Let me say a few things. Yes, I was guttered about the result on Sunday. But, and there is a but, I understand where the team is and where it is heading. Now, you may disagree, but that is fine. But if you do, don’t state that ‘I am delusional’ or ‘blind’ or ‘have no idea’ etc. etc. etc. Using one word or a few words to state how you disagree proves nothing to me as it does not prove anything. If you disagree, I want to know why and maybe I can be persuaded.
I have repeatedly stated where I think the club is, and I have not changed. Sure, we have been decimated with injuries, and that plays into how we are faring so far this year. But let’s take a step back and rationalise this.
Firstly, Michael Voss has been a Head coach since 2022. Before that, how many other coaches did we have in the past ten years? Five! If we take this further, let’s look at those teams in the top eight in order. Sydney – John Longmire has been Head coach since 2011, thirteen years. Port Adelaide – Ken Hinkley has been Head coach since 2012, twelve years. GWS – Adam Kingsley has been a Head coach since 2023, and yes, he has only been in that role for just over a year, but the previous coach was Leon Cameron, who was there since 2014, eight years.
Then there is Geelong—Chris Scott has been Head Coach since 2010, nearly fourteen years. Yes, he won a Premiership in 2011, the year after he took over from Bomber Thompson, who had been coach for ten years. Yes, he took the club to a Premiership in 2022. It took him another eleven years to get the club to Premiership contention.
As we move down, Brisbane Lions—Chris Fagan has been Head coach since 2016, nearly eight years, and has taken the club to a Premiership but not won. Fremantle—Justin Longmuir has been at the helm since 2019, nearly five years. Before that, Ross Lyon, who had been there for seven years and took them to a Grand Final, did not win.
Western Bulldogs—Luke Beveridge has been Head coach since 2015, nearly nine years. Before that, they had Brendan McCartney for two years, Paul Williams for a year, and Rodney Eade for six years. Sure, they won a Premiership in Beveridge’s second year as coach, but their season has been up and down since then.
Lastly, Hawthorn—Sam Mitchell took over from Alistar Clarkson in 2022. Clarko had been Head coach since 2005, for sixteen years, and took the club to four Premierships. He won his first three years after taking over, and it took him another five years to win three straight.
Now, let’s remind ourselves of Carlton’s journey. Brett Ratten, from 2007 to 2012, five years. Mick Malthouse 2013 – 2015, two years. Brendon Bolton 2016 – 2019, two and half years. Then David Teague from mid 2019 to 2021, two and half years. Since 2007, we have had five coaches. We thought we would give a coach a few years, and then if it doesn’t work, we could sack them and try again. And if that doesn’t work out, sack them and try again. And if that doesn’t work out, sack them and try again.
We went through the salary cap breach in 2002, which set the club back ten years. So, if we take it that we had to start our rebuild in 2012, we have turned over coaches and not had consistency in the club and the team for twelve years. It makes no difference whatsoever about the talent in the club, as we have seen some of the best players at Carlton, and not one of them has won a Premiership at Carlton.
To flood social media and the media as a whole spouting their disgust and anger at the team and the club itself shows that there is, in my view, no fundamental understanding of what it will take to get a Premiership cup. Sure, be upset, be guttered even, but to be angry and not support the club anymore is a blinkered view of an arrogance that is steeped in an era that is no more and never will be if we take the attitude that we have been taking by the turnover of coaches. I don’t get nor understand this notion that there is an expectation that because of last season, it is a given that we have to be in the top eight. We are not the only club to have great players, and the competition has become a very, very close one.
I just don’t understand this feeling of entitlement that some have just because we have not won a Premiership for twenty-nine years, that given that past that we have gone through, well, it is our right to win one when we have not earned it yet. This need to bag and boo players and coaches achieves nothing positive only to vent our own frustration. It does not incentivise anyone to do better. It never has and never will.
To plaster vitriol so that it makes us feel better solves nothing. I was upset by the loss, but I was more upset about the reaction of some who had no fundamental understanding and didn’t want to understand the club’s unique situation. We may not make it to the Finals this season, but we have the core guts of being a team that will make it. We just need to know that consistency in our coaches, our players and, yes, our fitness and stamina will get us there. If you can’t support a team when they are down, then you don’t really have the right to support them when they turn it around and become the team we all want to see.
Now, SEN has posted a post about how Carlton has let the supporters down for a long time. That is accurate, but it doesn’t mean that we have this expectation of success when the club has not been prepared to go for the long haul. If they don’t, this will be a repeatable occurrence nobody wants to be a part of.
SPORTZ 