SENIOR Coach David Teague believes Carlton’s depth is currently at a position which he hasn’t experienced in his tenure at the Club.
Speaking to 1116 SEN from the Blues’ pre-season camp in Mooloolaba, Teague outlined how preparations were tracking ahead of the season opener on Thursday 19 March.
As is the case every year, the coaching staff was beginning to take a detailed look at what Carlton's best 22 would be for the year.
Teague outlined that they ultimately asked the players to do the exact same exercise due to the difference in results.
“We got the players to do it. As coaches, we were starting to look at our best 22 and we all varied,” Teague said.
“We thought it was a great exercise for the players because the way some of the guys are training, they’re putting their hands right up.
“We’ve probably got 28-30 guys where if we to play tomorrow and they were in our team, we’d be pretty excited.”
With the interview coinciding with six weeks to go until Round 1 of the AFL season, Teague said he expected the heat to be dialled up on the training track.
Competition for spots is as hot as ever according to the Senior Coach, and he’s looking forward to seeing the players take control of their 2020 fate.
“It’s going to be tough for spots and there’s still another month and a half for the guys to get their job done and put their hand up,” Teague said.
"It's one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with."
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) February 5, 2020
From the pure frustration to the lingering doubt to the determination for 2020. Tom Williamson sits down to speak about his journey so far: a journey he feels as though is just getting started.#BoundByBlue
“That competition for a spot in the team is something that we haven’t had a lot of in the past, it’s something that we’re looking forward to.
“We need a few of those guys to step up, lock themselves in the team and become really good players.”
Teague said the ownership of the playing group over the course of pre-season was something that had been shining through.
“As a group and as a collective, the way they’re working — we know we’ve got to make it happen,” he said.
“We’ve got to work really hard and that’s been the most pleasing thing. There’s no doubt there’s been a lot of things to get better and the guys are applying themselves.”
For the full interview with Teague, watch the video below.
