Carlton Football Club Fan’s Frustration: A Call for Change and Rebuild
For die-hard supporters of the Carlton Football Club, the familiar narrative of promise and potential followed by disappointment has become an annual ritual. Year after year, the preseason brings optimism and bold declarations of change, but when the pressure mounts, it feels as though the club falls short when it matters most. The frustrations of long-suffering fans have reached boiling point, with some calling for a dramatic overhaul to address what they see as deeper issues plaguing the Blues.
One such fan recently voiced a sentiment that is becoming increasingly common among the Carlton faithful:
Every year I hear about how good we are and how things have changed! We are useless when it counts and I’m sick of it… get rid of McKay and Walsh for some picks and rebuild with some heart!
This outcry is emblematic of the frustration that has been simmering for years. Carlton, one of the oldest and most storied clubs in the AFL, has found itself in a cycle of mediocrity, unable to return to the heights of its glory days. Once a powerhouse, boasting 16 premierships and a reputation for dominance, the club has not won a premiership since 1995, leaving fans with a sense of longing and nostalgia for what seems like a distant era.
The 2020s have been particularly frustrating for the Blues’ fanbase. Over the past few seasons, Carlton has assembled a roster full of talent and promise, led by star players like Harry McKay and Sam Walsh. McKay, the 2021 Coleman Medalist, and Walsh, a young gun and rising star, were seen as the foundation of Carlton’s resurgence. However, despite having a lineup that on paper should be competitive, the Blues have struggled to convert talent into consistent performances.
For fans, this struggle is maddening. Preseason after preseason, optimism builds. The talk is about how the club has learned from its mistakes, how the team has matured, and how this year will be different. And yet, as the season progresses, familiar patterns emerge: inconsistency, losses in key games, and a failure to rise to the occasion when it counts. In particular, big games—those that define a season and separate contenders from pretenders—often end in heartbreak.
Fans like the one above are tired of hearing about potential and are demanding something more tangible. In their view, the team lacks the “heart” required to win under pressure. No amount of star power can replace the grit and determination that seems to be missing when it matters most. For some, the solution lies in making hard decisions, including parting ways with big-name players to rebuild with a focus on attitude and culture rather than just talent.
The suggestion to trade Harry McKay and Sam Walsh for draft picks is controversial, but it’s a reflection of how desperate some fans have become. Both McKay and Walsh are undeniably talented, and their value in the trade market would be enormous. McKay, as one of the best key forwards in the league, and Walsh, as an elite midfielder, would command top-tier draft picks and potentially young talent in return.
For fans calling for this radical move, it’s not just about the players themselves, but what they represent. McKay and Walsh symbolize the club’s recent strategy of banking on talent to turn things around, but some believe that this approach has failed. The argument is that Carlton needs more than just talent—they need players who can lead, inspire, and deliver under pressure. Trading McKay and Walsh could give the Blues the opportunity to reset, acquire a cache of draft picks, and rebuild the club from the ground up with a new philosophy.
This kind of rebuild would focus not just on skill but on instilling a winning culture—one where heart, determination, and resilience are prioritized. It’s not that fans don’t appreciate McKay and Walsh; it’s that they believe the club has bigger, more structural issues that need addressing. By trading these stars for picks, Carlton could begin a true rebuild, starting with a blank slate and focusing on building a team that plays for each other, for the jumper, and for the fans.
Carlton’s situation isn’t unique in the AFL. Many clubs go through cycles of rebuilding, sometimes getting stuck in a “false dawn” where they look poised to break through but can’t quite make it happen. The difference for Carlton is the weight of history and expectation. As one of the league’s most decorated clubs, the Blues are held to a higher standard by their supporters. Success is not just desired—it’s expected.
For years, fans have waited for a return to the club’s former glory. They’ve watched rivals like Richmond, once struggling, rise to premiership success through hard work, strong culture, and shrewd recruiting. Carlton’s rebuilds, by contrast, have seemed incomplete or misguided, leading to frustration and a sense of hopelessness for many.
Whether the club will heed the more extreme calls for change, like trading McKay and Walsh, remains to be seen. It would be a bold and risky move, but one that could potentially set the club on a new course. Alternatively, Carlton may choose to stick with its core and trust that with more time, the current group will mature into a contender.
Either way, one thing is clear: Carlton’s fanbase is fed up with the status quo. They don’t want to hear about potential anymore. They don’t want to be told that things are changing—they want to see it on the field, in big games, when it matters most.
In the end, the question isn’t whether Carlton has the talent to succeed—it’s whether they have the heart, the culture, and the mental toughness to rise to the challenge. If they can’t find that within their current group, fans like the one quoted above are ready for the club to take drastic action.
