy graduate Jack Ison (pick 47), both of whom will look to push for early opportunities in this transformed lineup.
Carlton Blues Main Man
Patrick Cripps
While there are new faces everywhere you look, Patrick Cripps remains the undisputed leader and the man who best carries on the identity of the Carlton Football Club.
Coach Michael Voss has indicated the captain will continue to be the focal point of the midfield, but his role may subtly shift to accommodate the new influx of speed around him.
His elite strength, creative ball use and ability to affect the scoreboard make him the most dangerous weapon in Carlton's arsenal.
If Cripps can bridge the gap in a midfield that has often looked too slow or one-dimensional in the past, the Blues will be a challenge for anyone to stop.
His physical presence remains a nightmare for opposition taggers, but it’s his mental fortitude that will be tested most in 2026.
Every time the Blues find themselves under fire, the Carlton faithful know that the number nine will be the one throwing himself into the furnace to drag his team over the line.
The burden on Cripps this year is unique because he no longer has the luxury of Curnow as a ‘get out of jail’ target down the line.
The skipper will need to be the primary distributor to a more mobile, less proven forward line, requiring a higher level of precision in his disposal than ever before.
If Crippa can maintain his Brownlow Medal-level output while evolving into a more tactical general, he won't just be Carlton's best player, it will be the reason they remain a finals chance.
Carlton Blues Draw Difficulty Rating
The Blues have been handed a brutal opening month that will serve as an immediate litmus test for their new system. Facing off against established top-eight contenders right out of the gate means there is zero margin for error while they wait for their new combinations to gel.
If they can't find a way to secure early wins, the pressure from the Melbourne media could derail their season before it ever gets on track.
However, if they can weather the storm, a more favourable block in the middle of the season against developing sides could allow them to build the momentum needed for a late-season surge.
Difficulty rating: Hard.
Carlton Blues Season Prediction 2026
The greatest challenge will be evolving their midfield to support the existing core, as the club moves away from the Curnow era. For Carlton, the challenge is structural; evolving a system that was once built for two giants into one built for a team of runners.
The inclusion of Hayward, Ainsworth and Florent shows a clear desire to increase scoring potency from a wider variety of sources rather than relying on a single spearhead.
Following the significant player turnover and the rise of young stars, it’s clear the Blues are an improved squad in terms of depth, but they are an unproven one in terms of top-end chemistry.
The Blues are a swing team that could just as easily finish in the top four or slide out of the ten entirely, depending on how quickly the Sydney recruits adapt to Vossy's gameplan.
This season is about more than just a ladder position; it’s about proving that the Carlton Football Club has a system that is bigger than any individual
It will be a year of grit, adaptation and possibly a return to the promised land of September footy, if not - it could spell the end for head coach Vossy.
Predicted finish: 6th.
Carlton Blues Predicted Round 1 Team
FB: Max Michalanney, Mark Keane, Josh Worrell
HB: Mitch Hinge, Nick Murray, Wayne Milera
C: Oliver Florent, Patrick Cripps, Campbell Chesser
HF: Ben Ainsworth, Harry McKay, Will Hayward
FF: Harry Dean, Wade Derksen, Alex Neal-Bullen
FOLL: Liam Reidy, Sam Walsh, George Hewett
INT: Adam Cerra, Matthew Kennedy, Talor Byrne, Jordan Boyd, Zac Williams
Note: The first test of this lineup comes in Round 1 at the SCG against Charlie Curnow's Sydney Swans.
*Odds are subject to change.