‘Very strong chance’: Blues coach’s telling SSP reveal; gun’s plea after snub — AFL Daily

A young forward has done “everything asked of him” in a strengthening bid to revive his career at Carlton.

Plus, why a knocked-back talent isn’t giving up on his shot at an AFL list spot this year.

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Elijah Hollands is on the verge of an SSP reprieve at Carlton, says Michael Voss.

The Blues delisted the forward last October amid off-field issues, but Hollands has this summer buckled down and put his best foot forward in a bid to revive his 41-game career.

The 23-year-old, who was traded from Gold Coast to Carlton at the end of the 2023 season, showed positive signs during the Blues’ match simulation win over Brisbane last Wednesday night.

Carlton has a vacant list spot ahead of the March 2 SSP deadline, with former GWS swingman Wade Derksen also staking his claim for a second AFL chance.

But Voss told SEN Breakfast that Hollands, who played just five senior games last year after 22 in 2024, was “on the way back”.

“Very strong chance (of regaining his spot on the list),” Voss said on Monday morning.

“He’s trained exceptionally well, we’ve obviously got to make decisions on that — I think we’ve got a couple of days or even a week to make those final calls.

“He’s done everything asked of him on and off the field, and he’s been really diligent with the way he’s gone about it.

“And we couldn’t ask more from him about what he’s done. He’s had a particularly impressive pre-season.”

Hollands, who took a personal leave of absence last March, was asked to seek a trade in October after Voss in September expressed his “disappointment” in the former No.7 pick’s Blues tenure.

“That discussion was: ‘It’s up to you to look around and find out if another place suits you’,” Voss said.

“He’s clear on where we stand with that … absolutely, we have been a little bit disappointed with how it has transpired across the year.”

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Carlton plays Geelong in its Community Series clash on Wednesday night, before preparing for its Opening Round season opener against Sydney on March 5.

Asked about a potentially faster brand of Blues footy in 2026, Voss pinpointed the side’s key area for improvement going into the new campaign.

“I don’t think it’s about (being) faster … our key issue, when you strip it all back, is our ability to finish inside 50,” he conceded.

“That’s the … we tend to put a really broad brush stroke across the whole thing, but the reality was we had a number that we just couldn’t change consistently enough across the season.

“There are a lot of factors to that, that we need to consider, but that’s obviously been an important number that we’ve tried to chase — and part of that is speed on the ball.

“When do you put speed on the ball? When do you take speed off because you don’t like the numbers ahead of you? We’ve just got to strike that balance.

“We want to be more dynamic, make no mistake, but we also don’t want to be reckless about it.”

STEPHENSON STILL ‘HUNGRY’ FOR AFL REVIVAL

Jaidyn Stephenson is still hellbent on resurrecting his AFL career after Port Adelaide declined to offer him a list spot.

The former Collingwood and North Melbourne forward said he was “extremely disappointed” in missing out at Alberton, having been told the news during a meeting with coach Josh Carr.

“I had an opportunity to chase my dream again, and I haven’t given up on that either,” he told Channel Nine.

“There’s footage of our internal game, I’m sure there’s footage of that Crows game (SANFL practice match).

“So, for anyone else that has an SSP spot out there, I encourage you to look at that because I’m hungry, and I want to be playing AFL football again.”

Port Adelaide has three vacant list spots as the March 2 SSP deadline edges closer.

Along with Stephenson, ex-Geelong midfielder Ted Clohesy, East Fremantle forward Mitch Zadow and Norwood’s Balyn O’Brien have trained with the Power in hopes of securing AFL reprieves.