Carlton list management boss Nick Austin has addressed the Blues’ impending exports and potential imports as this year’s exchange window officially opens for business.
After reaching a preliminary final this season, Michael Voss and the Blues will hope to go a step further next year, with Carlton facing numerous list decisions this off-season before embarking on its 2024 preseason.
Following the trade period’s commencement on Monday morning, Carlton will begin the process of navigating potential trades involving offloading midfielder Paddy Dow, forward Zac Fisher, and possibly welcoming contracted Gold Coast Sun Elijah Hollands.
Despite Dow’s career rejuvenation in the latter half of this season, the maligned ball-winner requested a trade to St Kilda at the end of the year amid an overall lack of senior opportunities at Princes Park through his six-year tenure since being drafted with 2017’s No. 3 overall pick.
Through six seasons in navy blue, Dow has managed just 73 games, including just ten in 2023.
“We’ve had some good discussions with Paddy [and] Paddy’s management at the back end of the year, his exit meeting was really productive,” said Austin of Dow’s situation on Monday morning at the AFL‘s trade launch at Marvel Stadium.
We’d obviously like to keep Paddy, but we’ve also agreed to help him further his opportunities to help his career, so we’ll work with St Kilda.
“We’re just after something that we can use in the future, that’d be the preference, but we’ll work through it over the next day or two.”
The Saints presently possess picks 13, 34, and 55 at November’s draft.
Regarding Hollands, the brother of promising Carlton wingman Ollie, Austin confirmed his club’s intrigue in the potentially available Sun.
Look, Elijah’s a contracted player, and Gold Coast have got a bit to work through, they’ve got a new coach, these sorts of things, so there’s some interest there but again, we’ll [see how] we play it this week.”
Addressing wantaway forward Zac Fisher‘s future after he requested a trade to North Melbourne, Austin claimed the speedster has cemented himself as a ‘quality’ player in the competition, noting the Blues’ intentions in upcoming trade talks.
“Zac’s got two years to run on [his] contract, he’s proven himself to be a quality AFL player,” Austin said.
“We’ll have a little bit of a start with Brady (Rawlings, North Melbourne’s list boss) over the [Draft] Combine but North have got a fair bit going on, too, so we’ll be looking for something that represents the opportunity that they’ve presented Zac but also what Zac means to us.”
The trade period opened on Monday morning and concludes on Wednesday, October 18 at 7:30 PM (AEDT).