‘We haven't got a good player under 25': Blues powerbroker calls for complete overhaul
Carlton need a complete overhaul of their football department after their shock loss to North Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday put their 2025 season on life support, according to club financial backer Bruce Mathieson.
The outspoken critic slammed the list saying the club were once again five years away from having real success and said he could not point to one player under the age 25 who was an A-grader.
He said as difficult as it might be the club had no option but to restart the journey again.
'We are five years away, at best, from having a good side. We have got to start again,' Mathieson told The Age.
He said 21-year-old Ollie Hollands was a good player but not an elite player while No.3 pick from last year's national draft Jagga Smith has been sidelined with a knee injury. The injured Sam Walsh turns 25 next week.
'We have not got one good player under 25, other than Ollie Hollands and is he an A-grader? We haven't got one,' Mathieson said.
'You have got to start again; how do you do otherwise? I admire Richmond, look at the players they gave away to get those young blokes. You look at North Melbourne, they have got young blokes coming on. We have got no one.'
Since selecting All-Australian midfielder Walsh with pick one in the 2018 national draft, the Blues went five seasons without a top 10 pick before they traded up to select Smith with pick three in last year's national draft. Smith suffered an ACL injury in a pre-season practice match ruling him out for the season.
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