THE first season under AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss will go down as one to remember and one of transformation for the Carlton Football Club.

It was a year where a number of Carlton players enjoyed breakthrough seasons, whether that was a key milestone, a landmark achievement, the start of a journey or a career-best campaign.

Year in review

After Marc Pittonet went down with a PCL injury in Round 6, Tom De Koning was given the task of being the number one ruck for Carlton – one which the 23-year-old took on with determination and enthusiasm.

Coming up against the best ruckmen in the competition, De Koning - who had played 22 games prior to the 2022 season - had to shoulder the majority of the ruck load, with Jack Silvagni offering typically dogged support throughout games.

De Koning was able to match it with - and, at times, beat - the best, polling coaches' votes in games where he was pitted against Nic Naitanui, Sean Darcy and Reilly O'Brien.

Overcoming some setbacks in pre-season, this was the second straight year where De Koning stepped up when the team needed him, having missed just three games since the midway point of the 2021 season.

05:24

Spotlight | Life outside football

Watch as Tom de Koning, Jack Newnes, Brodie Kemp and Luke Parks visit URBN SURF as we look at what connects our players outside football.

2022 in numbers

Playing his most games in a season with 19, it was no surprise that De Koning produced his best work in the air in 2022, averaging over 17 hitouts and 1.5 contested marks per game throughout the season.

That didn't stop the ruckman from putting in work at ground level as well: on average, he recorded 2.6 clearances and nearly two thirds of his possessions were contested.

He also managed four score involvements per game as well as slotting four goals of his own.

On-field highlight 

Getting an AFL Mark of the Year nomination is an accolade any player would appreciate, let alone four in a single season.

But that's exactly what De Koning managed to achieve in a 2022 season where he showcased his outstanding aerial ability. Displaying the confidence De Koning has in the air, he picked up nominations in Round 1, Round 9, Round 10 and Round 14.

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TDK makes his mark

Watch all of Tom De Koning's four Mark of the Year nominated grabs from 2022.

Off-field highlights 

A subplot to the Round 18 clash between Carlton and Geelong was the battle of the De Koning brothers: Tom and Sam.

With parents Jackie and Terry watching on from Bali, Tom and Sam played against each other for the first time at the AFL level as the Blues took on the Cats at the MCG.

While the Blues didn’t get the result, Tom managed a goal against his brother’s side, before sharing in a photo that's no doubt already on the mantlepiece in the De Koning household.

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AFL R18 | De Koning family celebrates after Tom's terrific major

Tom De Koning earns a consolation for the Blues with this fantastic goal.

In his own words:

Speaking on the Round 15 win over the Dockers, De Koning referred to the growth that he's seen within the group and himself in 2022. 

“This is my fifth season, and it hasn’t been easy: we won two games in my first year and I think that is what is making this year really special, seeing where we’ve come from as a group and the fact that we’ve all stuck together,” he said.

“No one has really left since I’ve been here, and we’ve brought in some good players that have been really handy for our list.

“I think the belief and confidence is growing each week, so if we can maintain that four-quarter performance, then we can be really damaging.”