THERE were plenty of moments and memories which occurred in Navy Blue in 2026.

The mind immediately goes to Patrick Cripps’ winner against Geelong in Round 12, Harry Dean’s first goal in a statement win over Brisbane and Jagga Smith’s sealer in the wildcard final win over Melbourne, just to start things off.

But what Josh Fraser will remember from 2026 isn’t the moments on the football field, it was what came with it in the stands and at home.

In an unforgettable 12 months for Carlton’s new AFL Senior Coach, this was what stood out to him.

“My lasting memory is the connection we’ve had with our supporter base over the course of the year, through the identity and the brand we’ve been able to start to build. To see what that did to our supporters was really pleasing,” Fraser said.

“The connection we have to our supporter base, the size of the Club - it’s such an exciting place to be. The level of support we’ve received hasn’t gone unnoticed… there’s a high level of respect for the passion they bring, and the time and investment they put into us as a footy club.”

Fraser also looked to the emergence of the team’s younger players - Talor Byrne and Lachie Cowan among them - which was complemented by the team’s senior leaders stepping up as a key positive.

He looked ahead to 2027, saying that the season just gone needed to be “a step forward towards where we’re heading”.

“We need to get better. We should acknowledge the growth that we’ve had, but we can’t sit still.

“I want us to have a really clear identity on-field, that - regardless of outcome - our supporters can be attached to. A lot of that is built around our pressure and ability to defend the ground, but off the back of that, the way we attack the game.”

Fraser looked at the returns from injury for Harry O’Farrell and Matthew Carroll as sources of excitement for next year, while saying the team needed to continue to build out the depth in its list during the off-season.

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