THE CARLTON Reserves have received a key boost to their list for season 2026, welcoming Darcy Tucker to IKON Park.

With over 150 games of AFL experience, Tucker signs for the VFL Blues after a decade in the AFL with Fremantle and later North Melbourne.

Making his AFL debut back in 2016 (incidentally, against Carlton), Tucker forged a reputation as a hard-running player capable of playing a number of roles for the team.

His most consistent season came in 2024, playing every game for North Melbourne and collecting 20 disposals or more in nine games - however, his 2025 campaign was cut short due to a back injury.

A former teammate of AFL-listed duo Blake Acres and Adam Cerra at Fremantle, Tucker played over a century of games for the Dockers before the Horsham product returned to Victoria.

He will add some key experience to the VFL Blues’ list for 2026, with the Reserves announcing the re-signings of Best and Fairest winner Ethan Phillips as well as Sam Paea and Dane Harvey late last year.

VFL Senior Coach Damian Truslove said Tucker was the exact profile of recruit the Blues had been looking to welcome to the fold in their Carlton Reserves program.

“We couldn’t be happier that Darcy has decided to commit to our program and call IKON Park home in 2026,” Truslove said.

“The impact that Darcy has had in his early weeks at Carlton he’s been instant. With over 150 games of AFL experience, he brings so much to the group with his knowledge of the game and what it takes to make an impact at the elite level.

“He’s someone who’s really versatile and has shown at AFL level that he can play a number of roles, no matter what the coaches give him. He runs really hard, is a penetrating left-foot kick and plays the game in a really unselfish way.

“We’ve been really targeted with the profile of players we’ve gone after this off-season, and Darcy is just the start. We’re really excited about how 2026 is shaping up and we see Darcy playing a pivotal role for us going forward.”