EMOTIONS were raw and mixed in the post-match of Carlton's elimination final loss to Geelong. 

Back in May, the Blues playing in front of nearly 97,000 people in a cut-throat final seemed a world away - but following the 33-point loss to the Cats, it was a vital lesson learned for a new-look Carlton outfit in 2026.

Speaking post-match, a mix of Carlton's players spoke about not just how the Friday night clash played out, but the journey to get to that point in the season.

Patrick Cripps, Channel 7

"Proud. At the moment, you’re disappointed because I felt like we could go a long way. We found a way to make something of the year, I wish it could continue but that’s the nature of finals. It’s the last man standing and Geelong were too good.

"There’s a lot of character in this group, and a lot to build on. These boys are made of the right stuff. Tonight is going to hurt, but we’ll make sure we stick together."

Sam Walsh, 3AW

"It’s a unique season, the coach changed through that time and the work we put in to put ourselves back in that position… I do think we’re a better team than that, but at the end of the day, this is where it’s landed. The ability for us to know what our identity is and how we want to play, you could see that in the back half of the year."

Jacob Weitering, Carlton Media

"There’s a fair bit of confidence in where we are as a football club now compared to where we were 12-15 weeks ago.

"There’s pride, but we don’t want to sit in mid-table. We don’t want to sit in mediocrity. We don’t want to be just an average football team. We’ve played in finals in ’23 and ’24, it’s hard to get to this position. You’ve got to execute. We’ll go to work on it, there’s probably some harsh truths for individuals - we’ll all review our games and look at what we can do to get better and set a foundation for next year."

Marc Pittonet, Carlton Media

"There’s a lot of emotion. Right now, it’s a bit of shock - it didn’t feel like the season was going to end with the momentum we had, the fans behind us. It was special again. We’ve been bringing them along with us and it doesn’t feel like we’re not running out in front of them next week, it’s a bit surreal. It’s disappointment because we got harsh feedback tonight, but it’s exciting for what we can do because we know we need to get to work for six months. We’ve got a group that we think can be really damaging.

"I couldn’t thank them enough. I couldn’t be prouder to be a Carlton player right now, for the support we got this year."

Francis Evans, Carlton Media

"[The message] is to not settle for mediocrity. We’ve come a long way, but we haven’t come this far just to come this far. We’ve still got a lot to work on. We’ll rest up, and then we’ll get back to work. We’re looking forward to what next year is going to hold."