Jarrad Waite should be reinvented as a wingman to enable the Blues to develop a long-term forward line, says club great Mark Maclure.
Waite is expected to play his first AFL game of the season after being named in a forward pocket in Carlton's 25-man squad to play Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
Maclure believes the 30-year-old is too injury-prone to command a permanent forward role, suggesting his occasional presence in attack could hinder the progress of key targets like Sam Rowe, Shaun Hampson and Levi Casboult.
Maclure, a three-time premiership centre half-forward and a former Blues captain, said a move to the midfield would also relieve Waite of the physical and mental pressure of being the Blues' chief forward hope, and potentially help nurse him through the minor rounds.
However, Maclure said a fit Waite would remain a wildcard in attack if the Blues made the finals.
"You need to build your forward line around blokes that are going to be available consistently, not just every now and then like Jarrad unfortunately is," he told AFL.com.au. "You can't just play him forward and pray that he doesn't get injured. You can't plan for him to be there at all.
"Unfortunately, some of our other talls aren't yet good enough, but you've got to find them, stick with them and develop them. I think they want to stick with (Sam) Rowe, and they'll bring back Kreuzer, meaning Hampson will probably go.
"Two reasonably mobile talls up forward might be enough, because Carlton's speed can kill sides. To cover guys like (Chris) Yarran, (Jeff) Garlett and (Eddie) Betts, you have to restructure your whole defence."
Waite could also cause opponents headaches further afield, Maclure said.
"I reckon his starting point should be somewhere through the midfield – a wing would really suit him," he said. "Then he can still go forward at stages, and he can also drift back and help out the backline.
"He'd be an awkward match-up on a wing. It'd be pretty daunting for some of the smaller blokes trying to play on him. A tall wingman can add another dimension to a side."
A positional move wouldn't be without its own challenges, though.
"On a wing, he wouldn't be copping the bash-'n-crash of playing as a key forward, but could he cope with all the running? Would he have the fitness required? You might have to break up his games with spells elsewhere, behind the ball and so forth," Maclure said.
"But wherever that starting point is, it can't be in the forward line.
"Jarrad is only ever a short-term prospect, but if he's up and going towards the finals, you'd play him forward. In the meantime you need to develop other people for the future."
Maclure retired at the age of 31 after 243 games and 327 goals. Asked if Waite is in danger of being remembered as an unfulfilled talent, albeit curtailed by injury, he said: "That's absolutely what he is, and that's sad. But some people aren't built for this game. He's a terrific athlete but he just keeps breaking down."
In the past four seasons Waite has played just 48 games; and 154 games over a career that has entered its 12th year.
Of the 21 still-active players from the 2001 AFL Draft, only Brisbane Lions defender Matt Maguire (146) has made fewer appearances than Waite. The average among the rest is 207 games, with teammate Chris Judd leading the way on 244.
