Carlton star Sam Walsh is comfortable being ruled out from the opening month of the season, as long as it sets him up to be fully fit at the pointy end of the season.
The prolific ball winner had back surgery in December, and is five weeks into his rehabilitation, where he’s been able to build up his running base and his strength and conditioning work.
Sam Walsh does not have a timeline for a return.Credit:Getty Images
But the 22-year-old said he would take his time returning to full fitness, with no timeline on when he would start contact or tackling drills.
“For me, I haven’t looked too far ahead,” Walsh said.
“With the physios at the moment, every session there are incremental gains involved, but I haven’t put a timeline on the contact stuff just as yet.
“I think we’re going to stick with that month and by then we should have a really good look at where we’re heading. I think for me, I want to come back the best player I can and whereever that lands, I think we’re going to have to reassess at that month mark.”
Walsh said he learnt how cruel football could be when he missed key matches late in Carlton’s season last year, and he didn’t want to go through that feeling again.
“I think like anyone, you want to have a body of work that sets you up for playing a good solid block of football that leads into good back end footy because that’s when it really counts,” Walsh said.
“Standing here now, I’d love to be saying I’ll be fit and firing around that time of the year.”
Meanwhile, chief executive Brian Cook – speaking on Thursday as Carlton announced a five-year extension of their Hyundai sponsorship – would not be drawn on whether the Blues had set finals as their minimum objective this season.
“In our business plan we’ve indicated we’ll win at least one men’s and women’s premiership [in the next five years], but the real issue for us is to keep improving every year, both on and off the field,” Cook said.
“The one thing I’ve learned in my long time in footy is that you cannot determine how or how much other clubs improve. You have a fair gauge on how you might improve, but it’s talking in the wind a bit when you start indicating you’re going to finish fourth or fifth or sixth. Our aim is to improve.”
Cook said a lot more energy would also be put into the women’s program in 2023, following an internal review which found it needed more full-time staff employed in the department to further develop the women’s players.
Blues co-captain Darcy Vescio said the players were grieving following the sackings of coach Daniel Harford and general manager Brett Munro, but the players also accepted their share of the responsibility for under-performing.
Daniel Harford won’t coach Carlton in 2023.Credit:AFL Photos
“I hope this can be a bit of a reset for us in terms of setting better standards for ourselves and each other,” Vescio said.
“Both ‘Harf’ and ‘Munners’ have given so much to the program … [but] I think we all know this is what we need. But when there are emotions involved and people changing, people losing their jobs, it’s never nice, especially when you work so closely together.
“I think it’s been highlighted through the review that we need to be held to really high standards and a coach that will really drive that professionalism, so I think someone who is relentless in that pursuit will suit the group really well.”
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