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Blues adopt new approach for 2025 season | 02:54
A Carlton forward has adopted new injury prevention measures in a bid to stay available this season. Plus, inside the “mindset shift” at Princes Park this season amid renewed plans for a premiership push. Also, the goalkicker who has been “the real eye-catcher” this pre-season.
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Orazio Fantasia, despite an extensive injury history including shoulder and calf problems last season, managed 15 senior games in his first year with Carlton; his most in a season since 2021 with Port Adelaide.
And despite a ‘slow’ pre-Christmas period, the 29-year-old is pleased with the condition his body is in as the Blues prepare for trial matches against St Kilda and GWS.
“The body’s good, I had a bit of a slower start before Christmas, which is probably not unusual for me, but (it’s put me) in a really good position now,” Fantasia told Fox Sports’ Drew Jones.
“I’ve probably done about 85 per cent of pre-season, which is nice. (I’m) looking to build on what I was able to do last year, for sure.”
After multiple knee surgeries and soft-tissue setbacks in years gone by, Fantasia has picked up new conditioning habits this pre-season, including inspiration from an American sporting legend.
“I think I’ve probably gone far more down the Pilates and mobility sort of rabbit-hole,” he told Jones.
“I watched the Tom Brady documentary and all of his stuff about mobility and being able to still be strong but being able to move as well, and he played for so many years.
“(I’m) sort of challenging that, doing mobility three-to-four times a week, whereas I used to stretch maybe once a week and (think) that was enough. It’s definitely helped, and I’m hitting some PBs (personal bests) and getting faster as well, which is nice.
“There’s a fair few boys that like it (Pilates) now, there’s probably about 20 of us — but it’s hard to do it all together because everyone’s just talking a bit of crap and getting in each other’s ear.”
Following a 2024 season with high expectations that ended with a whimper against eventual flag-winners Brisbane, the former Essendon and Power forward believes there is reason for Carlton fans to maintain their excitement, citing a favourite Michael Voss philosophy.
“I think the way we’ve gone about the pre-season and what we’ve gone after, ‘Vossy’s massive on something called Kaizen, which is just about incremental growth every single day and coming in with a mindset to get better,” Fantasia said.
“If you’re not doing that, then that’s the wrong attitude and not what we want. If we’re following that process and making sure we’re getting better every day with how we want to play and how we want to defend, the outcome and the results will take care of themselves.
“But if we just focus on the result and the winning, we actually probably won’t win, and we won’t play as a team and won’t get better. So, it’s been a bit of a mindset shift, and I think it’s really helped us.”
It hasn’t been all smooth-sailing for the Blues this pre-season, with dual best-and-fairest runner-up Nic Newman already ruled out for the entire 2025 season after rupturing his patella tendon, and Sam Walsh missing time with further hamstring issues.
Fantasia said it would be “pretty hard to fill those (Newman’s) boots” and didn’t think it would be up to just one player to pick up the slack, though he did flag Ollie Hollands’ activity across the half-backline this pre-season.
“I think it’s not necessarily one person going back and being able to fill that role, it’s probably (a matter of) ‘can everyone up their game that extra five per cent and take on a bit of leadership that we’re going to be missing’,” he said.
“I’ve been there many times (speaking of Walsh’s setback), it’s frustrating, you want to do everything (to get back out there) … (but) as much as it’s disappointing and we want him out there, he can come back in and have an impact straight away, so I think it’s more about doing everything right and making sure that when he comes back he’s not missing a beat (going) forward.”
The goalsneak added his two cents on a potential breakout this season, singling out a fellow forward-line occupant.
“I think it’s been common in a lot of guys in saying it, but I think Jesse Motlop has been the real eye-catcher this pre-season,” Fantasia said.
“He’s come back so fit and so strong, and his speed and his highlights to take the game forward, but also his defending — it’s definitely been a standout this (pre-season).”
