Carlton legend Stephen Silvagni has revealed his thoughts on the Blues' "biggest flaw" and urged them to follow the lead of 2021 AFL premiership winners, the Melbourne Demons, to remedy the issue.
The Blues have made some significant changes at the club recently under new president Luke Sayers, with Michael Voss replacing David Teague as head coach and Brian Cook brought in as CEO in place of Cain Liddle after a mid-season review.
The moves are part of the club's ploy to turn around their fortunes in the AFL, after missing out on finals footy for an eighth consecutive season.
At the heart of the problem is their defence, according to Silvagni.
"I think most Carlton people would say this: Michael Voss has got to make that team into a selfless football team – they don't know what selfless is, watching that Carlton team," the former Blues list boss said on AFL Trade Radio.
"They don't sacrifice for each other, they don't help each other, they need to become a selfless team.
"You see what Melbourne have done, you see what their mids have been able to do – if I was sitting those Carlton players down, I'd be watching the Melbourne football club and see the transformation they've made in the last 12 to 24 months.
"That's about making the player next to you the best possible player they can be.
"What I don't understand about Sam Petrevski-Seton is his first 60 games he was tracking really well, he was playing forward-mid, the last two years he hasn't been playing forward-mid.
"He averaged over four tackles a game in those first three years, he's below two tackles a game in the last two years – something fundamentally has gone wrong there.
"To say that he doesn't work both ways, I agree, he's not the only player at that football club that doesn't work both ways.
"That is fundamentally their biggest flaw… they'll attack, they don't want to defend."
In addition to finding more grit in their defence, Silvagni believes Patrick Cripps needs to lift his performance under Voss' guidance.
"Most Carlton supporters would say one of the first things Michael Voss needs to do is get Patrick Cripps back to his best," Silvagni said.
"That's also for (football boss) Andrew Russell, get him fit and ready to go because he dropped away.
"That club needs to have him back at his best and he's their leader."
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