![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a808cac75c117c39c140d7e17217d8f11ab2247c.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nAlthough statistics are considered a very raw measure of performance, the domination of midfielders in Brownlow Medal counts has the potential to devalue the status of the game\u2019s highest individual honour.<\/p>\n
Senior umpires were keen to have the ability to back up their initial thoughts to avoid previously unavoidable errors of judgment, while the league is keen to protect the unique nature of the award.<\/p>\n
The same change to the Brownlow Medal voting process will also be made for the AFLW best and fairest award.
– Peter Ryan<\/p>\n
Blues did not broach injury history, Walsh says<\/p>\n
Andrew Wu<\/p>\n
Carlton star Sam Walsh says his injury history was not brought up in contract negotiations with the Blues as he turned his back on free agency to sign an eight-year deal.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sam Walsh has recommitted to the Blues.Credit: Ruby Alexander<\/p>\n
Walsh accepts the Blues have taken on an element of risk in locking him to a blockbuster contract \u2013 the longest in the club\u2019s history \u2013 which ties him to Ikon Park until the end of 2034.<\/p>\n
Gold Coast forward Ben King, Port Adelaide star Zak Butters and Brisbane forward Zac Bailey are now the three biggest names remaining in this year\u2019s pool of free agents.<\/p>\n
Walsh\u2019s signature, amid interest from several Victorian clubs, including Geelong, is a massive fillip for the Blues, who have undergone significant change in the off-season, with Graham Wright and Chris Davies coming in, respectively, as the new CEO and football boss.<\/p>\n
The Blues, who lost Charlie Curnow, Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni, have also embarked on what senior figures at the club have described as a reset and cultural change in the final year of coach Michael Voss\u2019 contract.<\/p>\n
Walsh, star defender Jacob Weitering and spearhead Harry McKay are the three big names remaining at Ikon Park from the deep rebuild of 2015-18 overseen by former list boss Stephen Silvagni, who is now in that role with the Saints<\/a>.<\/p>\n Walsh believes the changes he\u2019s made to his training regimen will hold him in good stead to return to the type of form that earned him All-Australian selection in 2021 and the Gary Ayres Award as the competition\u2019s best finals player in 2023.<\/p>\n With his contract signed, the challenge for Walsh is to play more games in 2026.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n This has been his first uninterrupted summer since his career-best season five years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mind has been… probably searching into what my body needs,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe club backed me in to be able to do a bit of work in the off-season to get to work on a few different things, which I\u2019m not going to go into, but I\u2019m doing sort of even more work than I\u2019ve ever done to build the confidence in my body, and hopefully that can be on show this year.\u201d<\/p>\n Walsh will be 34 when his contract expires, an age at which only the most durable players are still on the field.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to think I\u2019m still up there playing some of my best footy.\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n \u201cI look at a lot of other guys in the competition, and around sport… if you\u2019re able to put the work in and sort of respect the position you\u2019re in, and try and get elite training standards and habits, then it\u2019s going to leave me in a really good place.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s an element that that\u2019s the risk the club takes [with a long-term contract], and then, for me, the positive for the club also is it\u2019s able to plan and know that I\u2019m committing, and I\u2019m going to try and bring as much as I can in that eight years, whether it\u2019s on or off the field.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing that I love about [the] people that I had talks with throughout this conversation \u2013 they didn\u2019t bring up injuries once. They spoke about the value of my character around the group, and that\u2019s something that I wanted to shine through for the rest of the time here.\u201d<\/p>\n Walsh said he was aware of interest from rival clubs but did not entertain the prospect of leaving Carlton, his home since being taken with the No.1 pick in the 2018 draft.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a really straightforward decision for me,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel as though there\u2019s a lot of talk around the last year [of the contract, but]… I\u2019ve still got a whole year to go. It feels like a lot of the hype builds around this type of year, and I just wanted to get it done before the start of the season because I knew it was where I wanted to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Walsh\u2019s retention is being framed as a \u201chuge coup\u201d by the Blues, whose premiership drought ticked over to 30 years last season. Walsh has played just four finals in seven years at the club.<\/p>\n \u201cSam embodies everything we value at Carlton: elite standards, humility and a relentless drive to improve,\u201d Carlton list manager Nick Austin said.<\/p>\n \u201cTo get his signature before the AFL season even starts perfectly sums up the type of player and person he is, and the type of environment we want to be building where our people believe in what they are helping create.\u201d<\/p>\n In demand: Zac Bailey has been a consistent mid-sized forward for the Brisbane Lions.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images<\/p>\n Bailey\u2019s contract won\u2019t distract Lions, skipper vows<\/p>\n Jon Pierik<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n Brisbane co-captain Harris Andrews has declared the Lions are confident of retaining Zac Bailey, and insist the star goalkicker\u2019s uncertain contract status will not disrupt their bid for premiership three-peat.<\/p>\n![\"With](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1d221ef720ff203cab4d1b97f56dd1f3cb89ccf9.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"In](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771933217_937_c754d3bf9192cab1721e3fa4acc882f01951ff86.jpeg\")
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