NO POISONED chalice has been more toxic latterly than Carlton's best-and-fairest trophy. Symptomising the Blues' blues, each of the winners from 2002 to 2006 had left the club within two years. Last year's club champion, Andrew Carrazzo, remains, but is no longer in the midfield, bustled aside by the arrival of Chris Judd, the return of Nick Stevens and the inexorable and silky rise of No. 1 draft picks Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs. He is now a back pocket.

Football is unsentimental. Far from appreciating Carrazzo's years of manful toil in a mostly unavailing cause, a cruel but clever appraisal of the Blues' list that did the email rounds earlier this year noted simply: "Carrazzo is Italian for turnover." A mate sent it to him the day it appeared.

Carrazzo says none of these twists insulted him. The move from midfield was not hard to foresee. "I understand my capabilities and role," he said. "I understood the bigger picture. Having Stevo and Juddy in there meant I might have to play some other role. I was happy to do that. I'm not a jealous person.

"If you've been through what we've been through the past four or five years, winning is the main priority.

"I think I've made the adjustment not too badly. Sometimes I still get caught in midfield mode, chasing the ball. If it's ingrained in you, it means you've got to change your approach."

As for acerbic fans, Carrazzo also is equanimous. "The way I look at it, if you think you're going to go through your whole career and not get a bit of backlash, you're kidding yourself," he said. "You've got to realise that not everyone is going to rate you and think you're a star. It's got to be water off a duck's back. You've got to laugh about it." He did, and still does.

Carrazzo rejoices simply to be playing for Carlton, the club he has loved since childhood, the club he watched every week as a young teenager and member, wearing Steve Silvagni's number on his back and thrilling also to the exploits of Greg Williams. "I thought Brett Ratten was pretty good, too," he said, "but saying so now would look like I was sucking up to him."

Carrazzo said he thought merely pulling on the Blues' guernsey made him a 5% better player. "I will probably barrack for Carlton, no matter what happens in my career, for the rest of my life," he said.

Carrazzo spent two years on Geelong's rookie list, won the VFL team's best-and-fairest in his second year, but was up against Gary Ablett, Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly, Joel Corey and the fact that the Cats had no long-term injuries. "I knew the writing was on the wall, and it was time to move on," he said. "But I'm thankful for my time there."

He says he is jealous of what his old teammates have achieved, but happy for them, too. He is grateful also to Mark Thompson for recommending him to Carlton.

The first three years there were mostly fruitless and anonymous, for club and player. Last year, it all changed. Carrazzo's best-and-fairest form created pressures. "I noticed teams being a little more aware of me out on the ground near the end of the season," he said. "I was finding it a bit harder to get the ball." The trophy redoubled it. "I felt the pressure straight away, of having to back it up," he said. "That was the main thing that hit me as different from last year."

Carlton's between-seasons makeover at all levels re-established a long-absent winning feeling. But winning is an ethereal business, and at first this year, the victories would not come. "Frustrating," said Carrazzo. "We played some really good footy, but we showed the characteristics of a really young team. We had little lapses for a quarter, and that would cost us.

"Things are very black and white in footy. A team can be rebuilding, but ultimately what determines whether what you're doing is right or wrong is whether you win or not. Now there's a bit of gratification for us to know that the things the coach has been preaching are right."

Momentarily, Carlton flattered itself, fatefully. "When we first got into the eight, we got caught looking too far ahead," said Carrazzo. "If you look too far ahead, that's when you get your pants pulled down. We did in the loss to Essendon."

Carrazzo more than most knows that a footballer is only as good as his last kick. Too often still, his is not to a teammate, thus the turnover taunt. "I know deep down I'm never going to be regarded as a great kick," he said. "But if I can keep within my limitations, and make sure it's not a focus for criticism, and concentrate on the things I do well, it's not going to be an issue."

Carrazzo has adopted no airs, taken no shortcuts, and won't now. "I've had to work a bit harder than most guys," he said. "But I'm glad it's been that way, and I've cherished everything I've been able to do."