Carlton President Rob Priestley's message to members as we look ahead to 2026.

As we close out 2025, on behalf of the entire Carlton Football Club, I want to wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe festive season.

The past few months have been significant for our club, and I sincerely hope you get the opportunity to enjoy the holidays with family and friends as we look ahead to an exciting new year.

If you have been able to attend IKON Park recently or followed updates across our digital platforms, you will have noticed a new energy within our AFL playing group since their return for pre-season.

Led by General Manager of Football Chris Davies, our refreshed football department, that includes six new coaches and 11 list changes, is focused and intent on driving collective excellence across all facets of our football program, and having spoken regularly to the team throughout the first part of the pre-season, the renewed environment they have been able to create in a matter of weeks has been terrific to see.

As Graham has recently shared, along with improving our on-field performance, a renewed emphasis on member connection is a clear priority as we head into 2026. With this in mind, I am delighted to let you know that our regular open training sessions will continue into the new year, with regular player signings and photos available throughout the remainder of the pre-season.

Please click here for further information with particular details about these upcoming sessions.

For our Carlton family interstate, with next year’s fixture seeing us visit Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Adelaide, our playing group will have opportunities to connect with as many of you as possible and the Club will be in touch with further details regarding this closer to each of those trips.

Following an inspiring AFLW season, our AFLW program has also recently welcomed five new players during the AFLW Trade and Draft period. It was fantastic to acquire Lauren Bella, Brooke Boileau and Claudia Whitfort during the trade period, while Monday night’s draft saw Lily Baxter and Tayla McMillan both begin their journeys in Navy Blue.

Our AFLW group has set the tone for our football club heading into 2026 with their infectious energy and the pride in representing the monogram, laying a great platform for the year ahead.

As we strive to restore our club as an industry leader on a sustainable basis, we know achieving our ambitions in the coming years won’t be defined by any individual or a single moment, but by the collective.

Our member base continues to be one of our greatest strengths, and we thank each and every one of you for your unwavering support of the Navy Blues. The power of our community underpins everything we do, and when harnessed, the passion shown by our members and supporters on game day is like no other. The strong attendances across the MCG, Marvel Stadium and IKON Park were a clear reflection of this.

Finally, on behalf of our entire football club, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to all those who have been impacted by the tragedy that unfolded in Bondi on Sunday.

There is no place for hatred in our country and words cannot capture the devastation, but please know our thoughts are with everyone affected. Unity and support for our community have long been part of what defines our club, and I encourage all of our Carlton family to look out for one another during this time.

As we reach year’s end, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday period with those who matter most to you.

Take care and see you at the footy in 2026.