Carlton's Rising Star hopeful, emerging son of a gun Harry Dean has been withdrawn from the Blues' clash with Richmond on Saturday night, the club confirmed on Friday afternoon.
Dean has sustained a cut to his hand of serious enough severity that it has ruled him out of the Baggers' battle against traditional rivals, the Tigers.
The club anticipates that he will be available for their big test against Hawthorn a week later.
The 18-year-old's performances in recent weeks have seen him catapult into calculations for end-of-year honours like the Rising Star, as he exhibits poise and competitiveness, even in matchups against fancied opponents, like the Giants' Aaron Cadman, and the West Coast Eagles' All-Australian spearhead, Jake Waterman.
Harry Dean has been withdrawn from tomorrow night's #AFLTigersBlues.https://t.co/BO1GcqWHo8
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) July 3, 2026
His absence opens the door for Lewis Young, who returns for his eighth appearance of the season.
It's less than ideal for a Carlton backline already without its general, club co-vice-captain Jacob Weitering, as it prepares to face a Richmond forward line recently buoyed by the return of Tom Lynch.
The Blues will be aiming to secure their seventh straight victory when they meet the Tigers at the MCG, in so doing, squaring their season's ledger at 8-8. The turnaround under interim coach Josh Fraser's tutelage has been nothing short of miraculous, and pressure on the Blues to consider Fraser as their preferred candidate for the full-time role will only mount with more victories.
