Carlton coach Michael Voss didn't mince his words when he said the club will be looking to add "speed and ball use" to its list in the off-season.
The Blues' horror 2025 campaign is set to come to a close on Thursday night when they take on traditional rivals Essendon at the MCG.
After back-to-back finals series, Voss and his men have failed to live up to the expectations this season, with countless injuries and issues to key players ultimately hindering the club's capacity to feature in September once again.
However, it has revealed a pressing need for Carlton to implement comprehensive changes across multiple levels, starting with the departure of former Head of Football Brad Lloyd.
Incoming CEO Graham Wright has begun assessing the way forward for the Blues, which has included Voss in 2026 despite the external pressures mounting upon the under-siege coach.
Voss also flagged the "necessary changes" regarding assistant coaches and other key personnel at the club to be dealt with following the conclusion of the season.
Star contracted players Sam Walsh, Harry McKay, and Charlie Curnow have all been floated as potential trade options, adding further furore to the narrative of a struggling Carlton.
But Voss saw the need to invest in depth players, which became obvious as their stars failed to meet the lofty standards they'd set in previous years.
"We need some depth, that has been a priority for us," Voss said.
"It's probably going back a long way to go forward, but we obviously thought the durability of our list isn't where it needed to be last year. We had soft-tissue injuries... there was too many.
"So we worked on that as a list, obviously, those more experienced players go out, some younger players come in. And when you make that decision, you're hoping the following year you don't get too many (injuries), but unfortunately, we've had different types of injuries... but felt like we've controlled what we needed to control.
"We've been really strong on things that have worked in the program, and we've doubled down on those, but a part of that is the players we bring in, the youth we bring in and the exposure they get, and they're growing in confidence and building their capacity."
Voss also suggested that the Blues will attempt to jump on the train of where the competition is currently heading: speed and chaos.
The best clubs in the league boast a strong contingent of elite small forwards, who use the ball effectively inside the front half.
"Ideally, we want to bring in some speed and some ball use," Voss said.
"That would be nice on the edges to bring in that. We've already got some guys who haven't played a lot of football who we can bring into the team immediately and be a difference for us.
"Cottrell. Smith. Walsh. A lot of these players we haven't had for most of the year."
Thursday's clash will see wantaway ruckman Tom De Koning celebrate his 100th game.
Ironically, De Koning could play his last in the Navy Blue against Essendon, with it being understood he is bound for St Kilda as a free agent.
Youngster Cooper Lord (concussion) has been ruled out of the contest, while forward Lachie Fogarty (ankle) is in doubt.
