New Carlton forwards coach Josh Fraser says the club will look at creating an "even spread across the board" in 2026 as they welcome Ben Ainsworth and Will Hayward to the mix.
The past four years have shown a heavy reliance on Charlie Curnow and his partner-in-crime Harry McKay, sharing the goalkicking leaderboard as the main men.
Matthew Owies rivalled the dominant pair, kicking 27 and 33 goals in consecutive seasons (2023 and 2024) before crossing to West Coast, while unlikely goal scorers Patrick Cripps and Zac Williams have featured on the podium in the four-year span, highlighting the club's lack of scoring power beyond the twin towers.
The Blues were one of the busier clubs in the 2025 trade period, farewelling Curnow as well as Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni and Corey Durdin, who all spent time up forward.
Along with Ainsworth and Hayward, acquisitions Liam Reidy, Campbell Chesser and Oliver Florent will also wear the navy blue next year.
But the upheaval of their list has forced a new look front half, which could become unpredictable and hard to manage from an opposition perspective.
"It presents the opportunity, it's exciting to see something different. The best forward lines aren't reliant on one or two people - there's an even spread across the board, and hopefully that's going to be the case here," Fraser said to Blues media.
"Players getting the opportunity to play to their strengths is really important, but then also players handing themselves over to the team and what the team requires. The selflessness of successful teams, the complete buy-in and unconditional buy-in of successful teams, but also importantly, making sure you give players an opportunity to showcase their strengths.
"I'm not typically someone that needs a lot of time off, so I'm keen and eager to jump back into it, starting here at the Blues and a new chapter."
Fraser previously worked with McKay during his VFL coaching stint at the Northern Blues, and believes that he has "enormous" upside as a player that has yet to be unlocked.
"I love 'H' as a person and I love him as a player," he said.
"I'm excited to work with H again. I think he's got an enormous talent scope. I believe he's just scratching the surface of the player he can become."
Carlton were deemed by Fraser as "the spot to be" amid an exciting new era under Graham Wright, while the vision sold by senior coach Michael Voss was a difficult opportunity to pass up.
"It was timing and opportunity. I'm excited to be back," Fraser said.
"'Wrighty' was a part of the reason in wanting to make the move. I love the way he goes about things: that was an important conversation to get an idea of what the environment here was like, and where the Club is heading.
"To sit down with ‘Vossy' and listen to the way he wants to structure things up and the opportunity that would present for someone like myself coming in, it was exciting to hear where the Club's heading and it was something I wanted to be part of."
