We're only a month into the 2026 AFL season and it's already looking like being another grim one for Carton and its long-suffering fans.
It's well-documented, but in case you're unaware, there's been a distinct lack of success at Princes Park since the Blues' 61-point thrashing of the Cats in the 1995 Grand Final.
In the subsequent 29 years (not including 2026), Carlton has made the finals on 10 occasions and has not added to its premiership tally. Its win-loss finals record during this period is eight wins, 21 losses.
The Blues have made just one Grand Final since '95, that being 1999 when they lost to North Melbourne by 35 points. Carlton has played in two Preliminary Finals, four Semi Finals and two Elimination Finals.
Including the four matches the Blues have played in 2026, their win-loss record since lifting the trophy in the middle of the MCG on September 30, 1995, is 278 wins, five draws and 400 losses.
Blues fans have quite rightly had enough.
So, as we brace for another belting by Adelaide, who have had the wood on Carlton, winning 11 of the past 16 meetings by an average margin of 43 points, I've come up with seven things the Blues should do, both short and long-term, to turn the tide.
4Trade Harry McKay
This suggestion may seem crazy, given Carlton no longer has Charlie Curnow, and Harry McKay is clearly the Blues' best tall forward, but the 2021 Coleman Medallist isn't the man, and Carlton should explore its options while he has currency (he is 28).
McKay is contracted until the end of 2030, however, that means little.
Moving him on at the end of the year could create some short-term heartache, but it all depends on who you could get in return.
McKay is 204cm, but lacks presence. He doesn't impose himself on games like a Jonathan Brown or Barry Hall. He doesn't split packs, he doesn't intimidate, and, critically, he is unreliable in front of the sticks
If the right deal was on the table, I'd thank him for his services and wish him well.
