Injuries undoubtedly hindered the Blues at the wrong time of the year, but it remains abundantly clear after their finals exit that changes are required this off-season — and a host of names remain unsigned.

In particular, after finishing the year as one of the competition’s poorer defensive outfits — and terribly outmatched in last Saturday’s elimination bout with Brisbane — the Blues’ list management committee will be pondering all possibilities.

Michael Voss was quizzed Saturday on whether his club had the required personnel for a genuine flag pursuit, to which he replied: “We’re the unfinished product — the result says so. It’s incomplete … I think we can emphatically say we don’t like where we are, and we’ve got to get better.”

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Semi Final

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Voss’ assessment of season ending loss | 11:24

Here, foxfooty.com.au analyses the statuses of Carlton’s out-of-contract contingent leading into the player movement season.

OUT OF CONTRACT BLUES

Alex Mirkov — Non-Free Agent

The developmental ruckman, who will have turned 25 years of age by the start of next season, was selected in 2021 as a mid-season draftee but hasn’t managed a game at senior level. In fairness to the 210-centimetre Mirkov, he has been down a protracted road of recovery after undergoing heart surgery in 2023. The key-position pillar played 16 VFL games this year for averages of 9.4 disposals, 1.4 marks, 2.6 tackles and 28.4 hitouts — but he remains behind preferred tall options Tom De Koning and Marc Pittonet, as well as Hudson O’Keeffe, who is already contracted for a further two seasons and has five years of youth on Mirkov. The Old Ivanhoe product is a possibility for a short-term extension but seems on the outside looking in.

Caleb Marchbank — Unrestricted Free Agent

The luckless key defender has played on back-to-back one-year contracts since the end of 2022, but his chances of earning another deal feel less likely this off-season around — particularly taking into account the club’s defensive issues. Despite the club’s well-documented back-half concerns — ranking a lowly 14th for points against; easily the worst return among finalists this year — Marchbank hardly got a look-in this year, largely after battling a spinal injury, concussion and illness. He managed just three senior games — his lowest total for a season since 2016 — and playing a combined 15 matches over the past three years. The former No. 6 draft choice in 2014, Marchbank will have turned 28 years of age by the start of next season. With GWS’ Nick Haynes expected to join the Princes Park fray from 2025, the former Murray Bushranger is another who appears on the outer.

Lions BLITZ Blues in Elimination Final | 02:39

David Cuningham — Unrestricted Free Agent

The Blues have internally never underrated Cuningham’s potential, but his injuries have continued to persist; through nine years at the club, the now-27-year-old has managed just 58 senior games (an average of six games per season). After knee and soft-tissue issues in years past, it was a shoulder dislocation this year that cemented an early end to his campaign. After the Blues penned the forward to back-to-back one-year contracts — similar to Marchbank — the Blues need to ponder whether it is worth extending Cuningham again and risk another year of unavailability. The former first-round pick played five games this year, with his last outing coming in Round 20 against Port Adelaide when he was substituted out injured.

Domanic Akuei — Non-Free Agent

A 22-year-old Carlton Academy graduate, Akuei is another untried prospect who never seemed particularly close to a debut this year — though he was named in the Blues’ undermanned Round 23 squad to play West Coast. The 194-centimetre defender played 15 games at reserves level this year for returns of 9.3 disposals and 3.5 marks per game. The Blues could persist another year with Akuei — with list manager Nick Austin last year speaking glowingly of his ‘immense’ development — but he has been on the list for three years, and promising glimpses have been few and far between.

Hawks blow as defender ruled out! | 00:24

Jack Carroll — Non-Free Agent

Due to a lack of senior opportunities over his four-year Carlton tenure, the 2020 draftee is regarded a possibility to request a trade — despite playing a career-best 15 AFL games this year. However, he was the starting substitute in seven of those 15, and according to SEN’s Peter Vlahos, the smooth-moving 21-year-old could pursue a return to his home state of Western Australia. One of Carroll’s best performances of the year came in the early going, recording a season-high 20 disposals and six inside-50s in a Round 1 win over Richmond. The East Fremantle product is a hypothetical fit at West Coast, but as a non-free agent, a trade would likely have to be agreed to if a departure is desired.

Jack Martin — Non-Free Agent

In a similar boat to Carroll, Martin appears likely to depart Carlton this October. The veteran utility has undergone a physical with Fremantle, according to Nine’s Paddy Sweeney, indicating his time at the Blues is coming to an imminent end after an injury-riddled tenure. The 29-year-old played just three AFL games this year — and copping another hamstring ailment at the end of the campaign — and has never played more than 15 matches in a season since arriving at Ikon Park from Gold Coast at the end of 2019. He has averaged just under 10 senior games per season over the past four years. A Western Australian product like Carroll, Martin’s exit papers are likely stamped as he seemingly plots a move to the Dockers, who will likely be in flag contention next season.

Molloy out for season with ACL injury | 01:23

Matt Carroll — Unknown

A rookie draftee last year after being overlooked at the national draft, Carroll couldn’t manage an AFL debut this season. Turning 19 before the start of next season, the Sandringham Dragons product would be stiff to be delisted one year in after battling hip and groin injuries throughout 2024.

Matt Owies — Non-Free Agent

The former Hawaii collegiate basketballer has been a list management success story for the Blues, quickly blossoming into arguably Voss’ most important mid-sized forward — but his future at Princes Park is uncertain. AFL Media journalist Riley Beveridge reported in late May that Owies was attracting rival trade interest, and amongst a logjam of mid-sized Blues forwards — including Orazio Fantasia, Corey Durdin, Jesse Motlop, Lachie Fogarty and Zac Williams, who are all contracted for at least next season — there remains a possibility he could explore a fresh start. However, the Blues surely wouldn’t be keen to let Owies walk, and without free agent rights this year, the machinations of a move could be complex. The 27-year-old — a fruitful Category B acquisition from 2019 — was overlooked for Carlton’s preliminary final last year and missed its elimination final loss at the weekend due to suspension.

Sam Durdin — Unrestricted Free Agent

Durdin has managed just two AFL games in three years since arriving at Carlton as a mid-season draftee in 2022 — a nagging hamstring issue cost him most of last season, while he copped calf problems more recently. The West Adelaide product holds unrestricted free agent rights this year, and it is difficult to envisage a future at the Blues beyond this year for him, particularly with the club likely to survey rival talent for defensive reinforcements.