Um, but, uh, from a Carlton perspective, what did you make of it all?

As trade period comes to an end, very, very happy, very content with the areas we've addressed, how we've addressed them, what we've paid for players pick- pick-wise, and, and what we've given up with regards to our salary cap.

I, I was a little concerned early on when reports were linking us to Joel Lamati, and his price tag was approximately a million a year, but that has since been confirmed as, as not true.

He's on anywhere between 700 to 750,000.

And earlier in the year, pinned at him as a, a player you would probably pay 650,000 for, but just given where Carlton is at with regards to key forward stocks, you can understand why they were happy to pay a little more than what Sydney were, were prepared to offer him, given, given Sydney a, a, a, a well and truly stocked with, with key forwards.

And there's a reason they went out and got Charlie Curnow at the, at the end of last season, at the end of, of 2025.

But he is a player which we haven't had to give up any draft picks for.

... based on what you've sort of seen of, of Hudson at AFL level a- and it's seen, uh, at VFL level rather, is he a forward ruck or, or a ruck forward based on your own observations?

But from a Carlton perspective, what did you make of it all?

As trade period comes to an end, very, very happy, very content with the areas we've addressed, how we've addressed them, what we've paid for players pick wise and what we've given up with regards to our salary cap.

I was a little concerned early on when reports were linking us to Joel Amati and His price tag was approximately a million a year, but that has since been confirmed as not true.

He's on anywhere between 700 to 750,000.

And earlier in the year, pitted him as a player you would probably pay 650,000 for.

But just given where Carlton is at with regards to key forward stocks, you can understand why they were happy to pay a little more than what Sydney were paying.

We're prepared to offer him, given Sydney are well and truly stocked with key forwards.

Based on what you've sort of seen of Hudson at AFL level and at VFL level, is he a forward ruck or a ruck forward based on your own observations?

How have you absorbed what's going on? You seem to be in a positive mind frame.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's definitely because of the way we were playing and the way we were performing in the second half and the length with which we were able to play a really, really strong brand of footy.

And the one piece that I was really, really honing in on in the preseason was And I don't want to sound like the coach or sound like the head of football, like I'm a mouthpiece or repeating them.

But the one thing that I was really adamant on was the connection, connecting everybody together with the way you're playing football, connecting the fans, connecting the players, connecting executive management, connecting all facets of the club together to make one big difference.

great blue wave which we saw in the in the second half of the season and we need to continue on with that as as well but as the coach rightly pointed out too nothing's guaranteed just because we played the way in the second half of the year doesn't mean that's going to be guaranteed when we when we open up the the season in 2027 as well but To me, I'm just excited for what's to come.

The players that are going to be acquired, the new young talent that we're going to bring into the football club, Cody Walker beckons as well.

Still had a pretty good year, I thought, considering.

So you thought they were going to hit the front? Not with regards

to the scoreboard, but with the way we were going to control the ball and the way in which Melbourne were going to try to hit us because the outs they had and the way that they set up on the field and the selections that they made on Thursday night would err into them really trying to hit us on the counter, which is basically what they'd done all year.

But the issue for Melbourne going in was – How do we move the magnets to try to be as efficient as possible and gain the ascendancy and gain an edge over a pretty decent Carlton back line? So they go and bring Viney in, who was clearly underdone, but they needed to try and throw a dangerous player up in the forward line.

Pickett was the guy.

Petty stayed up forward too.

They looked dangerous early on the counter.

But let's be frank.

It was a lot harder for us to get

Terry.Sometimes. [laughs]

Sometimes he obviously staring you in the face, and that was the game where he pulled apart the premiership elect at that point in time.

And it was the, the game with which he structurally dismantled a, a team in red hot form, charging towards a, a third premiership under Chris Fagan, and we absolutely tore them to shreds.

And many were in disbelief, but as has been the case since he's been appointed interim, now soon to be announced head coach, hi- he- his calmness and his demeanor has, has not changed throughout.

In a 10-goal loss, a 12-goal win, a small loss, and small wins, it, it has remained constant throughout and it, it's had a, a, a massive effect on not just the younger players, but, but a lot of the, the elder statesmen in our team as well.

And it, it's testament to the way in which he has been able to transcend his message across all demographics on our list, whether experienced, inexperienced, scarred, not scarred, in the midst of their career.

He's done a, he's done a phenomenal job and just based off what we've all seen, long, long may it continue.

How are you going?