Carlton suspend Wade Derksen for drink-driving, out until round four

Carlton defender Wade Derksen will miss the first three games of the 2027 AFL season after the club suspended him for high-range drink-driving on an off-season trip.

The Blues confirmed the sanction on 16 October. The 25-year-old will sit out all pre-season games and is suspended up to round three of next season, which means he misses the opening three home-and-away matches ABC News.

Police charged Derksen in Jabiru, in the Northern Territory. The club said he failed a roadside breath test late in September and returned a high-range reading, a level well above the legal alcohol limit for drivers.

His case is due to be heard in a Northern Territory court in November. The charge has not yet been tested in court.

Carlton published an official update titled ‘Club statement: Wade Derksen’ outlining the ban Carlton Football Club. The suspension was imposed by the club. It sits separately from any penalty a court may impose.

Derksen joined Carlton at the start of this season after Greater Western Sydney delisted him at the end of last year. A defender is the player whose main job is to stop opposition forwards from scoring. He played 15 games for the Blues this season.

He had made a long move to join the club. Earlier this year the AFL detailed a 3,760km drive over four days in January that brought Derksen and his family to Carlton for a second chance at senior level.

For fans, this means Carlton will start next season without a regular backline option. Pre-season games are warm-up matches played before the premiership season begins. They do not count for points, but clubs use them to test fitness and selection. Missing them plus three rounds leaves Derksen with a long wait for his next senior game Nine's Wide World of Sports.