The Blues have spent the last few seasons managing their salary cap in a bid to make sure they were in a position to target free agents when the time was right.
Last year they secured Zac Williams and traded for Adam Saad.
This year they are reportedly keeping an eye on Adam Cerra. Cerra is out of contract at the end of the season and may seek a return to Victoria.
According to Sam Edmund the Victorian is leaning towards a move home. And while no decision has been made by Cerra that news alone would have clubs on their toes.
But after Carlton's disaster first-half of 2021, is Ikon Park a place players will be keen to go? The pressure on the Blues is immense and it won't be any easier next year with expectations likely to be at a similar level if not higher.
But as Carlton has proved time and again, it can be very hard to trust them. The Blues have sold hope for the future to players over recent years and have been relatively successful at luring players to Ikon Park.
Mitch McGovern, Eddie Betts, Jack Martin along with Saad and Williams have joined the Blues on good money under the pretense that success was around the corner.
And while the Blues may not be a mile away. They also have shown a refusal to adjust this season meaning they aren't making a lot of ground and if anything or losing ground in 2021.
Ross Lyon urged the Blues to pursue Cerra even if it comes at the expense of a couple of players. Such is the faith Lyon has in the former pick 5.
โIf Carlton could get him (he'd be great),โ Lyon said.
โWhoโs a likely one to go home? Sam Petrevski-Seton or Zac Fisher โ Iโd take Adam Cerra over them, thatโs just my personal view.
โThis is no slight on those blokes (Petrevski-Seton and Fisher), but I know him (Cerra) intimately.
โI would take him every day of the week because heโs a bona fide mid, and the other two arenโt.โ
Lyon said Cerra has all the tools to become an elite player of the competition as a genuine mid.
โHe's an incredible kid,โ Lyon said onย Triple M.
โHe (Cerra) was an absolute pro, if youโre talking about applying yourself, you couldnโt have asked (for more).
โHeโs dedicated, trains hard, and he just wants to be a great player."
The Blues have said they are prepared to target another ready-made player at the end of 2021 but they can't throw money at all your problems. Not anymore anyway.
They are falling behind a number of clubs in terms of "destination clubs" and it could see them miss out on Cerra and any other players they are looking to bring in to the fold.
Cerra is reportedly a target of Richmond as well and the fortunes of those two teams seem worlds apart at the moment. The Tigers aren't falling out of contention anytime soon but the Blues abilty to contend remains a large unknown.
The form of the Blues at the moment may prove to hurt more then just their 2021 aspirations.
