The 2010 Carlton Football Club season was the Carlton Football Club's 147th season of competition, and 114th as a member of the Australian Football League.
Carlton finished 8th out of 16 teams in the 2010 AFL season, and reached the finals for the second consecutive season. Captain Chris Judd won the Brownlow Medal as fairest and best player in the league.
Club summary The 2010 AFL season was the 114th season of the VFL/AFL competition since its inception in 1897; and, having competed in every season, it was also the 114th season contested by the Carlton Football Club.
Former club champion Stephen Kernahan continued as club president in the 2010 season, a position he had held since August 2008. The club's joint major sponsors were car manufacturer Hyundai, which had been with the club since 2008, and confectionery company Mars, newly signed for the 2010 season. As in previous years, the club's primary home ground was Etihad Stadium, with home games expecting to draw larger crowds played at the M.C.G., and with traditional home ground Visy Park serving as the training and administrative base. As had been the case every year since 2003, Carlton had a full alignment with the Northern Bullants in the Victorian Football League, allowing Carlton-listed players to play with the Bullants when not selected in AFL matches.
Carlton sold a total of 40,480 memberships for the 2010 season, down 4.6% from the club's record-high 2009 membership of 42,408. The club had the fifth-highest membership in the league, and the second-highest of clubs who play home games only in Victoria, behind only Collingwood. The club's membership campaign slogan for 2010 was "Can you smell what the Blues are cooking", borrowed from the catchphrase used by WWE wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Brett Ratten and Chris Judd continued in their respective roles as senior coach and captain of the club, each entering his third season appointed to the job. Kade Simpson continued in the role of vice-captain, and the club's leadership group also comprised Michael Jamison, Andrew Carrazzo, Heath Scotland and Simon Wiggins.
Squad and player statistics for 2010 Flags represent the state of origin, i.e. the state in which the player played his Under-18s football. Senior List No. State Player Age AFL Debut Recruited from Career (to end 2009) 2010 Player Statistics Gms Gls Gms Gls B D K HB M T HO 1 Andrew Walker 23 2004 Bendigo (U18) 873216543342031319722 – 2 Jordan Russell 23 2005 West Adelaide 7015231146327718613771 – 3 Marc Murphy 22 2006 Oakleigh (U18) 806322191156027828290100 – 4 Bryce Gibbs 20 2007 Glenelg 663423611560342218127823 5 Chris Judd (c) 26 2002 Sandringham (U18), West Coast 17816520141153929124861105 – 6 Kade Simpson (vc) 25 2003 Eastern (U18) 11062231719538328210142934 7 Brock McLean 23 2004 Calder (U18), Melbourne 943962210741662031 – 8 Matthew Kreuzer 20 2008 Northern (U18) 4326135415965942962239 9 Chris Johnson 23 2005 East Fremantle, 4135117854242815 – 10 Richard Hadley 26 2001 East Fremantle, 5815811138508823361 11 Robert Warnock 22 2007 Sandringham (U18), Fremantle 214124112450742427218 12 Mitch Robinson 20 2009 Tasmania (U18/VFL) 1051614424213310951671 13 Chris Yarran 19 2009 Swan Districts 641619111871216656531 14 Brad Fisher 25 2003 Eastern Ranges 9812611 – 66 – 43 – 15 Steven Browne 20 2008 West Perth 205311351421129 – 16 Shaun Grigg 21 2007 North Ballarat (U18) 357832172829042257 17 Setanta Ó hAilpín 26 2005 Cork GAA 5830142615144974747182 18 Paul Bower 21 2006 Peel 452121 – 202791235825 – 19 Eddie Betts 23 2005 Calder (U18) 971232342293181781409176 – 20 Rhys O'Keeffe 19 – North Adelaide – –– – – – – – – – – 21 Mark Austin 20 2007 Glenelg 141– – – – – – – – – 22 Shaun Hampson 21 2007 Mount Gravatt 2758685728292219104 23 Lachlan Henderson 20 2007 Geelong (U18), Brisbane 1531925112111308110038 – 24 Kane Lucas 18 – East Fremantle — —8 – – 115536237131 26 Joe Anderson 21 2007 Darwin 12 –5 – – 6734332324 – 27 Dennis Armfield 23 2008 Swan Districts 262 19– 12741291455350 – 29 Heath Scotland (lg) 29 1999 Western (U18), Collingwood 17657231010560288272132691 30 Jarrad Waite 26 2003 Murray (U18) 11511716361423917366111562 31 Marcus Davies 18 – North Hobart – –5 – 14327161014 – 32 Bret Thornton 26 2002 Oakleigh (U18) 1494124 – 1921227079193 33 Ryan Houlihan 27 2000 Murray (U18) 182112131542391291105531 – 34 Simon Wiggins (lg) 27 2001 Glenorchy 11636– – – – – – – – – 35 Caleb Tiller 18 – Murray (U18) – –– – – – – – – – – 36 Rohan Kerr 18 – Dandenong (U18) – –– – – – – – – – – 39 Sam Jacobs 21 2009 Woodville-West Torrens 41132214853953853286 40 Michael Jamison (lg) 23 2007 North Ballarat (U18, VFL) 34023 – – 200136648948 – 44 Andrew Carrazzo (lg)26 2004 Oakleigh (U18), Geelong 9932234852025426610077 – 45 Aaron Joseph 20 2009 Tasmania (U18) 23322212581241346669 – Rookie List No. State Player Age AFL Debut Recruited from Career (to end 2009) 2010 Player Statistics Gms Gls Gms Gls B D K HB M T HO 28 Jaryd Cachia 18 – Northern (U18) – – –– – – – – – – – 37 Joseph Dare 18 – Geelong (U18) – –– – – – – – – – – 38 Jeff Garlett 20 2009 Swan Districts 1012203921245170757573 – 41 Levi Casboult 19 – Dandenong (U18) – – –– – – – – – – – 42 Zach Tuohy 20 – Laois GAA – –– – – – – – – – – 43 Simon White 21 2010 Subiaco – –61 – 925438458 – 46 David Ellard 20 2008 Swan Districts 117249252401751 – 47 Joshua Donaldson 18 – West Perth – – –– – – – – – – – For players: (c) denotes captain, (vc) denotes vice-captain, (lg) denotes leadership group. Players' ages are given for 1 January 2010. Statistics for AFL matches: Gms – Games played, Gls – Goals, B – Behinds, D – Disposals, K – Kicks, HB – Handballs, M – Marks, T – Tackles, HO – Hitouts. Source for statistics: AFL Tables.AFL Tables, 2010 Stats – Player Lists – Carlton, Retrieved 10 March 2012.
Playing list changes The following summarises all player changes between the conclusion of the 2009 season and the conclusion of the 2010 season.
The Fevola trade The most significant change to the list was the trading of full forward Brendan Fevola to the Brisbane Lions. Carlton announced its intentions to trade Fevola after his drunken behaviour at the 2009 Brownlow Medal Count, which served as the last straw in a long rap sheet of off-field indiscretions while at the club.
The Brisbane Lions emerged as the likely destination. Brisbane initially offered 31-year-old full forward Daniel Bradshaw and 23-year-old midfielder Michael Rischitelli in the trade. Both players were flown to Melbourne to tour Carlton's facilities during trade week, but Rischitelli was not willing to relocate. On the final day of trade week, Brisbane agreed to give Carlton a first round draft pick and 19-year-old key position prospect Lachlan Henderson (who was himself a first round draft pick, taken at No. 8 in the 2007 National Draft), in exchange for Fevola, a second-round draft pick, and for Carlton to pay $100,000 of Fevola's salary for each of the two years remaining on his existing contract. Fevola left the club as its third-highest career goalkicker, with 575 goals.
Although considered reasonable at the time, the trade is now widely viewed as a disaster for the Brisbane Lions, because all players involved in the trade negotiations had left the club within eighteen months. Shortly after trade, Bradshaw walked out on the Lions, and was recruited to the Sydney Swans in the pre-season draft – either because his feelings were hurt by being offered to trade, or because Fevola's recruitment would have limited Bradshaw's own opportunities in the Lions' forward-line. Rischitelli left the club at the end of 2010, after signing a contract with the fledgling Gold Coast Football Club; some in the media speculated that he was also disgruntled about being offered in the Fevola trade, but Rischitelli has never said anything to this effect. Finally, prior to the 2011 season, Brisbane sacked Fevola after further off-field incidents during the 2010/11 offseason. For its part, Carlton gained only a moderate benefit from the trade, with Henderson and No. 12 draft pick Kane Lucas giving the club six and five years service respectively, with only one top-ten finish in the club's best and fairest award between them: a third-place finish by Henderson in 2013.
In Player Previous club League via Brock McLean AFL AFL Trade Week, in exchange for pick No. 11 Lachlan Henderson AFL AFL Trade Week, with pick No. 12, in exchange for Brendan Fevola and pick No. 27 Kane Lucas East Fremantle WAFL AFL National Draft, first round (pick No. 12) Marcus Davies North Hobart TFL AFL National Draft, third round (pick No. 43) Rohan Kerr Dandenong TAC Cup AFL National Draft, fourth round (pick No. 59) Jaryd Cachia Northern Knights TAC Cup AFL Rookie Draft, first round (pick No. 15) Joseph Dare Geelong Falcons TAC Cup AFL Rookie Draft, second round (pick No. 31) Levi Casboult Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup AFL Rookie Draft, third round (pick No. 44) Simon White Subiaco WAFL AFL Rookie Draft, fourth round (pick No. 56) Josh Donaldson West Perth WAFL AFL Rookie Draft, fifth round (pick No. 66) Zach Tuohy Laois GAA GAA Recruited on an international rookie contact during AFL Rookie Draft, sixth round (pick No. 73)
Out Player New Club League via Nick Stevens – – Retired Brendan Fevola AFL AFL Trade Week with pick No. 27, in exchange for Lachlan Henderson and pick No. 12 Jordan Bannister – – Delisted; retired from playing to pursue umpiring under the AFL's Player Pathway Program.McFarlane, G., Herald Sun, "Jordan Bannister now policing game", 14 February 2010, Retrieved 18 April 2011. Adam Hartlett West AdelaideR. Homfray The Advertiser "Hamish and Adam to line up for Westies", 1 April 2010, Retrieved 4 September 2010 SANFL Delisted Jake Edwards Darley Ballarat FL Delisted Adam Bentick Port Melbourne VFL Delisted Cameron Cloke AFL Delisted Lachie Hill Old Scotch VAFA Delisted from the rookie list Darren Pfeiffer Southport QAFL Delisted from the rookie list Luke Stanton Montmorency NFL Delisted from the rookie list Greg Bentley Rosebud MPNFL Delisted from the rookie list
List management Player Change Sam Jacobs Promoted from the rookie list to the senior list during AFL National Draft, fifth round (pick No. 72) Aaron Joseph Promoted from the rookie list to the senior list during AFL National Draft, sixth round (pick No. 83)
Season summary
Pre-season matches
NAB Cup Round Date and local time Opponent Scores (Carlton's scores indicated in bold) Venue Attendance Home Away Result 1 Saturday, 20 February () 2.7.11 (71) 0.8.11 (59) Lost by 12 points Report Blacktown Olympic Park (A) 9,732
NAB Challenge Week Date and local time Opponent Scores (Carlton's scores indicated in bold) Venue Attendance Home Away Result 1 Friday, 26 February () Brisbane Lions 14.9 (93) 12.8 (80) Won by 13 points Report Visy Park (H) 10,000 (approx.) 2 Saturday, 6 March () 16.9 (105) 9.12 (66) Lost by 39 points Leederville Oval (A) Unknown 3 Friday, 12 March () 11.16 (82) 12.11 (83) Lost by 1 point Report Visy Park (H) 3,000 (approx.)
Regular season Despite winning thirteen games in 2009 and finishing in the finals for the first time since 2001, Carlton was considered unlikely to make the finals again in 2010, as pundits believed the club's forward-line would not be able to cover the loss of Brendan Fevola. True to those expectations, Carlton's performance in 2010 was slightly worse than that of 2009, finishing with an even 11–11 record; but that was good enough to finish eighth and in the finals for the second consecutive season, finishing ahead of ninth-placed by a considerable margin of percentage. The club's results were generally consistent with its finishing position, with a record of only 2–8 in ten matches against other top eight teams, and a record of 9–3 in twelve matches against the bottom eight teams.