The excitement for the start of the AFL 2024 season was palpable for Carlton supporters. We had traversed the path of Finals in 2023, and it gave us a hunger for more and the knowledge that we are on the right path to ultimate success.
With the bounce of the ball, it began, and it seemed for a while that this path that we were going on was not living up to our expectations. I am not interested in what others have specified, that is, what the outside noise makers have stated, only what we, as a club, are endeavouring to achieve. Then something happened. A switch. A light bulb moment. Or just a revelation.
In a few moments, we went from being five goals down in the first quarter to still being five goals down in the second. Then, after the half-time break, the team proved they were no one-season-hit wonders. Brisbane scored one goal, Carlton seven!
We had the Brisbane team spooked. In the end, it was a much-maligned Harry McKay (who I have to say I have always believed in) who took an incredible mark near the end of the last quarter, and every supporter with their hands on their heads in anxious anticipation, waited. But the doubters were sent back to their dens, and Hazza did what I have always believed he could do…slot it through! His goal put us in front in the dying minutes of the game!
But then our anxiety went from relief to panic again. We were down in our backline with Docherty subbed out injured. But the team did not allow panic or disarray to infect the game. They came, they swarmed, and with every ball in play, players made sure that not one Brisbane player could get within a metre of the goals or even a point.
The smothers. The tackles. The kicks away from the Brisbane goal area proved far too much for the Lions, and the moment the final siren went, despite and against all odds…Carlton came away with a win that still brings a tear to my eyes!
It was a revelation for supporters, but much more than that, it was a revelation for the team. They achieved what in the past would have sent them down a losing path. Despite losing major players before the season and during the game, the team, using their depth in the group, proved that they are a team to fear. They came together, banded together, and worked together.
Yes, it is only the first game, and the season is a long one, but we cannot and must not underestimate that the significance of winning against the Lions, in their den, is nothing short of a revelation! This win sets up the team to know that ultimate glory can be achieved in circumstances that may not be perfect. That with a unity of purpose, they can allow that quiet niggle of success that lies in the pit of their souls, soar to the top. For the players, the win was a revelation that they can achieve whatever they want to accomplish – together!
How good is it to be a Carlton supporter?
Bring on 2024! GO BLUES!
All photos, courtesy of the AFL
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