The raw 21-year-old from Queensland, who has attracted comparisons to a young Anthony Koutoufides, played the final seven rounds last season and impressed with his hardness, athleticism and versatility.
In most seasons at most clubs, Bell would have done enough to be upgraded. But he was desperately unlucky.
It was a case of mathematics. The Blues promoted fellow rookies Zach Tuohy and Levi Casboult, both of whom had been rookies for three years, leaving no more room for Bell.
Disappointed but not deterred, Bell says he never contemplated leaving Carlton. He even refused to entertain discussions with other clubs, believing that a second season as a rookie was a small price to pay for what he hopes will be a long career with the Blues.
Bell signed a two-year deal with Carlton, with an option for a third season. He also appears certain to be the Blues' nominated rookie, which would enable him to play the entire AFL season, and is expected to earn elevation to the club's primary list for 2014.
See his highlights package
"I understand that there just wasn't enough room to elevate us all, and I was more than happy to stay on the rookie list," he told AFL.com.au.
"I'm at an excellent club and we're definitely going forward, so there was no chance of me ever leaving Carlton.
"I'd like to think I've got a lot more years left in the game. The time is obviously going to come when I do get on the senior list. I've just got to take my opportunities when they come. I just want to keep the ball rolling."
The ball rolled slowly at first for Bell last season, his first after being recruited from Morningside at No. 14 in the 2012 NAB AFL Rookie Draft. He suffered stress fractures in his lower back and was sidelined for 12 weeks in the pre-season, when he was restricted to only light walking.
The Blues then sent Bell home to Queensland for three weeks to mentally refresh. On his return he soon found form with VFL affiliate Northern Blues, and by round 17 he was making his AFL debut.
For the remainder of the season he averaged 15 possessions (eight contested) and four tackles. Not surprisingly, he won the Blues' best first-year player award.
It wasn't long before Blues fans started noting the similarities to club great Koutoufides. There's the appearance: the fair hair and Adonis-like physique (Bell is 187cms and 95-98kgs; Koutoufides was 190cms and 97kgs at his peak in 2000). Bell also plays a bit like 'Kouta'.
A short highlights package on the Blues' website shows just what Bell is capable of: bone-jarring tackles and bumps, clean centre clearances, contested marks, and goals in tight situations. It is, dare we say it, Kouta-like.
"Being from Queensland, I didn’t really know much about Kouta until I got drafted to Carlton," Bell admits. "But when people started mentioning Kouta to me, I looked him up on YouTube and quickly worked out that he definitely has the upper hand on me. He was amazing.
"It's nice to be thought of like that – and hopefully one day I'll play a bit more like him – but I've got a very long way to go."
Bell also aspires to play like former skipper Chris Judd, one of his boyhood idols. The pair has done a lot of work together this pre-season.
"'Juddy' has helped me heaps with my positioning, and how important is to be a one-touch player, especially as an inside mid, which I want to be," he said. "We have a lot of little competitions and he gets in my ear and psyches me out a lot."
Bell has already psyched out some opponents in his brief AFL career. Known by his old Morningside teammates as 'The Bull', he loves the physical side of the game. In fact, he appears to seek body contact.
"I want to be known as a tough and fairly ruthless AFL player," he said. "It gets me into the game as well. If I haven’t had a kick for a while, I try to lay a tackle or a bump. Even seeing a good bump gets me going.
"Every team needs players like that. We've got Mitch Robinson and myself. Mitch is a nutcase – they call him 'Kamikaze'."
Bell is also in the top bracket of endurance athletes at Carlton. He attributes his stamina to the influence of his late mother Amanda, a keen runner and surfer who died from bowel cancer when Tom was just 12. She encouraged him to compete in cross-country and athletics.
"Mum's been a big influence in pushing me to get to the level I want to be at, to become the best I can," he said. "In saying that, I still have a great support base with my dad and my brother. I've been lucky to have such strong-minded people around me."
Tom Bell is a $304,000 midfielder in NAB AFL Fantasy. He averaged 65.57 points in 2012. Register your team at our AFL Fantasy Hub.
Follow AFL website reporter Ben Collins on Twitter at @AFL_BenCollins.
