“IT’S GREAT to be back.”

Good to see you, Sam.

Carlton’s co-vice captain made his return from a two-month injury layoff with a commanding display against Port Adelaide, registering 28 disposals and two direct goal assists in the 54-point win over Port Adelaide.

Showing exactly what the Blues have been missing within the opening minutes, Walsh provided some zip around stoppages and the typical running power Carlton fans have loved from the outset as the team returned to winning ways.

Speaking to FOX Footy post-match, Walsh said he heard the talk from throughout the week about waiting on the sidelines to get himself right for 2026 - but that’s never been the Walsh way.

08:13

AFL R23 | Match highlights

Watch the highlights from the Round 23 clash with Port Adelaide.

“I heard people say ‘don’t come back, just rest and come back for pre-season’. If my body is right, I’m going to be going,” Walsh said.

“There’s no doubt it’s been a challenging couple of years for me, but at the end of the day, I’m going to back my work in.

“We’ve got to have a ‘no bullshit’ mentality. Carry on with the job at hand, and as players worry about the things we need to. We’ve got our own strengths that we bring to that.”

04:26

AFL R23 | Walsh: "We want to finish with a bit of momentum"

Sam Walsh joined Ray Chamberlain on ABC radio to discuss his successful return to AFL football.

AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss praised Walsh’s impact post-match, labelling the co-vice captain as the transition mid that allowed the Blues to generate more meaningful offence from their contested dominance.

And heading into the 2025 season’s final game against Essendon this Thursday night, Walsh said the mandate was clear - generate some positive momentum after what has “no doubt been a bloody tough year”.

“All you want to do is finish off the season with a bit of momentum to take into next year. You look at teams like Adelaide last year and what they were able to progress to, you’ve just got to keep your head down and keep at it.
“It’s great to be back. For the boys to be able to play like that, I sensed it had been coming for the last couple of weeks so I might’ve timed my run well to come back in. You can’t beat being out here, even training during the week - it’s something we probably lost a bit of joy with during the middle part of the year.”