Firstly, let me say I am disappointed and a tad upset. But I am not and never will disregard supporting the club as it makes strides in its bid to achieve the ultimate prize. After a match, I go on social media to see how others react, and it surprised me that for one Carlton group, the admins had to switch off comments due to the sheer nastiness and vitriol directed at players, coaches and the club. Under the guise of ‘venting’, they believe they have the right to make their feelings tainted with nastiness and self-entitlement public.
While there is no issue in vocalising an opinion or view, there is if it has the underlying theme of name calling directed at players, coaches and the club. Regarding the ‘self-entitlement’, some believe that the club ‘owes them.’
This is a sporting club that we support. There will be many highs and just as many lows, and we have gone through many, many lows in the past. We are now starting to slowly savour the highs that come with consistency in the administration and coaching of the club and also amongst the playing group. Sure, it needs tweaking, fine tuning, solidifying, but it does not need those out there sinking to a level that does and achieves nothing except for the sole purpose of venting based on a nasty undertone. Let’s focus on the progress we’ve made and the potential for even greater success in the future.
Behind me sat a ‘supporter’ who, after the third time that they made a derogatory comment directed at our and the opposition players, I turned and gave him a rather nasty look. I noted where he was sitting; if he had made one more comment like that, I would have reported him to the club and the stadium. There is no need at all, in any way, to behave like this. We can be critical, disappointed, upset, and angry, but the names this man called players are deplorable. Another supporter yelled at the umpires, vocalising their anger, but did not stoop to the level of name-calling.
I have stated before that five years ago I wrote a timeline of where I thought the club would be for the next five years. So far, I have not been wrong. The reason is that I understand and look not at the short-term success of the club, but the long-term. I don’t expect others to see it this way, but this is what I believe based on the evidence before me. I have no issue if others don’t agree, and that is what makes this sport or any sport exciting: we can all have different views and opinions, but it should be based on the evidence and not on emotion. I understand that we are all emotionally tied to the club and what it means for us, but that alone will not make a club successful in the long run. Let’s stay committed to our long-term vision for the club.
Season 2024 is proving to be one of the closest we have seen for a long time. There is no guarantee which club will eventually make it to the Grand Final. There have been losses from clubs that should not have lost and wins where clubs should not have won. Why should Carlton be any different?
We are a club slowly building to where it eventually wants to be. If we want successful longevity in the game, we have to understand that sometimes it just does not work out. But there will be times when it all starts clicking into place, and the memories of our losses will fade into the past. The game on Friday night showed that we are not quite there yet to achieve this long-term success. We are making strides, but we are just not there yet.
We have to also stop with this name-calling directed at players and coaches. We can be upset, angry, frustrated and disappointed, but not nasty and derogatory comments directed at the club and those who want to strive to be successful.
Always: #GOBLUES!
Image courtesy of the AFL
SPORTZ 