Carlton (2-11, 18th)
What's gone right: The Blues are in a position where optimism and hope is the selling point, and Blues youngster Sam Walsh is able to deliver that in spades. The 18-year-old has earned his label as the number one draft pick, consistently stringing together a number of impressive and composed performances that are hard to fathom for someone in his AFL infancy. His performance in the Blues' stirring comeback win against Brisbane was particularly telling, recording 32 possessions and giving Carlton fans a glimpse of what to expect over the next decade.
What's gone wrong: A fair bit. It's hard to see Carlton's season as anything other than an unmitigated disaster. Losing co-captain Sam Docherty to another ACL injury in the pre-season set the tone for the pain that has followed at Ikon Park. Constant thrashings, sitting at the bottom of the ladder (yet with Adelaide currently placed to hold the number one draft pick) and the eventual sacking of Brendan Bolton has spelled disaster for the Blues.
Best and fairest: Anybody other than Patrick Cripps would be the shock of the century. In a team with so many issues on-field, Cripps has more than justified his status as one of the best players in the game. With the absence of Docherty, the leadership onus has fallen squarely on Cripps, and more often than not the 24-year-old has delivered in spades. The fact that Cripps can even be a Brownlow chance given his side's performances is an amazing achievement in itself.
Season grade: F
It's hard to give the Blues anything other than a fail for this season. 13 rounds in and Carlton people aplenty would have certainly expected to be in a better position than where they are currently situated. All is not lost though, as the Blues have shown some promising signs under David Teague and have a lot to look forward to in the future.
