Carlton Blues Building‍ Winning Habits Despite Injury woes, Says Veteran ⁢Liam Hewett

Carlton veteran Liam Hewett⁢ believes the Blues are laying the foundation for future⁣ success, despite a frustrating run of close losses⁣ and a ⁤lengthy injury list. While acknowledging‍ the team’s desire for wins, Hewett highlighted‍ the positive development of young players and a strong team culture as key takeaways from⁢ the season.

Developing a new Generation of Blues

A significant silver lining⁢ for Carlton this year has ⁢been the opportunity to blood a wave of emerging⁢ talent. With key players sidelined, the club has fast-tracked the development of several youngsters, giving them⁤ valuable game ⁤time ‍and experience.

“You ⁤always look for the positives in the year that you don’t quite make finals,so I think we’ve – you never want injuries,but with the injuries ‍comes opportunities for the young guys,”‍ Hewett explained. “They’ve taken it with both hands and that’s only⁣ going to make our squad stronger‍ in the ⁢future.”

On Saturday night against Gold Coast, the ⁤Blues fielded an remarkable seven players with⁢ fewer than 25 games of experience: Cooper lord (22 games), matt Carroll (15), Will ⁣White (13), Ashton Moir (nine), Flynn ⁣Young (six), Hudson O’Keeffe (three) and Billy Wilson (two). This influx of youth is ⁢being carefully nurtured by the leadership group.

The team is currently missing key personnel including Charlie Curnow, Sam Walsh, jack Silvagni, Adam Cerra, ‍Mitch McGovern, Nic Newman, and recently retired⁤ Sam Docherty, as well⁤ as top draft pick Jagga Smith. ‍Despite these absences,the blues are⁤ focused on building resilience and⁢ a winning mentality.

Frustration Mixed with Encouragement

Despite the positive development of young players, Hewett admitted to frustration with the team’s inability to close out games.”I‍ think we’re training winning habits at the minute, we’re just not quite getting the win,” Hewett said. “So we just need to keep being a bit more, you know, harder on each other in some aspects, and get some basics right with our‍ skills and we will be OK.”

Saturday’s game ‍against the Suns exemplified this ‍struggle.⁢ After ⁤trailing by 45 points at three-quarter-time, the Blues mounted a spirited comeback, reducing the margin to 13 points. However, a late goal from Gold Coast’s Max King – who‍ finished with six majors⁢ – sealed a 19-point victory for the Suns.

“I just don’t ⁤think we were playing great the first three quarters,” Hewett conceded. “Then we finally got some momentum… but we just⁣ couldn’t ⁤get it ⁢done the whole game.”

A Close-Knit culture at Ikon Park

Beyond on-field performance, Hewett emphasized the strong team culture developing at Ikon Park.⁢ He attributes this to a conscious effort from the leadership group to foster a welcoming and enjoyable environment for the younger players.

“I think they bring ⁤excitement and joy,” he said. “We’ve got a⁢ table tennis table at the club. We are there until ⁤about six o’clock when ⁣we finish at three. Just mucking around.”

“So we’re a pretty close group. It’s amazing. The boys don’t want ‍to ‍leave the⁣ club, which is great.”

And for the record, Hewett confidently declared himself, Harry McKay, and Charlie curnow as the reigning table ⁢tennis champions of the Carlton Football Club.

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