Carlton's pre-season camp at the Grand Canyon. Source: Supplied
MICK Malthouse has highlighted a 25 per cent player turnover as the key component in a ladder ascent for Carlton next year.
Malthouse said from Arizona yesterday that the Blues would field a vastly more flexible outfit next year.
Recruits Dale Thomas and Andrejs Everitt who would help release players such as Andrew Walker, Chris Yarran and Simon White to forward roles when required.
SCROLL DOWN FOR MICK'S THOUGHTS ON A RANGE OF ISSUES
"There is a public viewpoint that looks at Chris Yarran as if he is 26-27, when he's still just 22. He has the ability to break games apart and that's what I love about him. So we will play him very much at both ends of the ground," Malthouse said.
BLUE DUIGAN RETIRES
"Andrew Walker the same, as good as he is for us off the backline. And Simon White is a young player in terms of games who we think can play well up forward. Everitt, (Andrew) McInnes and (Josh) Bootsma can play back.
"We have the three draftees plus a couple of Irish boys who show something so the list is changing shape."
Carlton on a hike. Source: Supplied
Malthouse was speaking after his seventh straight ascent of Humphreys Peak, the highest (3860m) mountain in Arizona, at a trip where players have been seriously challenged.
Last year the Blues walked up and down Grand Canyon, this year the walk up was replaced by a run and the trek up Humphreys Peak was intensified given the lateness of their arrival ensured waist deep snow for the last kilometre.
Malthouse, 60 last August, was typically front and square on the Humphreys Peak hike and his passion for the task at Carlton would seem typically feverish.
He readily admits the game style he arrived with Collingwood wasn't appropriate to the Carlton list so changes were made early on.
"You can't be pig-headed and stick with a game structure that suited Collingwood and took years to develop. I thought I could bring that to Carlton but after four-five weeks in concluded it wasn't working," said Malthouse.
"So I started to look at what was working and what wasn't working, to fit in with the capabilities of the players in my squad."
As for whether the year received a pass mark or not, Malthouse described his team as "highly competitive given we generally fought out most games as evidenced against Richmond and Port late in the year'.
"I haven't really looked at it as a pass or failure mark. Collingwood was on the bottom when I took them over but that didn't reflect on my attitude towards trying to get the best out of the players in 2000.
"It's more about starting at ground zero and working forward and there were some restrictions, we were tight on the salary cap and player movement and only had three players come in with Troy Menzel, Nick Graham and Tom Temay.
The Blues hit the snow. Source: Supplied
"This year with recruits, draftees, rookies and the Irish we have had a 25 per cent swing around. That is more reflective of my coaching in the past, you just keep working towards making the list more appropriate to what you want.
"And that is nothing against the players who have left because people such as Shaun Hampson and Eddie Betts are fine young men."
Malthouse gives every indication of being extremely at ease with his current position as he enters the second season of a three-year contract.
He is comfortable with a senior coaching group in Rob Wiley, Dean Laidley, John Barker and Brad Green, assistants in Luke Webster, Michael Osborne and Matthew Capuano plus a fitness department headed by David Buttifant, a combination he describes as "winners".
He has enjoyed the pre-season demeanour of Bryce Gibbs, a player he believes can take his game to yet another level despite a year where he "had some fantastic games on some really classy opponents".
Malthouse likes to judge players when they play on the best and when they play on a big occasion.
Troy Menzel is a highly competitive kid who he has seen good signs in while Matthew Kreuzer is displaying a mindset that tells him he wants to succeed as both a ruckman and forward.
MICK MALTHOUSE ON
Dale Thomas:
"I think because he is a lot stronger and more mature now he can play more positions. Some players say they want surety in their position whereas Dale grows in stature when you throw him a challenge and say there are going to be four-five positions that you could occupy today. So you will see him in the goal square, on the half back line, the middle, the wing, as a loose player."
Leadership:
"What I want the players to do is feel comfortable to stand in front of their teammates and say I want to be part of the leadership group. Last year our leaders learnt the trade of leadership and going forward. I'd be very surprised if the players who led (Marc Murphy, Andrew Carazzo and Kade Simpson) aren't the highest voted players. That will take place late January."
The draw:
"I don't always agree with Andrew Demetriou but I do admire him and remember him saying something like the draw won't stop you from making it and it won't stop you from not making it. I don't get caught up in draw particularly given there are only five sides you play twice (Port Adelaide, Geelong, Essendon, St Kilda and Collingwood) while in yesteryear you could play seven of eight sides twice."
A short break:
"It has been very challenging because we are coming here later with a short Christmas break. We are caught in between because of where we finished on the ladder (sixth) as having the same break as Hawthorn and Freo yet they went an extra couple of weeks. So we have to be very smart in making up the time and not be silly and lose players."
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