Just as the AFL future has arrived for Charlie Curnow, it's still waiting for fellow Carlton key forward Harry McKay.
Curnow's breakout performance last Sunday against Collingwood was brilliant for the Blues, but it also highlights McKay's inconsistent development.
Scoring firepower has been the glaring weakness for Carlton, who are bottom on the ladder this season.
The dream among the Blues faithful is for Curnow and McKay to become their twin marking targets inside 50m.
They are young guns with stacks of potential, but injuries stalled McKay's development in his first two seasons at Carlton.
After taking Jacob Weitering with the No.1 pick in the 2015 draft, Carlton recruited McKay at 10 and Curnow at 12.
Curnow has played 38 senior games - McKay just eight.
This year, there have been glimpses of McKay's talent, but he has been out of the side since round 10.
"His (issue) is around consistency - I can appreciate that he has some talent, but his consistency in some contest work, quarter to quarter, needs to grow," said coach Brenton Bolton.
"He's fully aware and understanding of that, he'd be the first to admit at the moment he's working his way through that as a young forward."
Bolton added interrupted pre-seasons because of injury had hurt McKay's development.
"He's never had a clean run, poor old 'H' - hopefully some consecutive games will build that up enough that we will be able to play him again before the year's finished," Bolton said.
