All eyes were on Dale Thomas with fans getting their first chance to see the new recruit train in the navy blue.
Thomas moved well, but remains on a modified program.
Director of coaching Rob Wiley says the 26-year-old is on track and should he be ready to go for Round 1.
“He’s been fantastic already – his experience, his voice, we’ve seen how smart he is and he’s running really well,” Wiley said.
Wiley believes the team has greater depth this year. In addition to Thomas, the Blues have gained experience through the recruitment of Andrejs Everitt and Sam Docherty, as well as some exciting fresh talent through the national and rookie drafts.
“We blooded a few young players last year –Troy Menzel and Nick Graham had a taste of AFL, so they’ll be better,” Wiley said.
“Our draftees on the main list and on the rookie list are really exciting. The good thing is they’ve been up the front in a lot of the training, so they’re pushing themselves and they believe they can push for a game in the early part.”
For now, Wiley says the focus of training is shifting from fitness to tactics. While he wouldn’t give too much away, Carlton’s director of coaching says we can expect to see a few modifications to the game plan in the season ahead.
