On the rebuild: Blues to take a more 'balanced approach'
Carlton have declared they will take "a more balanced" attitude towards list management over the next two years and give Marc Murphy the time he needs to weigh up his future.
The Blues' have gone backwards this season in terms of on-field performance in the third year of a rebuild under coach Brendon Bolton and list chief Stephen Silvagni, and remain mired in the worst era of the club's history.
Football director Chris Judd has spoken about the need for supporters to have faith in the club's plan, one that to this point in time had largely focused on securing the best talent in the national draft. The Blues have turned over 42 players in the past three seasons, and there will be more list changes this season.
The Blues have declared they are in the market for elite established talent, and have been linked to a handful of free agents.
Chief executive Cain Liddle says there will be a change of thought over the next two years.
"We are currently experiencing the compounding effect of three years of significant list change and we will now look to take a more balanced approach to list management, particularly over the next two years as we look to attract players from other clubs as well as continuing to bring in the best available young talent at the draft," he said.
The Blues need big-bodied midfielders to help stand-in skipper Patrick Cripps and Ed Curnow, the latter enjoying a career-best year, particularly if Murphy decides to leave. They have room in the salary cap to make a major play, provided the player fits the age bracket in their long-term plans.
In a message to club members, Liddle said he expected improvement in the final nine matches of the campaign, one that so far has netted just the one win. The Blues host Port Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday.
"From an AFL on-field perspective, we would like to have won more games in 2018. We are, however, buoyed by the continued improvement and emergence of the likes of Charlie Curnow, Paddy Dow, Lochie O'Brien, Harry McKay and Zac Fisher, who have all shown improvement throughout the first half of the season," Liddle said.
"It's exciting to think about the potential of these players once they have another couple of pre-seasons under their belt. A number of our younger players are also coming off severely interrupted pre-seasons and we are confident the likes of Sam Petrevski-Seton, Caleb Marchbank, Matthew Kennedy and Darcy Lang will all show improvement in the second half of the year."
Liddle praised Sam Docherty, who has missed the entire season because of a knee injury, and Murphy, who has played only four games because of a troublesome foot, for their off-field leadership. He stressed the Blues want to retain Murphy, the 240-game veteran who is an unrestricted free agent at season's end.
"Marc Murphy's contract situation is obviously important ... what I can assure all our members of is that we want Marc to stay - he is the captain of our club and a very important leader both on and off the field," Liddle said.
"We do, however, understand and accept the fact that free agency provides players with options, so we will continue to give Marc the time he needs to consider such an important decision."
Murphy has said he has been "doing some thinking" but former Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy argued in his column in The Age that he should remain at Princes Park in what would be a "statement of solidarity. Of sacrifice".