2007 looms as a big year for many players at the Carlton Football Club, and none more so than young Anthony Raso. Raso, who wears Peter Dean’s old #35 guernsey, has been something of a forgotten youngster down at the Blues whilst our attention has been diverted to the bumper recruiting stocks of 2005 and 2006. But if you cast your mind back a few years, Raso was a celebrated late pick who provided more than a glimmer of promise going forward. Mike & Dan were able to catch up with Raso prior to his resumption from injury for the Northern Bullants.

Its been a long time since your first Mike & Dan interview which was reported in the Herald-Sun for the wrong reasons. Can you remember why?Yes I do vaguely remember the Monica Lewinsky thing!!!

Good, now that we’ve got that out of the way, on to more important things…

You've spent over 2 years flying under the radar so far. How does it feel being the mystery man of the CFC? I really like it as it takes the pressure off.

Please help us fans out - should we see this as your Year 3 or as your Year 2...what does it feel like to you? I’m only 19 so it actually feels like first year…2 years in and we still don't know whether you're a defender, a midfielder or a forward. Do you have the engine to become a midfielder? I have been doing heaps of running due to the injury so I do feel I have the engine to become a mid.

Of course, the injury, what has been going on with that wrist of yours? It’s a ruptured tendon. The Doctor said in December that I could have the operation then & be out of action until April, or wait until end of season. I decided to have the operation then & it is all coming along well, not long to go now. I do plenty of leg weights plus some one arm weights so I’m actually getting pretty strong…..on one side of the body anyway!

Competition for tall running players has intensified at the club - what do you think sets you apart and puts you in a position to push for a spot in the seniors? Pace to height ratio & flexibility. I think I can play forward, midfield, or go down back & can play on talls & smalls.

The club website lists your height & weight as 191 & 75 – is this accurate? 191 centimetres is accurate but my weight has pushed up to 80.

There's a raft of new assistants at the club this year. Who are you working most closely with? Brett Ratten. He looks after most of the younger guys plus the fwd line. Has plenty of games experience which shows through in what he has to say.

How has this year's pre-season been different from the last, and is that down to new methods and new coaches? From a team perspective it’s been much better & that’s mainly due to Paul Ford. His knowledge of fitness & recovery is excellent. Personally it’s obviously been a rehab preseason. Last preseason I had glandular fever, which was only for about 4 weeks but you are still feeling it a couple of months afterwards.

You finished school up in 2005 whilst on Carlton’s list. What's the plan for 2007 - any education planned? I applied for some part time courses for this year & got accepted, but found out they are still 3 days a week which is a bit much & had to knock them back. Will reassess in 2nd semester this year. One was tourism, the other marketing.

Speaking of school – you were recruited from Haileybury. Do you know the name of the last Carlton player to be recruited from Haileybury College? Not sure…

Carlton fans may recognise the names of both ‘Dan’ from Mike & Dan and one Ian Herman on the Haileybury school boards, although Dan’s wasn’t for sports achievement:

You played under Barry Mitchell at the Bullants last year. How does he differ as a coach to Pagan? I haven’t had a great deal to do with Denis Pagan but Mitchell’s got an incredible knowledge of the game. He is aggressive in a good way & knows what he’s on about.

What's the feeling with the Bullants boys? Are you looking on going one better than last year and making the GF, or with the departure of a few Carlton-listed VFL superstars (Prenda, Livo, Sporn, etc.) has the focus of the season changed to development? There are a lot of good young players who we want to see develop but you always want to win & to see the team with premiership medals is still the goal.

Pre-season, Mike & Dan saw you down at the Bullants practice match. Which of the players we haven’t seen yet at senior level really stood out to you? Shaun Grigg had a consistent match & knows how to read the play. Ross Young runs really hard & has a great engine – I’ve been playing with him for a couple of years now so I’m pretty familiar with his game.

You are listed on the club site as recruited from Mt Eliza. Is this still home for you or have you moved somewhere a little closer to training? Still at home and quite happy having the cooking & cleaning done there – no immediate plans to give these things up!

You barracked for Geelong growing up. What are your memories of the 95 Grand Final? Did you hate Carlton after that? It was a painful day but after the year before, I was already kind of used to it so I didn’t really hate Carlton!

Anthony is definitely proving patience to be a virtue as a he pushes on in the early stages of his career as a Carlton footballer. If supporting Geelong as a youngster wasn’t enough, the pitfalls of glandular fever & now the wrist injury must have really tested his resolve. But things don’t sound like they have gotten him down – he actually sounded as spritely as a confirmed father to the heir to Anna Nicole Smith’s fortune. Perhaps the experience of being drafted at a younger age than most may just have given this young guy the fortification he will need as 2007 unfolds. Mike & Dan tip that when he starts properly cutting opposition defences to shreds, we just might see The Incisor From Mount Eliza as a newspaper headline….