After a charmed run of form under interim coach Josh Fraser, Carlton's future looks markedly brighter in August than it did in early May.
The older souls in the engine room - milestone man Patrick Cripps and George Hewett in particular - have been reinvigorated. The baby Blues, Rising Star frontrunners Jagga Smith and Harry Dean look certain to one day be critical pieces of the club's 17th flag, such is their immediate and devastating impact around and behind the ball, respectively.
Still, there are holes in this list. Carlton's is one with a rather soft underbelly, so who are some acquisitions seasoned operators Chris Davies and Graham Wright could target, in the absence of an announced list boss?
Take a look!
Buku Khamis
The Western Bulldogs' key defender has long been linked with a defection from the Whitten Oval to Princes Park, and appears an odds-on favourite to make such a switch this season.
An unrestricted free agent, Carlton's acquisition of the 26-year-old would cost them nothing in draft capital, with the club's priority clearly garnering enough draft index points to draft standout father-son prospect, Cody Walker.
Carlton have tabled a four-year offer for Khamis, with Dogs' coach Luke Beveridge still confident, at least publicly, that his Category B rookie and Next Generation Academy graduate will remain on the other side of the West Gate.
