AFL Supercoach 2026: Carlton Blues 2026 Squad Analysis

Not much went right for the Blues in 2025 and they’ve undertaken plenty of change since then as their list goes through a bit of a reset.

Star forward Charlie Curnow is now a Swan, ruck Tom De Koning and defender Jack Silvagni became Saints, while the much loved Sam Docherty also called time on his career.

The pressure was on Michael Voss throughout the season, but Carlton powerbrokers have backed the coach in and he’s set to lead the team forward again in 2026.

While the departure of the aforementioned trio certainly leaves some big holes in Voss’ side, the additions of Will Hayward and Ollie Florent from Sydney, plus the acquisitions of Campbell Chesser, Liam Reidy and Ben Ainsworth via trade means the best 23 will look very different this year.

Father-son draftee Harry Dean is another name to keep an eye on as he begins his AFL career.

Carlton’s fortunes for 2026 remain a mystery, but it feels as though they’ll likely be in the mix for a Wildcard place should things pan out the way we expect.

Either way, let’s take a look at the Blues’ SuperCoach prospects for the upcoming season.

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Predicted Round 1 starting team

FB: Harry Dean, Jacob Weitering, Nic Newman

HB: Adam Saad, Nick Haynes, Ollie Hollands

C: Ollie Florent, George Hewett, Sam Walsh

HF: Ben Ainsworth, Harry McKay, Will Hayward

FF: Francis Evans, Ashton Moir, Zac Williams

FOLL: Marc Pittonet, Patrick Cripps, Adam Cerra

I/C: Lachlan Cowan, Jagga Smith, Campbell Chesser, Brodie Kemp, Cooper Lord

There’s been so much change at Carlton this off-season it’s hard to know how they’ll line up.

Dean looks likely to slot straight into defence, while veteran Newman will be like a new recruit after missing last year through injury.

Young gun Smith is likely to debut straight away after last year’s ACL injury, while a host of the Blues’ trade acquisitions are also firming for Opening Round debuts against the Swans.

The small forward roles in particular are up in the air, especially after Jesse Motlop’s ACL injury, as are the tall forward spots alongside McKay.

Keep a close eye on the Blues’ practice match sides because there’s probably another half a dozen names who could be included.

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Fixtures

Round 1: Richmond (H)

Round 2: BYE

Round 3: Melbourne (H)

Round 4: North Melbourne (A)

Round 5: Adelaide (A)

Byes: Round 2 & 14

A pretty reasonable start to the year for the Blues, who will launch the season with an Opening Round clash against Sydney, where former forward Charlie Curnow has defected to.

Expect plenty of spice in that one.

Thankfully for SuperCoach coaches, we’ll get to have a look at Carlton’s Opening Round side before needing to lock in our sides, so the likes of Smith, ruck Liam Reidy, Dean and Newman we’ll know a little more about.

They’ve also got some nice fixtures either side of their mid-season bye, which they share with Collingwood, Hawthorn and Fremantle.

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LOCK

The most highly owned player in the game at the time of writing is Carlton youngster Jagga Smith ($119,900 MID), who missed all of his first season at the top level after suffering an ACL injury during pre-season.

Smith is an absolute ball magnet who has been training the house down over summer and while the Blues would’ve loved to have had him play last year, a year on the sidelines means he’s added some muscle to his light frame.

If he’s there round one, you could start him on field with confidence.

Defender Nic Newman ($439,300 DEF) is also a name to keep in mind as a defensive mid-pricer, after missing last year through his own knee injury.

In his past two full seasons, Newman has averaged over 100 on both occasions and had a fair share of kick-ins in both seasons.

A lot has changed since then, but he’s one to watch.

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POINT OF DIFFERENCE

It’s tough to vouch for too many Blues in this category, but one name who always piques some interest at this time of year is midfielder Sam Walsh ($543,900 MID), who is in less than 8 per cent of sides at the time of writing.

The exact role Walsh plays this year isn’t clear just yet, but he’s a crucial cog to everything the Blues do.

If you’re looking for a super-POD, then perhaps George Hewett ($607,300 MID) is your man.

Hewett had an outstanding 2025 season averaging a career-high 112.2 SuperCoach points per game, a season which included 18 SuperCoach centuries.

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CHEAPIES

Outside of Smith, who we’ve discussed in the ‘lock’ section, new ruck Liam Reidy ($119,900 RUC/FWD) could be a decent cash cow.

Reidy has made the move to IKON Park in pursuit of some more senior opportunities and could play alongside Pittonet to start the season.

Plenty of SuperCoach coaches use R3 as a loophole, but if Reidy is named in round one off the back of a strong summer, then he might be too good an option to pass up.

Elsewhere, it feels as though father-son draftee Harry Dean ($194,500 DEF) has good job security and he does have the tools in his kit to become a strong SuperCoach option.

An intercept-marker who uses the ball well, Dean’s role is a big watch in the practice matches.

If he’s forced to play a big lockdown role it might be better to look at cheaper options, but if he’s given some freedom to peel off his opponent and utilise his strengths, he could be a nice pick.