Five minutes into the match, I realized that we would struggle to win. It was not that we weren’t capable; it was just that, for some inexplicable reason, I felt we would not win this time. Yes, it was disappointing. Yes, it was gut-wrenching. But no, I am in no way worried or concerned. I have said before that five years ago, I wrote down where I thought the club would be in the next six years. So far, I have not been wrong.
I understand where the club sits right now and what it must do to be the success it wants to be. But let’s be realistic here. We lost in Round 5. Not Round 15. Not Round 20, but Round 5. Yes, we lost to a team that had yet to win a match. But again, it is Round 5.
In the modern game, it is never about what happens before the major Bye Round but what happens after that. Carlton showed it in 2023, and they will show it again in 2024. But what is more important is what happens next.
For the next round, we will be playing against a team that is not just pushing but bombarding the competition in a way that has yet to really make them successful since they were formed.
For the first time in their history, I really believe GWS could go to the very end. They now have a culture and a team that could do just that. They are also a few years ahead of Carlton in terms of this.
The game on Saturday was like a slap in the face. A kick in the guts. It sent the team back just one step, and for me, it was a step that needed to be taken. I am a firm believer in owning up to your mistakes because only in this can you ever grow and become a better person and player. A few seasons ago, the team would have retreated into their shells and fallen into a spiral hole. Now, the team will do the opposite, and I really think that GWS should be worried.
Adelaide came out firing. They had more to prove not only to themselves but to their supporters. Carlton was on the back foot for the entire game.
But it is now time to regroup, reconcile with what happened, and take a step forward, which I do think they will. It is now the time for the club to understand that they are not the team from a few seasons ago; they are better. They will need to learn and understand the mistakes made on Saturday, own them, and work on them. I do think that this is what will happen.
I care not what commentators or others in the media and social media say; I only care how Carlton responds to the game on Saturday. Given the way Vossy and his team have handled the team so far, this loss will only make them a better side.
I am under no illusion as to where the club sits right now or where it will finish. I do believe that the seeds were sown in 2023, and in 2024, we will see the fruits of that labour. It is only Round 5, and what the team will learn and gain from this loss will only make them a better side. I do think GWS will be worried because they know what the club is capable of and what will fuel them in the game next Saturday.
ALWAYS WILL BE – #GO BLUES!
P.S Welcome back Mr Sam Walsh…first game, massive stats!
SPORTZ 