Blues brace for blast

The Blues braced for a return to the training track on Monday morning and for a roasting from the Carlton hierarchy over the pre-Christmas escapades of several players which brought themselves and the club into disrepute.

Reporting for duty for the first time since they broke for their Christmas-New Year break on December 18, the players took part in a time trial around Princes Park followed by a 45-minute light skills session in bright sunshine on the main oval.

Andrew Walker won the time trial followed by Brock McLean and club captain Chris Judd with the usual suspects including Chris Yarran and Jeff Garlett bringing up the rear.

The training run gave the squad the chance to expend some nervous energy ahead of the team meeting that was to follow where club president Stephen Kernahan was expected to tear strips off the likes of Walker, Ryan Houlihan and Eddie Betts, and set in stone the club's requirements of the players in 2010.

Carlton has scheduled a media conference for Monday afternoon where Kernahan will explain the club's position.

Walker and Houlihan were both fined by the club for their scuffle with security staff at Crown Casino following the players' infamous pre-Christmas drunken boat trip while Betts was fined also after being arrested for being drunk in public.

"This is the second incident that has been brought to the club's attention as a direct result of the players' unofficial end of year celebrations on Saturday," said Carlton CEO Greg Swann at the time.

"We understand a number of players drank excessively during a cruise in the afternoon."

"This is clearly the most disappointing manner to end the year as the club has embarked on a number of initiatives and programs with the playing group outlining the negative effects of binge drinking in the community."

The club said it would consider further sanctions against Walker, Houlihan and Betts when the players returned from their annual leave.