Five minutes before quarter-time against Greater Western Sydney early last month, the Carlton juggernaut was rolling. A game and a half clear in second spot and leading by 39 points, the rampaging Blues appeared on track for a sixth straight victory with serious aspirations for a drought-breaking flag.

The events of the next two hours sent the Blues’ season into freefall. Second for much of June and July, the Blues are out of the eight midway through August, bruised, battered and almost broken, facing the distinct possibility of having September off.

Got the Blues: Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay and Patrick Cripps.Credit: Graphic: Marija Ercegovac

Their finals bid became all that more difficult on Tuesday when they ruled out twin towers Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, Adam Saad, Jack Martin, Lachie Fogarty and Jordan Boyd for the road trip to face West Coast on Sunday, meaning there will be at least six changes to the side.

Curnow, McKay, Saad and Martin are in contention to face St Kilda in the final round. The Eagles game is suddenly a 50-50 clash for the injury-ravaged Blues, who have 17 players in the casualty ward. A total of 11 players are missing from the team that lost to the Brisbane Lions in a preliminary final last year.

Where did the Blues’ season go so wrong?

The Blues’ troubles started at a time when they had close to a full list to choose from, except for the season-ending injuries to Sam Docherty and Jack Silvagni.

Seldom during Michael Voss’s time at Ikon Park has........

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