Carroll has not returned to train with the Demons since reports surfaced of his involvement in drunken incidents during the weeks after the season’s end.
But the rugged backman has instigated a private fitness regime, involving a punishing schedule of boxing training.
“I’ve come down to Warrnambool on Monday and … I’ve been doing four boxing sessions a day. Jonathan Brown being a Warrnambool boy trains here. There’s Jordan Lewis and Nick Stevens as well as James Tomkins (Olympic rower),” Carroll told radio station SEN.
“This bloke knows what he’s doing and he’s made me pretty sore and bruised up because we’ve been doing four sessions a day. Out of all the AFL pre-seasons I’ve done this is definitely the hardest I’ve trained. It is keeping me in shape and behaving.”
Carroll also revealed he hasn’t spoken with the Demons since the end of the season, but that his manager Ricky Nixon was in discussions with the club.
The 28-year-old would not rule out a return to Melbourne, but says if all parties couldn’t come to an agreement, he would hope to continue his career elsewhere.
“I’m just doing everything I can to allow me to have every chance at playing AFL again. I’m definitely not ready to finish my career and I definitely don’t want to finish my career in this way,” he said.
Carroll admitted his off-field troubles were all alcohol-related but was confident he could control himself.
“There’ve been a few allegations going around about my behaviour and I understand they’re all alcohol-related. At the moment I’m not drinking, I’m just training and it is pretty easily fixed,” he said.
“You’ve got to watch your drinking and pick the right moments and the right spots to drink. I don’t think that is much of an issue, just something I’ve got to be aware of.”
The defender scoffed at suggestions he had gone off the rails, saying he had the discipline to stay away from the demon drink.
“I wouldn’t say off the rails. There are allegations and there are a few things that I have put my hand up and copped. They’re all alcohol-related and I don’t think it is a big issue,” he said.
“It’s just something that I am aware of and I can control that quite easily because I’m down here training hard and not even thinking about that stuff.
“This season, off my own bat, I wrote a pledge to the leadership group that I wouldn’t drink for the whole season and I did that. That’s how I know that I can do it. I’ve already done it this year and I know I’ve proved to myself already that I was off the grog for ’08.”
