AFL journalist and radio host Sam McClure has boldly claimed Carlton “have to be premiership favourites” and if anyone disagrees “they’re not following the game right”.
The Blues were beaten by 16 points in their preliminary final against Brisbane last September, after finishing fifth on the ladder and narrowly defeating Sydney and Melbourne in the finals.
After sitting 4-1-8 after Round 13 last year, and winning nine straight games to qualify for the finals there is hype building around the club – who have long been considered a sleeping giant due to their total lack of success this century.
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“Carlton have to be premiership favourites. And if anyone tries to tell you down the street that they shouldn’t be, they’re not following the game right,” McClure said.
Carlton is equal-fourth in premiership odds, behind 2023 premiers Collingwood, 2023 runners-up Brisbane and Melbourne, who have finished in the top four in three straight years, and level with GWS who nearly beat Collingwood in their preliminary final.
The Blues did not make any major moves during the off-season; their most notable inclusion was former first-round pick Elijah Hollands, who was involved in one of the cheapest trades possible as Carlton had to downgrade a future third-round pick to a future fourth-round pick.
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McClure continued: “They want for nothing, they have an excellent list, they’ve got two of the all-time great forwards of the last 20 years and a star-studded midfield.”
The Blues finished ninth in the AFL for points scored last year, and in their last seven games of the season only kicked more than 11 goals once.
While Charlie Curnow kicked 78 goals to win the Coleman Medal, he only added three more across three finals, while their second-leading goalkicker Harry McKay had 29 goals in 21 games – good for equal-43rd in the AFL. His teammate Matt Owies had 27 goals in 18 games.
In response to likely criticism from Collingwood fans he replied: “You don’t have a key forward”.
For the Magpies, Brody Mihocek kicked 47 goals in 2023 (equal-12th in the AFL) while Jamie Elliott was also in the top 20, adding 39.
McClure concluded: “The Carlton Football Club have to go not one better than they went last year, they have to go two better.
“If they’re not winning the premiership this year, something has gone wrong.”
McClure, it must be noted, is a Carlton fan.
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