NEWLY-APPOINTED Carlton coach David Teague is looking forward to making a few minor tweaks to the Blues' gameplan during his first pre-season in charge at the club.
Teague beat a strong field earlier this month to win the top job at the Blues and says he will use the next few weeks putting some minor changes to the gameplan his players learned under the tutelage of Brendon Bolton.
While Teague admits he won't make huge changes, he said he wants to put his own stamp on how they go about their football.
"We will change our game style a bit, Teague said.
"We are not going to reinvent the wheel and we are not going to come out with some random game style that I have got hidden away.
"We are just going to become better at playing our way and just to have a few added levers on game day in case we want to play an extra behind the ball, or how we want to move the ball.
"It will only be minor tweaks...you have to do the basics well as that is what the good teams do."
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Teague pointed to the fact the Cats were able to do the basics extremely well when his side fell to a disappointing 68-point loss in its final hitout of the season at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday evening.
The defeat means the Blues finish the season in 16th place with seven wins and 15 losses, with Teague challenging his players to return to action during the pre-season ready to take the next step and work their way up the ladder.
"I think our group are in a position where they can continue to learn, want these challenges, play these types of sides, and we can be in a good position going forward," he said.
"We need to make sure our players know they have an opportunity going forward and not to waste it.
“We need to look after each other over the next 8-10 weeks to make sure we come back in a condition to take that next step, because…we are not there yet.”
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Sam Walsh has just broken the record for most disposals for a player in his first year since 1999. #BoundByBlue pic.twitter.com/4qod1IPjNc
One shining light for the Blues this season has been the form of young gun Sam Walsh, with the teenager picking up 24 touches against the Cats to break the record for disposals by a player in their first year at AFL level.
Teague has not been surprised with Walsh's impressive output this season and believes a few of his teammates could do worse than follow the teenager's lead.
"He has got great habits and I think our playing group can learn from him," Teague said.
"If you train hard and prepare well, I don’t think age is a factor.
"It is a mindset rather than an age system for some."