Carlton has been forced to make the one change to last week’s side that belted Essendon for this Saturday night’s match against the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium.

Midfielder Mitch Robinson was forced out of the team with a minor eye injury and has been replaced by David Ellard who has continued to impress with the Northern Blues in the VFL, having over 30 possessions and kicking three goals, in last week’s victory over Werribee at Visy Park.

Robinson was hit by a football during Carlton’s big victory over Essendon at the MCG last Saturday, causing some bleeding and impaired vision.

“The hit from the football impaired Mitch’s vision slightly and with some bleeding to the eye it was considered too much of a risk for him to fly to the Gold Coast for this week’s game. At this stage we expect Mitch to return for our round 23 match against St Kilda next weekend,” Carlton General Manager Football Operations, Andrew McKay said.

Ellard’s last game for Carlton was in late June, round 14, against Hawthorn. This was his eighth consecutive game for the season after coming into the team in round six against the GWS Giants at Etihad Stadium in early May.

Rhys O’Keeffe and Jordan Russell have been named as emergencies, together with Patrick McCarthy who has yet to make his Carlton debut after being recruited from Glenelg in the 2010 National Draft with the Blues 2nd round selection, number 34 overall.

McCarthy, who played his junior football at Plympton, the same junior club that Bryce Gibbs began his football with, has travelled with the team to the Gold Coast.

Russell and O’Keeffe are expected to play for the Northern Blues in Saturday afternoon’s final game of the VFL season, against Frankston at Visy Park, with the match commencing at 2:00pm.

Carlton's Round 22 line-up:

B: A.McInnes S.White Z.Tuohy
HB: D.Armfield N.Duigan C.Yarran
C: H.Scotland C.Judd B.Gibbs
HF: A.Walker J.Waite K.Simpson
F: J.Garlett L.Casboult E.Betts
Foll: M.Kreuzer B.McLean M.Murphy
Int: A.Carrazzo, T.Bell, E.Curnow & D.Ellard

Click here to watch Andrew McKay take you through this week's changes.