DEFENDERS first, forwards second: now it's time for the midfielders.

As Carlton's pre-season reaches its very final stages, the on-ballers, wingers and ruckmen will get the love they deserve, courtesy of assistant coach Tim Clarke.

If you missed the updates on the backmen or the forwards, click the respective links!

4. Ollie Hollands

"Ollie’s had a really strong pre-season. He went to work in the off-season on putting on a little bit of weight, working on his speed and his power to help with his contest game. He’s been able to combine some wing time with some inside midfield time this pre-season, which makes him a more versatile player.

"He’s really shown he’s grown with his stoppage craft and his ability to exit the contest. We’re really excited with what he’s going to be able to do with the ability to play multiple roles this year."

5. Adam Cerra

"He’s had a strong pre-season as well. Last year he was interrupted with a few little hamstring injuries in the pre-season, but this year he’s been able to complete a large block of the pre-season training.

"He’s grown as a footballer, but he’s really grown in his leadership and his ability to drive the group this year — that’s what we’ve loved from ‘Cez’. He put his hand up and said he wanted more leadership opportunities, and he’s led the way in that area. We’re looking forward to what ‘Cez’ is going to be able to offer the group this year."

7. Matthew Kennedy

"He gives us great energy, and he’s done that for a fair part of the pre-season. He’s another player who was injured last year and missed a fair chunk of work, but he’s been able to get to work in the midfield while also having a little bit of forward time as well. He’s been able to spend his time across both lines, and we really feel he’s going to have a strong year."

16. Jack Carroll

"Jack Carroll came back bigger and stronger, he did a big off-season over in the west with ‘Crippa’. His power that he’s shown has been a big jump, and we’re excited by what he’s going to be able to provide our group.

"It’s really competitive amongst our midfield positions: he’s been putting his hand up through there, as well as some time up forward. We’re excited about the power and speed he’s going to show coming out of contests this year."

25. Jaxon Binns

"Jaxon was really consistent with his footy last year in the VFL. He played one of the better VFL seasons that you’ll see from a footballer in his first year, and he’s grown again over the pre-season. He’s gone to work on areas of his game that he needed to improve to be able to play a more sustained AFL brand of footy, and he’s worked on that.

"He played well in our most recent match simulation, and he’s pushing hard for a wing and half-forward position. He’s among a few players going hard for those positions at the moment, he’s giving himself every chance."

40. Hudson O’Keeffe

"He’s been strong this pre-season. He’s had the opportunity to be able to compete with Tommy De Koning and holding his own. He was recruited late last year, so he didn’t really get the opportunity to do a pre-season to be able to help him get through the year at VFL level. The fact that he’s been able to do a solid pre-season against an AFL-calibre ruck is going to be really strong for him: you’ve seen not only that grow, but also his ability to draw the ball in transition, not just with stoppage work."

Overall midfield focuses for 2024

"We want to play a powerful brand of footy, but we’re not going to lose sight that we’re a tough team to play against. We’re tough in the contest, we’re going to add some power out of those contest.

"That’s been our focus, to not lose sight that we defend first and we go after opposition teams, and on the back of that, we want to play a powerful brand of footy. We’re excited about that, our players are clear on that, and we can’t wait to roll that out against external opposition in the coming weeks."

On the versatility through the midfield

"One big challenge that you’ve always got as a group of coaches is to grow the capacity of your group. We’ve had a challenge over the pre-season to grow the capacity of our midfielders to play forward, and on the flip side, having forwards play midfield. That can be guys like Harry McKay learn to come into the ruck at different stages, Jesse Motlop and Corey Durdin learning to play minutes on-ball, Jack Martin to play minutes on-ball.

"A lot of forwards have been in midfield discussions to learn that craft, and we’ve had players in the midfield group who have spent time forward - Tom De Koning, Matty Kennedy, Paddy Cripps - spending time there. Learning the craft to then be able to play those roles on game day makes our players more versatile and us more dangerous as a team."