It was the club's men's team's 126th season as a member of the Australian Football League, and the first under new senior coach Michael Voss.
Carlton players won both of the league's major individual awards for the season: Patrick Cripps winning the Brownlow Medal as fairest and best, and Charlie Curnow winning the Coleman Medal as leading goalkicker with 64 goals.
[1] Traditional home ground Ikon Park continued to serve as the training and administrative base, and as the home ground for AFL Women's and the men's reserves matches; the stadium reached a milestone in its redevelopment during the year, with the completion of extended administration, training and match-day pavilion facilities along the southern wing where the Richard Pratt Stand (demolished in 2021) had previously stood.
[7] As part of the transition, and in response to the club's weaker than expected start to the 2021 season, a comprehensive review of the club's football department was undertaken in the second half of 2021, which was conducted by Sayers, CEO Cain Liddle, and external panel members Matthew Pavlich, Geoff Walsh and Graham Lowe.
[9] Chief among the changes was the sacking of senior coach David Teague, after two seasons of his initial three year contract.
Although his 21–29 win–loss record bettered those of his two predecessors (Mick Malthouse's 19–32–1 and Brendon Bolton's 16–61), interviews conducted during the review found Teague's coaching methods and gameplan were supported by only 30% of the club's players and staff, with that support heavily slanted towards the younger players.
[10] The review found that the gameplan focussed too heavily on attack at the expense of defense, was confusing for the players to execute, and that he was frequently outcoached by opposing coaches.
[13] The club made well publicised overtures to long-time senior coaches Alastair Clarkson (Hawthorn 2005–2021) and Ross Lyon (St Kilda 2007–2011 and Fremantle 2012–2019) as part of its search, with both declining the role.
[11][10] Onfield, Sam Docherty stepped aside from the co-captaincy and leadership group, doing so to focus on his recovery from treatment for testicular cancer with which he was diagnosed in August 2021.
[24] Cripps continued as co-captain, with Sam Walsh and Jacob Weitering serving as vice-captains and no broader leadership group named.
These top-up players were: Ned Cahill, Alex Cincotta, Josh Cripps, Ben Crocker, Jesse Glass-McCasker, Luke Goetz, Hugh Hamilton, David Handley, Will Hayes, Cody Hirst, Tyreece Leiu, Michael Lewis, Zavier Maher, Tom North, Stefan Radovanovic, Oliver Sanders, Matt Shannon, Cooper Stephens, Joel Trudgeon and Toby Wooller.
The club also unexpectedly lost full back Liam Jones to early retirement in November, after he declined comply with the league mandates related to the COVID-19 vaccine for all players; he was the first AFL men's player to retire over the vaccine.
[54] Particular praise went to the club's midfield, which dominated clearances for much of the first half of the season, buoyed in part by recruits Adam Cerra and George Hewett and strong form by others.
[56] Nevertheless, the club kept in touch with a top four chance, and after alternating wins and losses over an eight week period sat seventh with a 12–6 record after Round 19.
[59] The loss saw Carlton replaced in the final eight by the Western Bulldogs, who had won their last two games, on percentage by 0.6%pts – the equivalent of ten on-field points across the year.
[80] His chance at the medal almost came to an end in Round 20 when he was suspended by the Match Review Panel and AFL Tribunal for rough conduct in a front-on contest against Brisbane Lions' Callum Ah Chee, which would have ruled him ineligible and seen him miss the final rounds in which he polled the winning votes;[81] but, Carlton had successfully had the suspension overturned by the AFL Appeals Board.
[83] It was Carlton's second consecutive Coleman Medal, Harry McKay having won the medal in 2021; it was the first time a club had won consecutive VFL/AFL Leading Goalkicker awards by different players since Albert Thurgood and Fred Hiskins achieved the feat for Essendon in 1900 and 1901.
Patrick Cripps and Zac Fisher were next as goalkicking midfielders, followed by Jack Silvagni as a third tall forward.
[93] Inaugural player Jess Hosking also departed for Richmond, where her twin sister Sarah had moved in 2021.
[94] Carlton gained inaugural GWS player Jessica Dal Pos as part of the Harris trade, the club's only experienced recruit for the season.
[95] Annie Lee, Keeley Sherar, Brooke Vickers and Imogen Milford joined the club through the draft.
VFL-listed players newly signed to the team included former AFL senior players Ned Cahill (Essendon), Will Hayes (Western Bulldogs); former rookie player Jesse Glass-McCasker (Carlton); father-son prospect Charlie McKay (son of Andrew McKay); Carlton's offseason train-on players Josh Cripps and Tyreece Leiu; and Luke Goetz, Hugh Hamilton, David Handley, Michael Lewis, Charlie McKay, Mitchell Moschetti, Darcy Porter, Oliver Sanders, Hamish Sinnott, Archie Stevens and Joel Trudgeon.
Retained from the 2021 squad were Zane Barzen, Alex Cincotta, Ben Crocker, Aaron Gundry, Cody Hirst, Owen King, Tom North, Stefan Radovanovic, Matt Shannon, Cooper Stephens, Lachlan Swaney and Toby Wooller.