‘We haven't got a good player under 25': Blues powerbroker calls for complete overhaul
Carlton need a complete overhaul of their football department after their shock loss to North Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday put their 2025 season on life support, according to club financial backer Bruce Mathieson.
The outspoken critic slammed the list saying the club were once again five years away from having real success and said he could not point to one player under the age 25 who was an A-grader.
He said as difficult as it might be the club had no option but to restart the journey again.
'We are five years away, at best, from having a good side. We have got to start again,' Mathieson told The Age.
He said 21-year-old Ollie Hollands was a good player but not an elite player while No.3 pick from last year's national draft Jagga Smith has been sidelined with a knee injury. The injured Sam Walsh turns 25 next week.
'We have not got one good player under 25, other than Ollie Hollands and is he an A-grader? We haven't got one,' Mathieson said.
'You have got to start again; how do you do otherwise? I admire Richmond, look at the players they gave away to get those young blokes. You look at North Melbourne, they have got young blokes coming on. We have got no one.'
Since selecting All-Australian midfielder Walsh with pick one in the 2018 national draft, the Blues went five seasons without a top 10 pick before they traded up to select Smith with pick three in last year's national draft. Smith suffered an ACL injury in a pre-season practice match ruling him out for the season.
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Carlton pick debutant duo for crunch away game
Carlton are punting on two AFL debutants against Port Adelaide, including a 23-year-old only a month on their list. Both clubs have swung the selection axe, chopping four players for Thursday night's high-stakes fixture in Adelaide. Carlton's mid-season draftee Flynn Young and 20-year-old utility Billy Wilson will make AFL debuts. Wilson was pick 34 in the 2023 national draft and the Blues used pick four at this year's mid-season draft on Young. "Billy, he had to bide his time ... he's a terrific young man," Carlton coach Michael Voss said. "He's been working on his game really hard so he's certainly earned his opportunity. "And Flynn Young will also play ... to have our sixth, seventh debutant for the year, and to have exposure to these young men, to be able to come in and get roles done, it's a credit to them, the work they've done. "Also a real shout out to our development team because the last four or five weeks, we've seen a real acceleration in a lot of these young men's careers. "They have got them AFL ready and now they get their opportunity." The Blues also recalled Jordan Boyd and Lewis Young, with Voss dumping Mark Pittonet, Corey Durdin, Jaxon Binns and Matt Carroll. Patrick Cripps missed a match-eve jog at Adelaide's Unley Oval because of illness but Voss said the captain "will be right to go." "He came in yesterday and he was not training because he's feeling a bit off so we obviously don't want him around the main group." Port coach Ken Hinkley dropped Ryan Burton, Jeremy Finlayson, Jackson Mead and Christian Moraes after last Saturday's lacklustre 19-point home loss to Sydney. The Power defence has been bolstered by Aliir Aliir's return from a one-game absence because of a knee injury. Power stalwart Travis Boak was summoned for his 379th AFL game, with Hugh Jackson and Logan Evans also returning. Port's Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines (knee) remains sidelined for a second week. Both the Blues (10th) and Power (12th) have six-eight win-loss records and the loser will likely slip three wins outside the top eight. Carlton are punting on two AFL debutants against Port Adelaide, including a 23-year-old only a month on their list. Both clubs have swung the selection axe, chopping four players for Thursday night's high-stakes fixture in Adelaide. Carlton's mid-season draftee Flynn Young and 20-year-old utility Billy Wilson will make AFL debuts. Wilson was pick 34 in the 2023 national draft and the Blues used pick four at this year's mid-season draft on Young. "Billy, he had to bide his time ... he's a terrific young man," Carlton coach Michael Voss said. "He's been working on his game really hard so he's certainly earned his opportunity. "And Flynn Young will also play ... to have our sixth, seventh debutant for the year, and to have exposure to these young men, to be able to come in and get roles done, it's a credit to them, the work they've done. "Also a real shout out to our development team because the last four or five weeks, we've seen a real acceleration in a lot of these young men's careers. "They have got them AFL ready and now they get their opportunity." The Blues also recalled Jordan Boyd and Lewis Young, with Voss dumping Mark Pittonet, Corey Durdin, Jaxon Binns and Matt Carroll. Patrick Cripps missed a match-eve jog at Adelaide's Unley Oval because of illness but Voss said the captain "will be right to go." "He came in yesterday and he was not training because he's feeling a bit off so we obviously don't want him around the main group." Port coach Ken Hinkley dropped Ryan Burton, Jeremy Finlayson, Jackson Mead and Christian Moraes after last Saturday's lacklustre 19-point home loss to Sydney. The Power defence has been bolstered by Aliir Aliir's return from a one-game absence because of a knee injury. Power stalwart Travis Boak was summoned for his 379th AFL game, with Hugh Jackson and Logan Evans also returning. Port's Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines (knee) remains sidelined for a second week. Both the Blues (10th) and Power (12th) have six-eight win-loss records and the loser will likely slip three wins outside the top eight. Carlton are punting on two AFL debutants against Port Adelaide, including a 23-year-old only a month on their list. Both clubs have swung the selection axe, chopping four players for Thursday night's high-stakes fixture in Adelaide. Carlton's mid-season draftee Flynn Young and 20-year-old utility Billy Wilson will make AFL debuts. Wilson was pick 34 in the 2023 national draft and the Blues used pick four at this year's mid-season draft on Young. "Billy, he had to bide his time ... he's a terrific young man," Carlton coach Michael Voss said. "He's been working on his game really hard so he's certainly earned his opportunity. "And Flynn Young will also play ... to have our sixth, seventh debutant for the year, and to have exposure to these young men, to be able to come in and get roles done, it's a credit to them, the work they've done. "Also a real shout out to our development team because the last four or five weeks, we've seen a real acceleration in a lot of these young men's careers. "They have got them AFL ready and now they get their opportunity." The Blues also recalled Jordan Boyd and Lewis Young, with Voss dumping Mark Pittonet, Corey Durdin, Jaxon Binns and Matt Carroll. Patrick Cripps missed a match-eve jog at Adelaide's Unley Oval because of illness but Voss said the captain "will be right to go." "He came in yesterday and he was not training because he's feeling a bit off so we obviously don't want him around the main group." Port coach Ken Hinkley dropped Ryan Burton, Jeremy Finlayson, Jackson Mead and Christian Moraes after last Saturday's lacklustre 19-point home loss to Sydney. The Power defence has been bolstered by Aliir Aliir's return from a one-game absence because of a knee injury. Power stalwart Travis Boak was summoned for his 379th AFL game, with Hugh Jackson and Logan Evans also returning. Port's Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines (knee) remains sidelined for a second week. Both the Blues (10th) and Power (12th) have six-eight win-loss records and the loser will likely slip three wins outside the top eight.
7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Matildas midfielder Clare Wheeler to miss Slovenia clash due to personal reasons
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Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Impeccable pedigree, but Nick Champion de Crespigny will bring mongrel against Lions
Arriving at Sydney University as an economics student in 2015, Champion de Crespigny had to make a choice and plumped for the rugby club. His decision was vindicated two years later when he won the Shute Shield playing alongside Wallabies Harry Potter and Jake Gordon. After graduating, Champion de Crespigny found work in property development while trying and ultimately failing to nail down a spot with the Waratahs. An offer to play as a full-time professional in France with Castres eventually followed, and the back-rower moved to the country of his forefathers. Castres is home to just over 40,000 people, and most of them are well-acquainted with the town's rugby team. Champion de Crespigny embraced life in France, helping his new side defeat an Antoine Dupont-led Toulouse in the Top 14 semi-finals in 2022 before playing in front of 78,245 fans at the Stade de France in the final against eventual champions Montpellier. In front of a packed Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday, Champion de Crespigny will face the toughest challenge of his professional career when the Force go head-to-head with the Lions in the tourists' first match on Australian soil. 'I actually reflect most days. I had the privilege of not having the most linear path to professional rugby and I really appreciate it,' Champion de Crespigny said. ' I remember labouring during the day, training at night, and studying, and then getting up at 6am to get to the gym before having to go work in the city for another day. 'I've seen the other side of life where you're trying to balance it all, so I think every single day, wow, this is amazing. This week's been a bit of a whirlwind with everything going on. But I'm starting to really get excited and sit back and go, what a journey it's been.' One of Champion de Crespigny's possible opponents on Saturday, Pierre Schoeman, is reflecting on his own unique journey to the Lions series. The prop moved from South Africa to Scotland seven years ago and qualified for his adopted country three years later. Schoeman played for South Africa's under-20s, but has now fully embraced life as part of the British and Irish Lions squad. 'Scotland is home for us, my wife and myself, I know other players as well, like Mack Hansen has made Ireland home, you embrace that, you fully take that on,' Schoeman said. Loading 'It's like the movie Outlander, you move to a different country, and now that's your house, you live there. If you work for one of the big four in finance, you get the opportunity, you're going to go for them and you can really make that home. 'But this is much different. You buy into the culture and now to represent the British and Irish Lions, you fully buy into that, you fully submerge into that, nothing else matters.'
