The Carlton Football Club is pleased to announce 10 more signings to its standalone Reserves side.

Matt Shannon, Dale Marshall, Fraser Phillips, Will Golds, Lachie Swaney, Ben Caluzzi, Lachlan Gawel, Owen King, Zane Barzen and Ben Nikolovski have all committed to the Blues’ squad that will play in the new-look VFL competition in 2021.

Phillips will be familiar to Blues’ fans having spent the 2020 season on the Club’s AFL rookie list.

Golds was also part of the AFL system last season as a rookie with Hawthorn and will bring his outside run and ball-winning ability to Ikon Park.

Shannon, Marshall and Caluzzi both join the Club with previous VFL experience. Shannon, a natural leader, arrives from the Box Hill Hawks, Marshall has joined from Essendon’s VFL side while Caluzzi has spent time on the Northern Blues’ list. 

Gawel (Eastern Rangers), King (Western Jets), Barzen (Murray Bushranger) and Nikolovski (Northern Knights) join the VFL squad having developed through the NAB League system.

Swaney has signed off from interstate after being a graduate from the Sydney Swans Academy and playing for the UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs in Sydney.  

Carlton Reserves coach Daniel O’Keefe said the 10 new additions further strengthen the squad ahead of the 2021 season.

“All 10 players have been with us for some time now during the pre-season but it is fantastic to have them all formally signed with the Club,” O’Keefe said. 

“We’ve added a good mix of guys who have been on AFL lists, others with VFL experience as well as exciting talent to have come straight out of the NAB League.”

“We’re really excited with the squad we’ve built this season, we have a great balance of youth and experience and competition for spots will be fierce which is what we want.

“We want to win games and get Carlton fans excited about our Reserves side and what we are building here as a program.”

The Blues open their season in the new VFL competition against Southport on 17 April at 2pm at IKON Park.