I sit down and strap myself in – waiting. The equipment checked, making sure all is in place. A button pushed. The sound of motion reverberates, and screams and yells echo. It has begun.

It starts slow, laborious and disappointing. Then momentum begins, and fear takes hold. Then you rise, and as you do, you feel nervous, as trepidation sets in, because you know there is going to be a downside.

There it is. That fear as you slide down, then something happens—a change. You rise again. Excitement brews tingled with a feeling of nervousness as that little voice inside your head that tells you, that you will fall again. But no, you don’t. You glide bumpily to the end.

Then you stop. You stand up, legs shaking, and a feeling of euphoria shows on your face, and you say out loud, ‘What just happened?’

This analogy is how it feels to be a Carlton supporter right now. Where you take a seat in season 2020 that is like a roller-coaster ride, yet you never leave the ground or the safety of your own home (if you can’t get to the matches). That is how it felt like in the game against Sydney on Tuesday 8th September 2020.

Every supporter was pretty flat from the game against GWS and even though our expectations that we were going to beat Sydney, we had that niggling feeling that it could go pear-shaped.

For the first part of the game, that was how it felt. However, the boys dug in and dug in deep. As the minutes counted down, in the end, it became another game where the last few minutes decided the eventual outcome.

It was an ugly, gruesome game to start with and our decision making and inadequate entrance to our forward line, was, as David Teague has said, inefficient and needs some work. Yet despite that, the players never gave up or gave in. This level of grit is something that in previous seasons, would have seen the team falter and get hammered on the scoreboard.

This year is different, and the match on Tuesday night showed that.
They refused to give up or give in, and with little tweaks, when the ride came to a close, we came out winners: ugly, but a win.

If you watch that game again, really from the time of our first goal, two things. TDK! That’s it, just TDK. At only 21, his skills as a ruckman are getting better and better with each game played. As a young ruckman, as he experiences more senior games, his abilities will become more robust, and the mistakes made will disappear as he learns how to handle the pressure.

Matthew Cottrell! Nothing else. Why? Well because a player who has only played five senior games, steps over that line of being unsure, to that line of, yep, I can do this. He flew in the air, taking with him, every supporter. He kicked that goal, bringing with him every supporter. He celebrated in a way, where every supporter celebrated with him. He made a small moment of a game, to become a significant one. Here’s why.

When everything was bleak, Cottrell, pushed aside those around him and leapt into the air making a statement that, ‘This ball is mine!’ The poise to settle himself down and kick that goal shows how far he has come as a senior player and how, at only twenty years old, with more senior games, he will be that extra zing on-field that every club needs.

We may get to the top eight this year, we may not; but either way, season 2021 is looking just that little bit brighter and exciting, and even if some of us, including myself, do not like roller-coasters, this ride, I will go on again.

The only way to celebrate this week, well, I will leave that to Cottrell, for no-one does it better!

#ALLOFUS!

The match against GWS started with that small tingle of hope, and by the last quarter, the legs got weary, the mind got foggy and tired, and stamina oozed out of the pores from sweat.

The players couldn’t hold on or make any real dent in our once third-quarter lead. I’m a “half-glass” full person, and I try to see the positives, the light at the end of a dark tunnel. I try to think, rationalise and come to a conclusion that for me, I can understand and be content.

So, for my “half-glass” full view on the game, here it is. We could not hold on for another twenty minutes. We were not the dynamic playing group that we were in the first three quarters, but we are not as bad as some may think or say and I know there will be those who disagree with me and that is your right, but to be perfectly honest, “it ain’t all doom and gloom!”

I have stated and will continue to say that 2020 will see the club move up the ladder and be in the top half of the bottom eight. Last year we finished 16th, this year, a year where most believed we would finish either the same as 2019 or lower. They could not see us rising. This year, we are sitting 12th and could, possibly rise a bit higher.

No-one, not even most supporters believed that we would be sitting where we are now. So why all the gut-wrenching disappointment that we are not in the top 8?

Because we had hope, hope that given the games that we had won, we could’ve made it to the top 8, but we didn’t and we won’t – this year.
Don’t get me wrong, I would’ve loved to have seen the team in the top 8, but I’m not so disappointed that we aren’t – yet. I fully expect that the team will be in the top 8 in 2021, nothing else will be acceptable, but for now, I want one thing for the team this year – to give us, the supporters who have stuck by the team a simple four-letter word – HOPE!

I want to see them play these last three games with all the guts and determination that we will expect to see in 2021. I want them to play and give us the supporters, hope that we are heading in the right direction. I want them to understand that playing and winning the last three games will provide the supporters with a belief and a hope that we are going to be a club that opponents will fear, and vying for prime positions within the top 8 in 2021.

We have waited a long time to be once again a club that others fear, and we will be, slowly, diligently where we will be a club that can and does play all four quarters. But right now, I want to see the players give the supporters hope and show those who have not been able to attend any games and those lucky ones who have, that there is hope in the future of this team. Show that, and I will be content at this season’s end.

That is what I want to see for the next three games. HOPE!

#ALLOFUS!

The sheer disappointment we are all feeling today runs deep into our veins. We can handle most things, but losing to Collingwood (and Essendon for that matter), cuts deeper. It’s a rivalry that began in the late 19th Century and is one that still permeates the very soul of every supporter today, and after listening and reading the comments, the views from both commentators, and supporters here is my take.

I’m not going to comment on the performance of individual players, or what should have happened and didn’t. I said at the start of this year that I do not expect Carlton to be in the top 8. Not this year.  Not when you have a coach that for all intense and purpose, has only been a senior coach for this year. We cannot include last year’s as it was not a team that he has molded.  This year is the start of the team that we want Carlton to be and we cannot demand that they be in the top 8 for 2020, not yet anyway.  

I wanted to see growth, more rational decision making on the field. I wanted to see players play their hearts out, and for the most part, this year, we have. Those in the media hyped Carlton up as being contenders for the top 8, I never believed that they were and didn’t think that they should be, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have to try every single time they step onto the field.  The match on the weekend showed that they are just not ready yet. 

2020 was always going to be the start of the club becoming a finals contender, and it was never going to be one where we had to make it to the top 8 or else.  There are signs that the club is heading in the direction of becoming that, a finals contender.  What we need now for the last games, is a complete reversal of that game on the weekend.

We need to play for all four quarters and not just some.  We have been a club that does this sometimes and then falls back on to past behaviour other times.  It takes time to develop that mentality and that confidence.  We are no-where near that level that Collingwood is, we are getting there, just not yet. 

2020 will be a great stepping stone into the possibilities of what the future holds for the club. David Teague said in an article in The Age that he disliked all other clubs when he was playing, and this dislike fueled the way he played during the game.  That same dislike has to be one that saturates deep into our player’s mindset, and this takes time.  If you have ever watched a video of Teague during training, you will see how he is going about teaching the players what they need to do to be successful, for all four quarters, all the time, every game. 

He wasn’t out-coached; the players were out-matched.  But we know that we have the talent in our playing group, and with a few more tweaks, they will have that deep-seated “dislike” for all other teams and will have the stamina and mindset of playing every single minute of every game. 

I never wanted the club to be in the top 8 this year. I wanted them to fight for it for sure, and to learn from the mistakes that they make, and this has been the season so far for Carlton.  Season 2021 will be and must be different.  It will be a year when we will make it to the top 8.

The match against Collingwood was gut-wrenchingly disappointing because we all hate losing to them, but it is not doom and gloom at the club, not by a long-shot, no matter what others may say.

I’m still a bit upset that we lost to them, after all, it’s Collingwood, and we all hate Collingwood!

#ALLOFUS!

https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/804288/teague-a-tough-pill-to-swallow

The game against Gold Coast was while a winning one, not very pretty at all. But then again, the humidity, the heat and having been to Darwin, I know that this can make a person feel the pressure of that humidity and temperature. It will affect the handling of a football and the way it comes off the boot, but this is not the topic of this piece.

Matthew Lloyd on the Sunday Footy Show has come out and stated that he believes Eddie Betts is in trouble for next year, with regards to the re-signing of another year’s contract.

Queries and questions have been raised, regarding the value of Marc Murphy to continue to play moving forward in the side. There have been questions as to Kade Simpson and his ability to continue to play moving forward in the team. For all three of these players, the questions and statements, I say, they are all wrong.

Any team, no matter what sport it is, needs a mixture of players that are just starting their sporting career and those that have been at it for a while. On Friday night, it was those players that have experienced being at Carlton for some time, that settled the team and played in a way that shaped the not-so-pretty win.

Marc Murphy was instrumental in moving the ball around and allowing the younger mid-fielders to push it down forward. His value on the field is immense as his calmness gives the more inexperienced players an example of what to do under pressure.

Eddie Betts is prolific on the field, no matter if he scores or not. It is not about the scoring that is vital for Carlton, but what he directs and gives to the younger players cannot be quantified in a simple statement that if he doesn’t kick goals, he’s not worth another contract. That is pure rubbish. If you watch the game, any game this year, it is what he brings as a leader on the field, to the team that is imperative for success. His footy intelligence, his way of playing the game is pure inspiration and one that every young player wants to aspire to be. Do not underestimate in a team that is pushing for finals contention what this type of player will bring.

Then there is Kade Simpson. It makes no difference what his age, as is if you watched his game last week and this week, his consistent presence down the backline and his ability to move around the ground to enable to get the ball moving forward, is without question a sight to behold. His sheer presence around the field is a foundation for the players, for they know that if they get the ball into his hands, will calm any calamity and disarray on the ground, and allow others to move into positions and move the ball into Carlton’s forward line.

All three players should, and I believe they will be re-signed for another year. We need their experience and their ability to guide the less experienced players. One of the most incredible series I’ve watched this year is The Last Dance documentary on Michael Jordan. He states categorically, that, ‘talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.’ You cannot walk onto a footy field and expect that every young player has the intelligence needed to win games when things don’t work out the way you want. You need the experience of those older players as they have gained and learned footy intelligence and what they can bring to a side is immeasurable.

I don’t believe that these three players will not be at Carlton in 2021 for they have shown time and time again their valuable and prolific footy intelligence on the field as well as off-field. But it is their experience during a game when the game doesn’t pan out, the way it should be, where they can make the difference. It is not up to them to ensure a win, but they give the team a solid foundation and leadership ability to teach the younger players what is required. Take that away, and the team will flounder and lose. Any team will.

So, in my view, they will be re-signed for another year—all three of them.

#GOBLUES!

Every Carlton (and Fremantle) supporter tuned in, watched and read with zealous every single word, picture and video of the amazingness of that Carlton win on the weekend, irrespective of whether they were thrilled or angry. 

The debate has been epic regarding the validity of the initial down-the- ground, free-kick, the place and who took it. What the AFL will state, is that the umpires got it right with the free-kick, and the location, but will concede that the umpires got it wrong as to who should have taken it.  Irrespective of what will be said, the goal stands. That’s it.  The AFL will not, as some Fremantle supporters have asked for, to reverse the outcome.  Legally, they cannot. For if they do, they open themselves up for a massive backlash in other games where dodgy decisions have resulted in the outcome of a game. 

The entire lead up to that shot was one that will go down in the AFL records as being the most thrilling, nail-biting, mind-boggling time-line that we have seen for a long, long time.  It is these moments that make footy so damn exciting.  Justin Longmuir, Freo’s coach, has come out and said that he believes that Jack Newnes “milked it” with the umpire who made the call for him to take the shot. He then went on to say that every club would have done the same. 

So, here’s a scenario.  If the shoe was on the other foot and it was Freo taking that shot, would Freo supporters come out with such fury and anger? No! I understand that they are angry, but as their coach has stated, every club would take that opportunity every single time.  So, while I understand their need to vent, nothing will take away from that incredible goal and that mind-blowing win and subsequent celebration not only on the ground but the hub hotel from the other Carlton players. This goal was not just about the goal, and how it transpired, but also the pile-on afterwards; the celebration in the hotel hub from the players and the massive number of videos from fans celebrating. After having watched the video more times than I can count, it still gives me tingles and chills and the need to scream with joy, and will probably not go away.

But I don’t want to talk continually about this aspect of the game, I also want to talk about those people who have derided other players who believe they should not be at the club or the team. Of how Jack Newnes is still not a great player for the club, and here I wouldn’t be so sure about that, and I’ll tell you why.

Luke Hodge said about a month ago that Jack Martin came from a club that did not value him in a way, but Carlton knew his capabilities. He has displayed snippets of this, and over time, he will show what he is capable of in every game. The belief that a club can have on a person’s ability grows or diminishes depending on how they are valued. He said that Hawthorn believed in him when others didn’t, and it took him three to four years to become the player that they knew he was. Players such as Jack Newnes, may not right now be a consistently great player, but he was never greatly valued at St Kilda. The same goes for Marc Pittonet and the same goes for other players who are in the same position.

Then there are the discussions surrounding our senior players such as Eddie Betts, Marc Murphy and Kade Simpson.  One thing Kane Cornes has stated, and believe me, I’m not a fan of his at all, is that every club needs the balance of players between those who have yet to play one or many senior games, to those who have played triple-digit games. No club will be a success, long-term success if they are only top-heavy with players who have not played a lot of senior games. 

These players bring not only experience but the ability to lead during the game. This aspect cannot be underestimated in any way, for the ability to calm the younger players down, to understand what is required during a tough game and how to overcome obstacles. To advise them, guide them and mould them during the game cannot be understated.  Their role is not to only kick goals if they can, but every single club needs that maturity.  Can these three go around again? Absolutely.

We are building into a team that is knocking at the door of being in the top eight this year. The foundations are being laid, where we are a team that others will worry about in the future.  With a little bit more tinkering and what we have available from those sitting in the hotel hub, the goal from Newnes has ignited the fuse of what this club is going to be in the future, and it looks damn exciting.

How bloody exciting!

#ALLOFUS!

P.S.

How was that celebration from Matt Cottrell! Loved it!

P.P.S. Just because I can’t help myself, the video of  that goal, is below.

As a precursor, let me be frank about this. This is my view, my opinion and my outlook. I don’t expect some to agree and that is their right. However, I do expect that my view and opinion is respected even if it does differ from some, as that is their right, as I would respect others right to have a differing view.

I refrained from writing about the game against North Melbourne as I felt that even though we won, it was not a great game and therefore warranted nothing much more to say than had already been said and written.  For this game against Hawthorn, while angry during the game, I have mulled it over, thought about it and even though I am upset that we lost, I am at peace with this loss and I’ll tell you why.

I really did not expect to win this match. We were up against a team that for the most part in the past few years has been a dynamic force in the AFL landscape.  They had lost their last four games in ways that were not really reminiscent of the club they once were and I knew that they would come out fighting. 

In the first quarter, for the first half, I thought wow, Carlton are going to blitz them. Then after the break, I knew we were going to lose.  We had no real structure and could not come to grips with the way Hawthorn were now playing. How defensive they had become and how quick they were around the ground.  This left us dumb founded as to what to do.  Here was I yelling at the TV to the players to tackle, mark, chase down – do something. But then I quickly realized, they really didn’t know what to do, and this is where I understood and made peace with the outcome.

We are a team that has not had stability and a culture of playing in a way that allows freedom of movement, playing by instinct and just taking the game on.  We have seen the re-emergence of some players such as Casboult, Weiters, Mckay, and Docherty who, and understand this, has only played eight games now in the past two years.  We admonish that players such as Setterfield, Plowman and Cunningham should be dropped when only a few matches ago we were praising them. 

The mistakes and there were some doozies, made by Crippa, Murphy all point to one thing, we were spooked and spooked by a club and a coach that has impeccable ability in coaching and coaching for the same club for quite some time.  Teague has only been in the job for eight games. I’m not including the times last year when he took over, because he was given that team and it was not one, he designed.  So, in that respect he has only coached for eight games.

I never expected Carlton to be in contention for the top eight this year. I expected Carlton to be in the top half of the bottom eight.  I believed and still do, that the team needs to garnish more time and experience playing under Teague and playing as a team that plays consistently for four quarters. To come out firing the way they did against Hawthorn and not expect to have them fire back, was for them a mistake.  To play the way they did at the start, for four quarters in that intensity was a mistake.

Given the situation we are facing today, 2020 is a prime opportunity to allow clubs, such as Carlton to grow and nurture not only its playing group but its culture of and develop an in-grain need to win all the time.  To be able to play with consistent intensity all four quarters knowing that there will be teams who will come back at us with the same intensity, we need to know how to deal with that physically and mentally. This takes time, and one which I am quite happy to accept in 2020.

In the season, in which ever way it transpires, of 2021, Carlton will be a better, stronger and mentally agile team.  We will be in contention for the top eight for we would have experienced the might highs and the demoralizing lows of this season and as a collective, with no instability in our administration both and on and off the field, we will be better equipped at facing whatever is thrown at us.

We were all disappointed from the game against Hawthorn, but our expectations must not be ones that the team just cannot reach, yet. 

As I said, this is my view, my opinion and you are free to think otherwise.

#GOBLUES!

We are all still quite raw in terms of our emotional reaction after the result of the Carlton game on the weekend.  I know that on Monday, I could not and as a side note, I still cannot, watch or even listen to the commentary about the game. (David King’s comments about the game is laughable, by the way. Because I don’t subscribe to take much notice from commentators who literally only post for one reason – to promote themselves and make themselves relevant).

It still cuts a little too deep.  It is not because we lost, as we played a game where most thought, we had no chance against what is the top team, and we were given very little or no chance in even coming close, in terms of the final score.  We not only came close, but the game was lost in the very final moments of the game. 

I was heartbroken because for a team that no-one gave much hope for this year is proving to be anything but ‘no hope’. I was heartbroken because this year, the players have swept away the darken cobwebs left over from previous years, and shown the footy world, that the Carlton FC is coming out of the doldrums, and forging ahead a new era of the Navy Blue!

In previous years, we would not have played the way we played over the weekend. We would have dropped our heads and mindset and not be competitive at all. This year we are seeing a stark difference in not only our game plan, but in our mindset of what is achievable, even when the scoreboard is not where we want it to be. 

In the past we would have been thrashed, and most thought we would be. They were all wrong. We fought in every quarter and what let us down was, well, inexperience. When at the final siren Robbie Gray did what Robbie Gray does, and kicked the goal that sealed Port Adelaide’s win, I was devastated, but so darn proud of the team. 

All week I said all I wanted to see was a concerted effort to take the game on. To not be complacent, to fight from the first bounce to the last, and while for a time in the first quarter, it seems that we were not focused, our first goal, was just the lift we needed and the pressure was on, for both sides.

You could have been mistaken that this game was two of the top teams playing against each other, that was how incredible this game was and how this Carlton team showed what they are going to be capable of.  

We are not the team that is floundering this year, we are a team that is steadily growing, developing and become a team that everyone will second guess what outcomes will present itself on game day. We must not dwell on the ‘what-if’s’ of the game over the weekend, we have to look at the ‘what-can-be’. Because what can be is bloody well exciting.

The more games we are playing the better we are becoming. The more game experience our younger players are getting with each and every match, the better we are becoming.  We will learn from the inexperienced mistakes made in this game, and become a better, stronger and more focused team when the same scenario presents itself in future games. 

I am damn proud of the team after that game. I am still feeling a little heartbroken, but that is only because I want the footy world to know what the future holds for this team and what achievements they will succeed in bringing. Even though our lack of experience in knowing what to do when a game gets this way, was devastating, how can we not be excited about the future?

It is time to push aside the game on the weekend, and concentrate on the next match/es. If we happen to meet up again with Port Adelaide because we have made it to the top 8 at the end of this rather difficult season, then the same mistakes will not happen again. 

At the end of the day, what you take from setbacks will only make you understand what needs to be done to ensure that these same setbacks don’t happen again. The little bubble of what is possible this season, is becoming a rather big one and its going to explode and when it does…watch out! WE ARE THE NAVY BLUES!

I am damn proud to be a Carlton supporter!

#GOBLUES!

The AFL has come out and stated the Grand Final may not be in Melbourne. It has been suggested to actually hold it in the states that have so far, supported the game by allowing teams to be ensconced in their states in the form of “hubs”. In that respect, the states have been incredible.

The saddest thing so far, has been that we, as Carlton supporters have not been able to celebrate with the players their wins, especially the one last weekend; and support them when they lose. As we are now sitting in the top eight, supporters are getting just a tad excited about the rest of the season and where we could finish up, in a Grand Final. For me, I’m not so sure.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love nothing more than to see Carlton in a Grand Final, just not this year. Here’s why.

I really believe that the team needs to experience the game’s pressures just a bit more. They need to foster the development of their younger players to give the team depth.  No team can win the ultimate prize of the Premiership trophy if they do not have depth in their playing group. To be able to slot in a player if one player goes down, is imperative if a club is striving for success. No club must rely solely on those that are deemed the “stars” of the team.

For example, when Kreuzer went down, everyone held their breaths. We knew that Tom De Koning was just not ready yet and we needed another big man to take control of the ruck.  We picked up Marc Pittonet, who is growing as a dynamic ruckman, gaining experience and footy smarts, with every game he is playing. He is a revelation in the ruck and has shown his abilities not only in that position, but around the ground.  With De Koning, every training that he is involved in, given his age and his physique, he will only gain more strength and more ability as the days go by.  What we have now is depth in our ruck.

To become a team of power, we need depth. We are slowly developing our playing group and the addition of news players, rookies, we are gaining more and more depth.

The fact that for the game against the Bulldogs, it was not our stars that led the way, but those that were not considered to be “stars” and who are now proving what patience and diligence can bring. There is: Depth.

If you look at our older players and more specifically, Kade Simpson and Levi Casboult.  To suggest that Simmo will retire at the end of this season, is laughable. When you saw him flying through the air to save a goal kicked by the Bulldogs, you just had a sense that he is not going anywhere just yet. Then you have a player, who personally, I have always believed in, yet covered my eyes when he went to kick for a goal; re-emerge as a player that is pushing for All Australian selection – Levi Casboult.

Casboult has always had one of the best grabs in the AFL.  His ability to mark the ball, anywhere around the ground is exceptional. His kicking has become honed, skilled and his knowledge of what to do and where to be, has placed him in the forefront for Carlton. I for one, am rapt that he is proving how good of a player he really is.

When you look at the team we have now, and those that are still to be played, we are growing our depth, but we still need to allow those players who have yet to play senior AFL, time to experience and grow in the game to give Carlton time to become great again. 

This is one reason why I do not want to be in the Grand Final this year. It will not allow the team to become a great team. I do not want, as I have said before, to be the Bulldogs of the AFL, I want to be the Hawthorns, the Richmonds – the team that wins not just once, but multiple times.  To do this we need time. Time to develop, grow and mature not only in the player’s development, but game experience and knowledge.

The second reason why I do not want to be in a Grand Final, is purely selfish. I will be gutted, distraught, devastated that if we make it to the Grand Final this year, I may not be able to attend.

If the GF was to be played outside of Victoria and we could not go, I will be heartbroken. We have waited so long for our club to be successful and there are those who have traveled around the country to attend the games, support the players and for us not to be a part of what we have all wished for, will be devastating. I want to be a part of the lead-up, the excitement of getting ready to attend a much-long waited GF!

I want to see Carlton on top. I want to see them win a Grand Final, just not this year, unless we can be there to celebrate.

But more importantly I want Carlton to become the club that everyone fears before each match, not just for one year, but for many years. To do that, we need to make sure that the team as a collective, gain more match-day experience together and become more and more hungrier to win, then we will see every game as we saw against the Bulldogs. Four quarters of sheer and utter brilliance and joy.

That is what I want!

GO BLUES!

In the past close games would have been a simple case of lost opportunities, but not this year and not this team!

For the second week in a row, Carlton won against all odds that stated we wouldn’t come close, but not this team, not this year.

After a second week in a row, the need for a defibrillator was again on the agenda, but I don’t mind that at all, because it shows how far this team has come in 2020 and how we are now developing into a team where the possibilities are becoming endless.

David Teague in his press conference said that he wasn’t too concerned about the goal/point ratio, only that their pressure around the ground was relentless, and it was.  He mentioned the incredible feats of an emerging star of the game – David Cunningham. Cunners was sensational around the ground and even though his last shot was a tad off the mark, there can be no doubt about his prowess on the ground.

The mention of Levi Casboult, a player I have always, ALWAYS believed in showed how much of an incredible player he is. I have believed his ability to grab the ball anywhere around the ground and in the air would be pivotal for Carlton, and it is.

Teague also said that it was important to show Patrick Cripps, who will be a legend of the game, that the fate of the team should not rest on his shoulders alone. That was proven last year against Fremantle and he is starting to believe it. A young man in years, but with an experienced mindset, Crippa is a true leader of the game. The way he now goes about his game and leadership on the field, proves what Teague has been trying to get him to believe, and this game showed it. A leader in all aspects and the team is there with him. It is not for him alone to take the team to a win; it is THE TEAM!

No-one stopped, and we were a man down! Watching how the team rallied and fought for every single ball gives the tingles down the back and having beaten Geelong on their territory and now beating Essendon, is showing the footy world that Carlton are not going away silently. No more so than this: Liam Jones, the unlikely hero after “touching” the ball with his head that made a certain goal, a point. 

https://www.foxsports.com.au/video/afl/afl/liam-jones-falcon-saves-blues!777780

That after a long time of wallowing in the doldrums, Carlton are making inroads and are back!

For this year, this team, even during these unusual times, we are not allowing a disruption to disrupt our goal – to be successful. It is this year, this team that begins this goal.

How awesome is this!

#ALLOFUS!        

P.S. With Collingwood losing, Richmond losing, Essendon now losing…but Carlton wining…how amazing is this!

Eddie Betts’s interview on AFL 360 on Tuesday night was profound, emotional and downright…correct. His powerful statement has resonated around Australia and for the most part, people have not only have supported him, but have more of an understanding of the insidious nature of discrimination.

I listened to the morning show on SEN where the question was asked regarding Sam Newman, whether the host would continue to be his friend and even get him on the radio. He said he will still be friends with him and get him on the radio as the world needs to hear opposing opinions, even if the host does not agree with him. While generally I agree, in this instance I do not and I don’t think many do.

I totally agree that we need to hear all sides of a situation, but hear to Sam Newman’s diatribe of George Floyd’s life and how that the AFL players taking the knee have no real clue about the issues is really something I don’t want to hear on the radio or anywhere else, because Sam Newman just doesn’t get it, and please don’t say I don’t either, because that is where you are wrong. I get it. I have been victimized many times because of the religion I was born into.

The little innuendos, the subtle “jokes”, the comments followed by a laugh, are just like Eddie has said, “it hurts myself, and it hurts my family.” I am not religious in the slightest and this is not the platform to discuss religion, but this is about how society makes a culture feel because it is not theirs. They are seen as different and therefore strange.

I have seen several times a “troll” hiding behind the anonymity of their keyboard and disparage and make claims of their superiority over anyone else, and they think that what they are saying could be seen as funny, acceptable, and intelligent. It is none of these things, it is actually the opposite and shows the true nature of a person.

One person on social media has made the statement that Eddie Betts should just accept the fact that he will be racially abused, as it is part of life and to do anything else will only makes things worse! I was actually speechless because how naive is this statement. Is this what should have happened when women were being abused! When people who are a part of the LGBTIQA+ community were being abused? When people of different colour and religion were being abused? Should we just ignore it in the hope that it will go away. It doesn’t and it never will.

Until someone calls it out for what it is, racism, discrimination of any kind WILL NOT GO AWAY! It will keep on happening and become the norm for it will be accepted because no-one has come out and stated ENOUGH!  Well enough is enough. Eddie Betts and other Indigenous people no matter if they are sportspeople or not, should be respected for who they are, not what they are, and this goes for all forms of discrimination.

We have to shut down those who continue to disparage anyone who sees only what they want to see and the not the person. We have stand with Eddie Betts no matter if you are a Carlton supporter or not, and say ENOUGH!

We should be celebrating our magnificent Indigenous people and their culture. It can start at the sports arena and it can start with a man such as Eddie Betts saying…ENOUGH!

#ALLOFUS!