Interim Carlton coach David Teague admits the injury to Patrick Cripps will leave a huge hole in his AFL team to face Fremantle on Sunday.
So big, he expects it will take more than one player to replace the superstar midfielder who is the Brownlow Medal favourite.
A foot injury means co-captain Cripps won’t make the Blues’ trip west, which is the first match he’s missed since 2017.
But Teague tried to put a positive spin on the omission, saying he was looking forward to seeing how the youngsters embrace the opportunity.
“It’s a great opportunity for our other midfielders to step up,” Teague said on Friday.
“He’s led the way and it’s a chance for the other guys to put their hand up, own that area and show what they can do.”
Teague admitted the Blues had at times relied too heavily on Cripps, and against the Dockers it was time for others to step up.
“It will be a group of players shouldering that load to replace him,” said Teague, who replaced dumped coach Brendon Bolton two matches ago.
“Sam Walsh, Samo Petrevski-Seton, Paddy Dow – these guys will get a lot more of a chance to compete against good opposition.”
While still last on the AFL ladder, Teague felt the Blues were building in confidence after competitive losses against Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs.
“I thought our ball-use against the Bulldogs was very good, that kept us in the game,” said Teague, who looked after the forwards under Bolton’s watch.
“Against Brisbane, I thought our defence and ability to win the contest was quite strong.
“We haven’t put it together totally yet and the exciting thing for me is when we do put it together, we’re going to be very hard to beat.”