TOWARDS the very top of the list of what Carlton has attempted to go after in season 2026 is the energy at IKON Park.

Heading into the mid-season bye and after four straight wins, that energy shift is beginning to contribute to tangible results - even though there’s no denying it’s been quite the start to the season for all those who wear Navy Blue.

With a 5-8 record at the halfway mark, the Blues have experienced a coaching change, 10 players pulling on the Carlton jumper at AFL level for the first time, the agony of season-ending injuries and the emotional high of some last-gasp wins.

Among all that is Chris Davies. How does the GM of Football - and the wider Club itself - deal with all of that heading into the second half of the campaign?

“It’s really important that we stay level-headed,” Davies told Carlton Media.

06:06

Mid-season update: GM of Football on Carlton’s form, what’s to come

As we hit the bye, GM of Football Chris Davies provides an honest assessment of our year to date and our focus heading into the second half of the season.

“There wasn’t any point in time during that period where we were losing games where I thought the playing group weren’t turning up and still enjoying their footy… but it’s also been great for people to get that reward over the last four weeks.

“One of the focuses that Josh [Fraser] has been about trying to energise our people, and the group have done that en masse over the last period of time. It’s been great to see the supporter base be able to get excited again at the footy.”

Winning certainly helps, as does the bevy of young Blue talent beginning to establish themselves at the elite level.

04:54

The inside word on Carlton’s NEXT GENERATION!

Head of Development, Jordan Russell speaks to Carlton Media and chats through the young players coming through the team.

While crystal-balling into the upcoming weeks is a difficult task (the first 13 rounds will attest to that), Davies wants to see more cause for excitement.

“There was certainly a want to get some of those guys into the team… it’s been fantastic to see those guys get a run at it and play some pretty good footy.

“We want to keep giving new players opportunity. There are guys at VFL level performing reasonably well. Most importantly, I want the team to continue to win as many games as we possibly can.

“We want our team to be performing in a way that we can be proud of. It’s been fantastic for us to win the last four: I think we started to play some better footy in that Brisbane game, and it’s been nice to carry that through this period.”

The comments were part of Chris Davies' mid-year update to members. For the full interview, watch via the player above!