When you look in the mirror, what do you see? How do you define who you are and what you are? Do you see yourself as a decent person who respects others and their points of view, or someone who likes to ‘stir the pot’ and believe in the value of your words and viewpoints, irrespective of whether they are valid or not, and who they may hurt? Or do you see yourself as someone who may disagree with others but understands and respects other points of view? Or do you just think of your own self-absorbed notions of what should or should not happen, not only in your life but in society itself? I ask these questions for several reasons.
I did not post anything about the game we lost to Adelaide the weekend before. There was no need, as I did not think my viewpoint would enlighten the situation, when I believed this was just a stumbling block in a long and arduous season. The game this past weekend was different, and the outcome meant more than the loss in the game before.
I have always stated, and always will, that the season is not a sprint but a marathon, and it changes with every game and every week that passes. I will reiterate that those who publicly called for the coach to be sacked or to trade players because they were just no good have no real clue about what it will take to get to the end and compete for that penultimate prize.
The win over the weekend was one that in the past could have seen the collapse of any team. Carlton could have capitulated with only one rotation on the bench at one stage, but they did not. They played in a way that will only sustain them moving forward in the season. It will let them know that they are good enough and can leap towards cementing their place in the top eight. Yes, it will come with some setbacks, that is the nature of the game, and these setbacks will only fuel the determination and need to overcome barriers. We saw this when one player kicked a goal, ensuring an injury-depleted team’s win. It was so apt that that very player was in a game highlighting the need for conversation and action regarding mental health.
The battles that some have with their mental health should never, ever be understated or deemed to be one where that person should ‘harden up’. To lose people because they struggled with mental health is devastating not only to the family but to the wider community. So, it was so fitting that the sealer of the game was someone who put their hand up, stepped away from the game and focused on making themselves healthier mentally. Of course, I’m talking about Harry McKay.
That celebration after kicking the goal was something that was more than just the fact that he had kicked a goal, but how, with the backing of the club and those in the Carlton supporter community who never gave up on him and what he can achieve. It was sensational, inspirational and downright magnificent. We saw Elijah Hollands who had also been struggling with mental health, has been slowly gaining more confidence and is showing that he too, with support, can be the player and person most knew he was capable of becoming. It was as if, for the players, the club and those that supported both on the field and off, smirked at those who just criticised, were negative and at times, nasty, in a ‘shove that’ moment. I, for one, loved it.
The game against St Kilda was not pretty, but it showed that a wobbly start will not be the definition of a season. That with every game played, the steps moving forward must be taken one at a time. That there may be barriers or blockades that make a team go one step backwards, but if they concentrate on moving forwards with each and every opportunity, no matter who is sitting on the interchange bench, it will only serve the team to know that they are heading in the right direction and that being ‘stronger together’ will out-win those who just want to shatter and distrupt.
Congratulations, Carlton. It was an epic win, and one that, moving forward, can be a stepping stone for more successes. So look in the mirror, Carlton, and know that you are heading in the right direction with the support of those who, like you, believed and never gave up!
#GOBLUES!
Photos courtesy of AFL.
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