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Across their 157-year history, Carlton have won 16 Grand Finals, the joint-most in the Australian Football League. Despite their past triumphs, the Blues have endured a troubling period since the turn of the millennium, finishing in a top-three spot on only one occasion. The previous two decades have undoubtedly been a fall from grace for the Flag Blues, who last reached the Grand Final in 1999. As such, David Teague’s team no longer strike fear into their opposition. But can Carlton command much-needed respect once again in 2021?

Low Expectations Among the Competition

Surprisingly, the joint-most successful team in AFL history hasn’t been in the finals since 2013. For a club of the Blues’ size, such a barren run is almost unthinkable. As a result of their modern-day battles with mediocrity, many of their rivals no longer view Carlton as a genuine threat to sought-after honors. Fascinatingly, the 18 club captains recently made their predictions for the 2021 season, and they weren’t too complimentary to the 16-time Grand Final winners.

As per Sen, only one captain forecasts that Carlton will return to the finals this year. In terms of their chances of making the Grand Final for the first time since 1999, no club leaders expect the Blues to reach the season finale. This doesn’t make for positive reading among Blues’ supporters, as it undoubtedly highlights the team’s decline within the 21st century.

In response to the predictions, Carlton’s skipper, Patrick Cripps, states that the Blues have to “earn the respect” of their rivals. Ahead of the campaign, the 25-year-old is confident that the 16-time Grand Final winners can build on their 2020 form, which took them within four points of a finals spot. As of March 11th, Carlton are 1.61 in Aussie Rules betting to achieve a top-eight finish in 2021, which would see them end their seven-year absence from the finals.

Big-Money Signings Can Help Their Cause

In the off-season, few can argue that the Blues haven’t made moves to command respect from fellow AFL teams. Most notably, Teague’s side brought in Zac Williams, who joined on a six-year deal worth a reported $900,000 a season. The 26-year-old arrives at Ikon Park as a free agent and with seven years of AFL experience under his belt. Since being nominated for the 2013 AFL Rising Star award, Williams regularly featured for Greater Western Sydney, scoring 26 goals across his seven years with the Giants.

Not only that, but Williams also has much-needed finals experience. In 2019, the Narrandera-born utility featured in his maiden Grand Final. Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, Greater Western Sydney came up short against Richmond Football Club. Along with the former Giants player, Carlton have also recruited Adam Saad, who previously named Carlton as his destination of choice prior to the move.

The Players to Command Respect

Just because captains don’t expect much from Carlton, it doesn’t mean that they’re incapable of surpassing all expectations. Having made well-thought-out additions during the off-season, the Blues have the player quality required to take them back to the finals. Whether they can achieve that feat, however, remains a matter of contention.

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