1. Setting lofty goals before the season starts is a sure-fire way to anger the football gods
NO MATTER how logical the statement (e.g., last year we finished fifth so let's shoot for the top four), publicly stating lofty goals in the pre-season seems to invite bad luck into your club. It leaves you little wriggle room if things start to go wrong and can be a psychological millstone around coaches' and players' necks. With a fit list and a strong finish to the 2011 season, Brett Ratten had the best of intentions when he publicly set the bar higher for his players in 2012, but six months later everything that could go wrong had gone wrong and he was out of a job. Don't taunt the football gods.

2. The Blues struggled to cope with regular injuries to key personnel
It's been well documented, but it's worth repeating just how big a factor that injuries were in Carlton's disastrous season. Players to miss four or more games through injury in 2012 included Marc Murphy, Andrew Carrazzo, Chris Yarran, Lachie Henderson, Shaun Hampson, Andrew Walker, Michael Jamison, Rob Warnock, Jarrad Waite, Mitch Robinson and Jeremy Laidler. The Blues' depth was exposed, but to be fair, most teams would struggle to accommodate an injury list as lengthy as Carlton's often was without suffering a dip in form.  

3. Carlton desperately needs more tall options in attack
It's no coincidence that the team's fortunes took a hit when Waite was sidelined with a back injury through the middle part of the season. His talent is undoubted, but his body has struggled to cope with the rigours of AFL football for a while now. The key forward has averaged just 12 games a season for the past four years and will turn 30 before the start of the 2013 campaign. Levi Casboult showed some good signs off a limited preparation and Luke Mitchell kicked a goal on debut in round 23, but the Blues, who have expressed their interest in Travis Cloke, will be looking to add a veteran presence in attack in the off-season.

4. Brock McLean can play the game after all
McLean became the whipping boy of the Carlton faithful as he struggled through just 10 games in his first two years at the club, but pulled off a stunning reversal of fortune this season. After a patchy start he played 15 games in 2012 at an average return of 26 possessions, including a career-best 39 disposals against St Kilda in round 23, to earn himself a new contract with the club. He should probably lay off Twitter a bit though.

5. 'Natural' improvement in young players isn't a given
For one reason or another the natural improvement expected of the likes of Matthew Kreuzer, Bryce Gibbs, Kane Lucas, David Ellard and Robinson didn't materialise. Injuries played a large part for some - Kreuzer battled knee and hip complaints all season - but Gibbs was probably the best illustration of the plateau in performance that was a factor in the team's decline. Ratten declared the No.1 draft pick was ready to become an elite player in 2012, but he ended up plugging injury gaps for most of the year, which appeared to stall his development.

6. Chris Judd's brain snaps are a concern
He's a champion of the game, but with the eye gouge incident with Campbell Brown and the pressure point debacle with Michael Rischitelli in his past, the chicken wing tackle on Leigh Adams hurt Judd's image and was an unwanted distraction at an important time for his side. The team ended up winning three of the four games he missed through suspension, but he's just too important a figure to be getting involved in that sort of stuff, not to mention it's a shocking look for a club captain - even one who doesn't see himself as a role model.

7. Marc Murphy is skipper material
Murphy has always been a quietly spoken lad, but he's matured to the point where he's confident enough to grab hold of the group and let fly with a few home truths when required, even doing so with Judd in the huddle. He did a super job deputising for the skipper while he was suspended and is the clear heir apparent. The question for Carlton is, 'When do we make the change?' 

8. The gap between the Blues' best and worst was still far too great
As good as they looked winning the first three games, the Blues were truly awful in losing to Port Adelaide and Gold Coast later in the season. Yes, they suffered a high injury toll in 2012, but the limp efforts on those two occasions, in particular, indicated deeper issues. They were accused of being soft, lacking on-field leadership and having a poor work ethic at different stages of the season and its hard to argue against such assertions on the back of those two performances.

9. Ratten is a pretty classy individual
It really could have got ugly when the news of Ratten's sacking first surfaced in the week leading up to round 23, but he was big enough to make a dignified exit that drew widespread praise and saved the blushes of Stephen Kernahan and Greg Swann at a packed press conference at Visy Park. He would have been within his rights to point to the lengthy injury list and express his displeasure at the decision, but he took the high road and preserved his standing as a much-admired figure at the club.

10. Mick Malthouse has a bit to work with
Malthouse didn't look too happy at times during his tetchy unveiling as Carlton coach, but his mood should lighten when he casts his eye over the Blues' list. While it was maligned for a lack of depth during 2012, with a bit more luck the former Pies mentor should still have enough tools at his disposal to implement his remodelling job. Youngsters Casboult, Andrew McInnes, Tom Bell and Josh Bootsma all showed a bit and he has a core group of experienced players, who suffered a dip in confidence or were injured this year, who should benefit from a new voice.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs