Having to manage the latest influx of recruits, some from far flung places but all with their own unique idiosyncrasies, is one of the truly great challenges confronting James Golds.
 
But Carlton’s Player Development and Wellbeing Manager maintains a remarkably upbeat approach to the truly lofty task at hand.
 
“While the logistical part of settling so many young men into a new environment is the part you least enjoy, getting to know the young men and their families is definitely the upside,” Golds said recently.
 
“The bottom line is that you get to know the boys pretty well and you get to support them in their transition.”
 
No fewer than nine new players have been included on Carlton’s senior playing list for 2015, with a further four rookies –and given the complexities of it all, Golds’ philosophy towards the evolution of Carlton’s senior players of tomorrow is remarkably straightforward.
 
The man works to a mantra - “that we treat each and every new player as an individual and that it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ approach”.
 
“It’s got to be all about the individual and what that individual’s needs are,” Golds said.
 
“It’s all about finding what resources or opportunities there are to suit each individual.”

Regardless of whether it’s the pre-draft trade period or trade day itself, Carlton of course completes due diligence on each and every player whose name it calls.
 
Inevitably there will be player teething problems (homesickness for one) along the way, but Golds assures that the processes to deal with them are very much in place – and as the Senior Coach so often says, it’s all about the process.
 
“The process we have here allows us to properly monitor each player here, to ensure that their needs, whatever they may be, are being met,” Golds said.
 
“Some players are ready for the challenge, while others need time to adjust, and all of us here at the club need to be cognisant of that. We all need to be able to help develop resilience in these players – and that includes senior players here for a while who are expected to help with the new arrivals.”
 
Accordingly, the older types have regularly offered temporary lodgings to prospective teammates (usually the interstaters) in the weeks and months before the new blokes find their own digs – and for Golds, whose own son Tim is chasing the leather for GWS, that’s a win/win for Carlton as a whole.
 
“That arrangement immediately allows for new players to get an understanding of what it means to be an elite athlete in an AFL context – and that worked really well for three or four young fellows in that position last year,” Golds said.
 
Golds is of course in constant dialogue with each players’ parents – all of whom have been party to a ‘meet and greet’ with the recruiters and the coaches in a relaxed environment at Visy Park.
 
This, clearly, is a team effort. As Golds said: “We take a holistic approach to the development of our players and to who is involved in their development and we work hard to ensure that it happens”.