The 2022 Carlton Football Club season was the Carlton Football Club's 159th season of competition.
It was the club's men's team's 126th season as a member of the Australian Football League, and the first under new senior coach Michael Voss. The club finished ninth with a 12–10 record, just barely missing the finals on percentage by 0.6%pts – its best performance since 2013, but also a disappointing finish after having been positioned third with an 8–2 record halfway through the season. Carlton players won both of the league's major individual awards for the season: Patrick Cripps winning the Brownlow Medal as fairest and best, and Charlie Curnow winning the Coleman Medal as leading goalkicker with 64 goals.
Due to a change to the AFL Women's timing in the calendar year, the club's women's team contested two distinct seasons as part of the 2022 campaign. In season 6, held between January and April, the team finished eighth out of fourteen teams with a record of 4–6; and in season 7, held between August and November, the team finished fourteenth out of eighteen teams with a record of 2–6–2 – thereby missing the finals in both seasons.
The club also fielded its men's reserves team in the Victorian Football League and its state level women's team in the VFL Women's.
Club summary The 2022 AFL season will be the 126th season of the VFL/AFL competition since its inception in 1897; and, having competed in every season, it will also be the 126th season contested by the Carlton Football Club. The club will also field its women's team in the sixth and seventh seasons of the AFL Women's competition, its men's reserves team in its fifth Victorian Football League season, and its women's reserves team in its fourth VFL Women's season.
In a change from the previous seven seasons, Carlton's primary home ground was Marvel Stadium and secondary home ground was the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the team playing six home games at the former and five at the latter. Traditional home ground Ikon Park continued to serve as the training and administrative base, and as the home ground for AFL Women's and the men's reserves matches; the stadium reached a milestone in its redevelopment during the year, with the completion of extended administration, training and match-day pavilion facilities along the southern wing where the Richard Pratt Stand (demolished in 2021) had previously stood.
Car manufacturer Hyundai, which had been a major sponsor of the club continuously since 2008, and Great Southern Bank which became a major sponsor during the 2021 season, continued as the club's major sponsors through the 2022 season. The club's final membership tally for the season was a new club record of 88,776, making it the fifth consecutive season that a new club record membership had been set. The club's average home crowd of 49,784 was the highest in the league, and the club returned a net operating profit was $3.4 million, up $2 million on 2021.
Senior personnel Early in the 2021 season, a change in the presidency was announced, with club director and former PriceWaterhouseCoopers CEO Luke Sayers taking over from eight-year president Mark Lo Giudice immediately after the end of the 2021 season. As part of the transition, and in response to the club's weaker than expected start to the 2021 season, a comprehensive review of the club's football department was undertaken in the second half of 2021, which was conducted by Sayers, CEO Cain Liddle, and external panel members Matthew Pavlich, Geoff Walsh and Graham Lowe. Following the report, a wide range of senior personnel changes were made at the club. Sayers officially became president on August 17, 2021, one round before the 2021 season's end.
Chief among the changes was the sacking of senior coach David Teague, after two seasons of his initial three year contract. Although his 21–29 win–loss record bettered those of his two predecessors (Mick Malthouse's 19–32–1 and Brendon Bolton's 16–61), interviews conducted during the review found Teague's coaching methods and gameplan were supported by only 30% of the club's players and staff, with that support heavily slanted towards the younger players. The review found that the gameplan focussed too heavily on attack at the expense of defense, was confusing for the players to execute, and that he was frequently outcoached by opposing coaches.
Teague was replaced with Michael Voss, who was signed to a three-year contract. Voss had previously served as senior coach at (2009–2013) and assistant coach at (2014–2021), and had been a front-runner for the vacant Carlton senior coaching role in both 2008 and 2019, when Brett Ratten and Teague were appointed respectively. The club made well publicised overtures to long-time senior coaches Alastair Clarkson ( 2005–2021) and Ross Lyon ( 2007–2011 and 2012–2019) as part of its search, with both declining the role.
The review also identified deficiencies in the leadership, experience and development capabilities of the coaching staff. The assistant and development coaching panels underwent substantial changes, with ten-year assistant coach John Barker departing early in the review process, six-year assistant Dale Amos and four-year development coach Brent Stanton sacked at the end of the season, four-year assistant Cameron Bruce departing for a role at . Joining the panel were: assistant coach and former Carlton player of the 1990s Aaron Hamill as backline assistant coach; Tim Clarke, for his second stint as Carlton's midfield assistant coach after three seasons at ; assistant coach Ashley Hansen, who served as forwards assistant coach and as step-up game day senior coach in Round 2 when Voss was absent under Covid-19 protocols; and Matthew Kreuzer as ruck coach. Aaron Greaves also joined to support the panel as coaching and innovation manager.
There were also several changes at the club's administrative level. Liddle was sacked after four years as CEO in the role, and replaced with Brian Cook, who had served 32 seasons in CEO roles with (1990–1998) and (1999–2021), overseeing five premierships at those clubs. Four new additions were made to the club's board of directors: former player Greg Williams (as football director), Lincoln Indicators co-founder Tim Lincoln, communications strategist Lahra Carey and JPMorgan Australia and New Zealand chairman Robert Priestly; Jeanne Pratt, Chris Townshend and football director Chris Judd all departed.
Onfield, Sam Docherty stepped aside from the co-captaincy and leadership group, doing so to focus on his recovery from treatment for testicular cancer with which he was diagnosed in August 2021. Docherty had served as co-captain with Patrick Cripps for the previous three seasons. Cripps continued as co-captain, with Sam Walsh and Jacob Weitering serving as vice-captains and no broader leadership group named.
Squad for 2022 The following was Carlton's squad for the 2022 season.
Statistics are correct as of end of 2021 season. Senior List No. Player Age AFL Debut Recruited from Career (to end 2021) 2022 Player Statistics Gms Gls Gms Gls B D K HB M T HO 1 Jack Silvagni 24 2016 Oakleigh (U18) 78 56 2117 14 298 185 113 102 64 72 2 Paddy Dow 22 2018 Bendigo (U18) 59 19401341222560 3 Jesse Motlop 18 2022 – –12126100554522290 5 Adam Cerra 22 2018 Eastern (U18), 76 16185342021220865840 6 Zac Williams 27 2013 GWS Academy, GWS 127 329001761364037110 7 Matthew Kennedy 24 2016 Collingullie-Glenfield Park, GWS 61 29177741621020678690 8 Lachie Fogarty 22 2018 Western (U18), 40 12301241014550 9 Patrick Cripps (c) 26 2014 East Fremantle 138 67212095912263657610511 10 Harry McKay 24 2017 Gippsland (U18) 67 129194531217169481142523 11 Mitch McGovern 27 2016 Claremont, 81 104701104851945130 12 Tom de Koning 22 2018 Dandenong (U18) 22 81946207120874946326 13 Liam Stocker 21 2019 Sandringham (U18) 22 260066452112110 15 Sam Docherty 28 2013 Gippsland (U18), 122 142231625424201160730 16 Jack Carroll 19 2022 East Fremantle – –5116645212430 17 Brodie Kemp 20 2021 Bendigo (U18) 2 04004428161820 18 Sam Walsh (vc) 21 2019 Geelong (U18) 61 26205764228635691660 19 Corey Durdin 19 2021 Central District 2 12115111831186540480 20 Lachie Plowman 27 2013 Calder (U18), GWS 129 21500174898552260 21 Jack Martin 26 2014 Claremont, 123 101121211114744040310 22 Caleb Marchbank 25 2015 Murray (U18), GWS 48 04003725121470 23 Jacob Weitering (vc) 23 2016 Dandenong (U18) 115 10181021616947109163 24 Nic Newman 28 2017 Frankston, 67 141901372252120118440 25 Zac Fisher 23 2017 Perth 73 3122181641623218469450 27 Marc Pittonet 25 2016 Oakleigh (U18), 33 58018026541213168 28 David Cuningham 24 2016 Oakleigh (U18) 41 23––––––––– 29 George Hewett 26 2016 North Adelaide, 120 32154542717025751730 30 Charlie Curnow 24 2016 Geelong (U18) 62 7922644226423133126351 31 Tom Williamson 24 2017 North Ballarat (U18) 43 4100000000 32 Jack Newnes 28 2012 Northern (U18) 191 7216452311468565310 33 Lewis Young 23 2017 Sturt, 24 11910255154101102266 34 Sam Philp 20 2020 Northern (U18) 2 1––––––––– 35 Ed Curnow 32 2011 Geelong (U18), Adelaide, Box Hill 204 50––––––––– 36 Josh Honey 20 2020 Western (U18) 6 6512371225850 42 Adam Saad 27 2015 Calder (U18), Coburg, , 131 102100459323136100470 43 Will Setterfield 23 2017 Sandringham (U18), GWS 44 1113132141318351300 Senior List No. Player Age AFL Debut Recruited from Career (to end 2020) 2021 Player Statistics Gms Gls Gms Gls B D K HB M T HO 4 Lochie O'Brien 22 2018 Bendigo (U18) 41 1119593372389998270 26 Luke Parks 20 2021 Sydney Academy, Glenelg 6 02001688510 37 Jordan Boyd 23 2022 Western (U18), Footscray reserves – –70179512821130 38 Sam Durdin 25 2017 West Adelaide, , Glenelg 22 1100945220 39 Oscar McDonald 25 2015 North Ballarat (U18), 84 3200241861000 40 Will Hayes 26 2019 Sandringham (U18), Footscray reserves, , Carlton reserves 11 4200281513710 41 Domanic Akuei 19 – Carlton academy – –––––––––– 44 Matthew Owies 24 2020 St Kevin's, Seattle Redhawks 14 151714111621035943660 45 Alex Mirkov 22 – Carlton reserves – –––––––––– 46 Matthew Cottrell 21 2020 Dandenong (U18) 19 5189226715910871320 Senior coaching panel Coach Coaching position Carlton Coaching debut Former clubs as coach Michael Voss Senior coach 2022 (s), (a) Luke Power Head of development 2020 GWS (a), AFL Academy Manager Tim Clarke Assistant coach (Midfield) 2016 (a), Coburg (s), Richmond reserves (s), (a) Aaron Hamill Assistant coach (backline) 2022 (a), (s) Ashley Hansen Assistant coach (forwards) 2022 (a), Footscray reserves (s) Matthew Kreuzer Assistant coach (ruck) 2022 Daniel O'Keefe Development coach (midfield), Reserves coach 2020 Geelong Falcons (s), Geelong reserves (a) Torin Baker Carlton College of Sport and Academy coach 2021 Western Jets (s), (d) Aaron Greaves Coaching and innovation manager 2022 (d, a), (a, d), (d), AFL umpires (s)
For players: (c) denotes captain, (vc) denotes vice-captain. For coaches: (s) denotes senior coach, (cs) denotes caretaker senior coach, (a) denotes assistant coach, (d) denotes development coach, (m) denotes managerial or administrative role in a football or coaching department
Additionally, under the league's 2022 COVID-19 policies, twenty players from the club's reserves list were nominated as top-up players, who would have become eligible to play senior football if the club's primary list was reduced below 28 players due to isolation requirements for COVID-19 positive players. These top-up players were: Ned Cahill, Alex Cincotta, Josh Cripps, Ben Crocker, Jesse Glass-McCasker, Luke Goetz, Hugh Hamilton, David Handley, Will Hayes, Cody Hirst, Tyreece Leiu, Michael Lewis, Zavier Maher, Tom North, Stefan Radovanovic, Oliver Sanders, Matt Shannon, Cooper Stephens, Joel Trudgeon and Toby Wooller. None were called up to play.
Playing list changes The following summarises all player changes which occurred after the 2021 season. Unless otherwise noted, draft picks refer to selections in the 2021 National Draft.