Will White may once again receive an AFL opportunity in the wake of devastating injury news, with Carlton confirming Jesse Motlop tore his ACL, and is set to miss all of 2026.
The Blues dealt with similar circumstances 12 months ago, when top draftee Jagga Smith injured his knee on the eve of the 2025 season.
That opened the door for White to sign with the Princes Park club.
But the same cards have been dealt, although this time, it's Elijah Hollands and White vying for their position at Carlton.
The pair were delisted at the end of 2025 but were told to come back in a bid to push for the sole vacancy that was carried over after the club passed during the Rookie Draft. Now there'll be two, with the potential to open a third availability due to Harry O'Farrell's knee injury in August.
Motlop established himself as the Blues' most promising small forward, and after breaking through for every game in 2025, was set to work in tandem with recruit Ben Ainsworth in delivering inside 50.
The 22-year-old is a pressure small forward who began showcasing his crumbing abilities and capacity to finish in front of goal.
So, which way does Carlton lean in filling the position?
Immediately, White poses as the perfect replacement in Michael Voss' front half.
The 21-year-old kicked 10 goals from 21 scores and dished off six direct goal assists, but lacked serious impact.
White averaged 8.6 disposals, 1.9 tackles and 12.9 pressure acts. In comparison, Motlop recorded 9.7 touches, 2.8 tackles and 15.3 pressure acts, and ranked elite in tackles inside 50 (1.3 per game).
The case for Hollands would be his versatility and creativity in the contest. The former Sun wouldn't play close to goal, but the likes of Francis Evans and Zac Williams can fill the role.
Needless to say, his off-field troubles have put his career on life support, which was arguably a big contributor to Carlton's decision to delist him, given he had a contract for 2026.
The Blues will have a month to make their decision.
