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Sport Nation
Mid-season review: Carlton's window "slammed shut"
Jaiden Sciberras • May 26th, 2025 7:50 pm
Kane Cornes and David King have graded each AFL team's performances throughout 2025 entering the mid-season bye rounds.
Graded on SEN's Fireball, the pair delve into the positives and negatives from each side's opening fixtures, judging their position amongst the competition with a rating scored from one to 10.
With Carlton heading into the bye in Round 12, Cornes and King took the microscope into the Blues.
The Blues currently sit 12th with a 4-7 record through 11 games.
Carlton
The Blues have left a lot to be desired throughout 2025.
Off the back of a distinctly average back end to 2024 resulting in an elimination final exit, Carlton entered this season with aspirations beyond just a September appearance.
With ageing stars and without a first round pick, the Blues backed their list to produce a consistent, contest-heavy brand good enough to challenge with the best of the best, however the first 11 games have exposed a number of evident holes, leaving Carlton well short of their pre-season projections.
“Clearly the worst kicking team in the competition, clearly the most inefficient team when they go inside forward 50, only 16 per cent of their entries lead to a goal, which is 18th in the competition,” Cornes said.
While the top-end talent at Michael Voss’ disposal continues to perform amongst the competition’s best, it’s the bottom-end of Carlton’s first 23 that have left the Blues short of a number of results.
With the absence of an elite kick, and a clear lack of depth within the side, Carlton may have sold their talent short, and as star ruckman Tom De Koning weighs up a major contract decision, the Blues may have missed out on their premiership opportunity.
“I’m not sure about the next three or four years for the Blues unfortunately. I think their window has been slammed shut."
Cornes' rating: 4/10
Listen to the full mid-season review below:
