“Overrated”: Why former AFL coach doesn't rate Carlton's list

Former AFL coach Rodney Eade believes Carlton’s list has been significantly overrated in recent years.

The Blues suffered a humiliating Round 1 loss to a Richmond team expected to claim the wooden spoon, fumbling a 41-point lead to bottle the result.

They now face a red-hot Hawthorn side on Thursday night and must show fight, or risk that things will get ugly early in the season.

Eade however believes Carlton’s list is top heavy and lacks quality beyond their top handful of players.

“To be honest, I don’t reckon Carlton has got a great list,” the four-time premiership Hawk told SEN’s Sportsday.

“I can’t believe there was talk that they were going to be top four.

“This is a big statement, but I reckon their bottom 10 is nearly as bad as anyone else’s bottom 10.”

The Blues have made just one change following the Richmond loss, with Charlie Curnow returning at the expense of Francis Evans.

Eade agrees with the club’s call not to swing the axe after Round 1.

“Certainly at this stage of the year yes, you give everyone another chance. I remember my first game as coach we lost by 80 points in Adelaide and I remember saying to the players ‘we’re not going to make a change next week. You got picked on your form. We’ve got to go again’,” he said.

“Michael (Voss) knows these players a bit more and has been there a bit longer, but he’s obviously given them a mulligan for their second half.”

Eade believes Carlton will come out firing against the Hawks tonight and show some pride, but feels Hawthorn will be too good.

“I would think he’s put the acid on them. And they’ll have an answer for that. They’re a proud club and that performance, they just choked. They crumbled under the pressure,” he said.

“They’d want to have an answer and I think they will. I think Hawthorn will be tough enough to meet that and I think their speed will be the difference because they’re pretty slow, Carlton.”

Carlton is staring down the barrel of their first 0-2 start to a season since 2021.