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STRENGTHS: Probably harder to identify than for other clubs, but its not all bleak at Princes Park. We are seing the first signs of a strong youth base developing and given the weaker than acceptable state of the Carlton list, you'd expect players like Murphy & Kennedy to get plenty of opportunity early as a means of fast tracking their development. Up forward things don't look too bad, with Fevola, Waite, Betts & Lappin providing the basis for a respectable attacking quartet. In a less tangible sense, Pagan has had a few bad years, but I doubt that he has lost the capacity to surprise.
WEAKNESSES: Overall, the club is clearly struggling due to a lack of quality across the park. The club looks very weak in the ruck (although McLaren will help here no end), and anaemic in the midfield where Bentick & Stevens offer plenty, but the well pretty much runs dry after that. Kouta remains a fine player, but he is well down on where he was several years ago, and given that he is still Carlton's best, it doesn't augur well for the club in the short term.
PREDICTION: The Blues will need a lot to go their way to escape the bottom four. Most are pencilling them in for the spoon, although it is worth noting that no club has won back-to-back spoons in a decade. Its also worth keeping in mind that the club did finish tenth with much the same side 2 years ago.
Carlton - Wooden Spooner
WEAKNESSES: Overall, the club is clearly struggling due to a lack of quality across the park. The club looks very weak in the ruck (although McLaren will help here no end), and anaemic in the midfield where Bentick & Stevens offer plenty, but the well pretty much runs dry after that. Kouta remains a fine player, but he is well down on where he was several years ago, and given that he is still Carlton's best, it doesn't augur well for the club in the short term.
PREDICTION: The Blues will need a lot to go their way to escape the bottom four. Most are pencilling them in for the spoon, although it is worth noting that no club has won back-to-back spoons in a decade. Its also worth keeping in mind that the club did finish tenth with much the same side 2 years ago.
Carlton - Wooden Spooner
