There are plenty of question marks hanging over Carlton as they head into the third season of the Mick Malthouse era.

Is this Juddy’s last year?

For that matter, will it be Malthouse’s swansong too?

Who’s going to fill the hole left by Jarrad Waite?

Is Matthew Kreuzer going to make it?

Can Dale Thomas be the game changer they recruited him to be?

Carlton played finals in Malthouse’s first season in charge, after Essendon were thrown out, but a disappointing seven-win season last year disenchanted Blues fans to the point where the club approached the AFL for advice on how to re-engage with their supporter base.

Nothing fires up fans and boosts membership figures like a winning team, but Malthouse will need a lot to go right for the Blues to improve on last year’s 13th-placed finish.

After barely pruning Carlton’s list heading into his first season, Malthouse has taken to it with an axe over the past two years.

Waite went to North Melbourne as a free agent, with the departures of Eddie Betts, Shaun Hampson, Jeff Garlett, Mitch Robinson, Jeremy Laidler, Heath Scotland and Brock McLean among others giving the Blues’ list a decidedly youthful appearance.

Regeneration, refurbishment, rebuilding – whatever you want to call it – the Blues have the look of a playing list in transition more than one primed for finals footy in 2015.

“We have had a few changes over the last two years, but I have no doubt that we’re heading in the right direction,” Blues director of coaching Robert Wiley told AAP.

“Nothing stays the same … there’s always going to be change. That’s just part of the game.

“We’re really happy with the squad that we’re starting to assemble.”

Malthouse has had success with unheralded squads before, but it remains to be seen how long he’ll be given to turn his vision into a premiership reality.

Club president Mark LoGuidice was unequivocal in February that he would not be entering into contract talks with Malthouse before the second half of the season.

Despite the president’s assertions to the contrary, that approach will inevitably lead to potentially destabilising speculation over the coach’s tenure if early results don’t go his way.

“You can’t worry about that – Mick never has,” Wiley said.

“If you worry about things that you can’t control then that takes away from your focus.”

The good news for Carlton fans is that Judd has had an excellent preparation – as has Thomas, who was slowed by an ankle injury last year.

Wiley said the Blues have worked hard on developing multiple avenues to goal rather than trying to groom a replacement for Waite.

He points to the fact that Carlton lost five games by eight points or less and drew with the Bombers last season as further reason for optimism.

“If you take away the close games that we had last year and we win a few of those then we play finals,” he said.

“We don’t like to put a limit on where we want to head – all we want to do is make sure that we’re playing the best football that we can and I know that when we do that we’re a finals team.”

Sadly for club and player, Kreuzer’s run of bad luck continued when he suffered another foot stress fracture that appears likely to sideline him for the early rounds, but Wiley is confident he can still have an impact this year.

CARLTON

Coach: Mick Malthouse

Captain: Marc Murphy

Last five years: 8-5-10-6-13

Premierships: 16 (1906-08, 1914-15, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981-82, 1987, 1995).

Key five: Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Lachie Henderson, Dale Thomas, Chris Judd.

One to watch: Matthew Kreuzer. The former No.1 draft pick has been cruelled by foot injuries, but he is still a big part of Mick Malthouse’s plans. He’ll make a huge difference on the ball and up forward for the Blues if he can get his career headed in the right direction again.

In: Blaine Boekhorst (Swan Districts WAFL), Matthew Dick (Sydney), Jayden Foster (Calder U18), Kristian Jaksch (GWS), Liam Jones (Western Bulldogs), Clem Smith (Perth WAFL), Jason Tutt (Western Bulldogs), Dillon Viojo-Rainbow (Western U18), Mark Whiley (GWS).

Outs: Josh Bootsma (delisted), Nick Duigan (delisted), Jeff Garlett (Melbourne), Kane Lucas (Westr Coast rookie), Andrew McInnes (delisted), Brock McLean (delisted), Mitch Robinson (delisted), Heath Scotland (retired), Tom Temay (delisted), Jarrad Waite (North Melbourne).

Best line-up:

B: Zach Tuohy, Michael Jamison, Andrew Walker

HB: Simon White, Sam Rowe, Chris Yarran

C: Kade Simpson, Chris Judd, Andrejs Everitt

HF: Liam Jones, Lachie Henderson, Dale Thomas

F: Troy Menzel, Levi Casboult, Matthew Kreuzer

R: Robbie Warnock, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs

I: Ed Curnow, Tom Bell, Andrew Carrazzo, Sam Docherty

Predicted finish: 15th

Betting (William Hill)

To win the flag: $67

To make the top eight: $4