LAST FRIDAY at Carlton’s open training session, there was a distinct chatter walking out of IKON Park about performances in match play at training - as there always is at this time of year.
One of those players who dominated discussion was Matthew Carroll, the Blues’ No.32 who played 15 games in 2025, including earning a Telstra AFL Rising Star nomination in the Blues’ final game of the year.
Starting to earn a reputation as a courageous, daring defender last year, Carroll had quite the cameo in Friday’s session, kicking three goals in 10 minutes of action.
You can watch the three goals from training via the player below, with vision thanks to Bluebaggers Edge on YouTube.
It’s easy to forget that this time 12 months ago, Carroll wasn’t even technically a Carlton player.
“I didn’t have a spot on the list this time last year,” Carroll told Carlton Media.
“It was a challenging period of time, but in a weird way, I’m grateful that it happened - it shaped me as a person.
“It made me more resilient and made me click into gear a bit more, work a bit harder. I guess it was a little bit of a moment where the penny dropped.”
It was nearly a day (31 January 2025) to the time of writing when Carroll regained his spot on the Blues’ list, after initially being selected as a rookie at the end of 2023.
Carlton Head of List Management Nick Austin said in the aftermath of the draft that if the cards fell a different way, the Blues would’ve been happy to welcome Carroll much earlier in the national draft.
The Blues had never questioned Carroll’s talent. However, in 2024, Carroll’s body struggled to stand up to the rigours of AFL football, with a groin injury wiping out his whole season.
Returning as a train-on player in 2025 after the initial disappointment of his delisting, Carroll went to work on his body, and that paid immediate dividends.
“I remember saying that I thought I’d just have a year in the VFL and maybe if there were injuries and I was playing well, I’d get a game or two. Things can change pretty quickly.
“It’s pretty cool to look back on, playing a handful of games. But at the same time, I’m excited about what this year holds, and then next year, and then hopefully years down the track.”
Carroll sold himself short: that “handful” of games was actually 17, missing just two games for the rest of the year after debuting in Gather Round against West Coast.
But keeping true to his statement, Carroll has left nothing to chance and has gone to work. The three-goal cameo at training was a nice touch, as was his third-placed finish in the two-kilometre time trial on day one of pre-season.
“I didn’t think I’d be in the top five - obviously we had a few boys not run. I’ve just been trying to train really hard, I feel like my fitness has improved over the last period of time.
“It was a nice little indicator, but it’s a bit different to in-game running. I’ve been trying to get fitter and build my strength and becoming a better athlete, I feel more confident having a full year of AFL footy.
“I feel like I can play a number of roles. Where that sits in the AFL team right now, I’m not sure, but I’ll always keep putting my best foot forward and putting my hand up.”
What’s certain about Carroll - a popular figure at IKON Park - is that he’ll not only get to work, but he’ll be doing it with a smile on his face.
“The energy has been really good in the last few weeks, there’s a couple more extroverted characters. People like ‘Chop’ [Liam Reidy] and ‘Wilbur’ [Will Hayward] have been great at that.
“It’s been great around the locker room. You can tell blokes are laughing and having fun, but we’re still putting in the work and working really hard.”
He also took the time to dispel a myth that a close mate of his has been working hard to materialise ever since he stepped foot into Royal Parade.
“Someone who gives a lot of energy is Lachie Cowan, he talks a lot - he’s one of the loudest people I know.
“He just puts the grumpy face on with people he doesn’t want to talk to… like the media team.”
