THE CARLTON Reserves’ 2026 campaign continues to take shape, with the VFL Blues announcing the re-signings of a key quartet.
With key announcements centring around a triple re-signing plus the recruitment of Darcy Tucker, Carlton has now confirmed four more names that will be returning for next season’s campaign.
One of those is Darcy Hogg, the runner-up in the Club’s 2025 Best and Fairest award on the back of a season where he went from strength to strength.
It was well and truly a breakout for Hogg this season, who played six games in the two campaigns prior to featuring in every match for the VFL Blues in 2025.
Locking down a role as a high half-forward, Hogg - who was also named the Blues’ Best Young Player in 2025 - ended the season with 17 goals.
Another player who performed a pivotal role for the Carlton Reserves in 2025 was Cooper Vickery, who has put pen to paper for another season.
Averaging 15 disposals across half-back, Vickery also played in every game and slot in seamlessly during his first season at IKON Park, impressing with his run and precision foot skills.
He’ll reunite with new VFL Senior Coach Damian Truslove in 2026, who coached Vickery for Sydney’s VFL side, as well as new recruit - and fellow former Swan - Jaiden Magor.
Flynn Riley was hard to miss in 2025, with the big ruckman showcasing big improvement after making his debut in Round 1 of the VFL season.
Playing seven of the last eight games of the year, Riley turned heads as a ruckman with a competitive streak at ground level, averaging over 14 disposals and 22 hitouts per game.
The winner of the team’s Coaches Award for 2025, Riley will be looking to build on that momentum for the VFL Blues in 2026.
Rounding out the re-signings for the VFL Blues is Logan Prout.
A virtual new recruit for the Blues in 2026, Prout established himself as an important member of the Blues’ defensive setup after being signed from Echuca prior to the 2023 campaign.
The defender was named in the Blues’ Round 1 team in 2025 before sustaining an unfortunate ACL injury, but will return to Carlton’s VFL side for the 2026 campaign to round out another lot of re-signings.
“We’re really happy that Darcy, Cooper, Flynn and Logan have re-committed to our program for 2026,” VFL Senior Coach Damian Truslove said.
“Even at this early stage, you can tell that all four of them are so invested in making themselves and making our team better. They’re key people to us and we’re thrilled that they’re going around for another season.
“Darcy and Flynn are coming off their best seasons in 2025 and have returned to pre-season in really solid form. Cooper is someone that I’ve had past experience with and he’s a really damaging player at the level, while you only need to ask anyone around our program about the type of character Logan is.
“To have four quality players and people re-sign with the football club is super exciting, I’m looking forward to seeing what they can all provide for us in the 2026 season.”
Carlton Reserves’ confirmed signings for 2026 (bold denotes new signing)
Dane Harvey, Darcy Hogg, Sam Paea, Ethan Phillips, Logan Prout, Flynn Riley, Darcy Tucker, Cooper Vickery.
