INDIVIDUALS at IKON Park are getting plaudits left, right and centre.

But the very foundation of their form in 2022 has been a commitment to a team-first mentality, according to AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss. 

Fresh off the time of the year where mid-season All-Australian predictions are all the rage, Voss said those who are shining in Carlton’s system so far in 2022 have benefited from a buy-in which has been infectious among the AFL playing group.

Speaking on AFL360, Voss cited the example of Charlie Curnow - who is currently leading the Coleman Medal race - as the perfect example.

“When you have that approach and the mindset, talent emerges,” Voss said.

“We start talking about players in All-Australian form or Coleman Medallists or Brownlow Medal favourites, but it only comes from a team-first mentality and then we see the talent emerge.

“We’re fortunate we’ve had a number of players that have been able to do that.

“It’s quite easy to look at [Curnow’s] talent first and see what he’s got… Charlie is quite realistic that he’s only as good as the others around him.”

In recent weeks, Curnow has seen the return of Harry McKay to the Carlton forward line, after the reigning Coleman Medallist missed a month of action following knee surgery. 

It’s a role reversal from recent seasons, with McKay spearheading the team’s attack throughout Curnow’s absence in past years.

Voss believed the education and appreciation the pairing received in the other’s absence would only bolster the relationship going forward.

“When you talk about the partnership with Harry and Charlie that they’ve got going right now, it’s still new,” he said.

“Both of them have an appreciation of not having the other there. Harry played for such a long time without Charlie and with a smaller sample size, when Harry wasn’t there in the middle of the year, Charlie got some extra attention and had to fight his way through it.

“I’m hugely complimentary of those two for being able to do that. They also know that they work well together and can make each other’s games: they’ve really bought into that.”

The output of the key forward duo remains one of the key plots to Friday night’s contest against St Kilda, which also acts as the Blues’ annual AFL Carlton Respects Game.

With the team to wear a special guernsey for the first time, adding a touch of orange to the traditional Navy Blue, Voss said the occasion is a special one for the football club.

“It’s raising awareness around gender equality and domestic violence against women,” he said.

“Our program has reached 10,000 kids throughout Australia and it’s a very important initiative for us. It gets the topic on the table around our responsibilities.

“We’re seeking immediate change and we’re seeking generational change… it’s a very important game for us.”