First of all: Congratulations Mr Sam Walsh! Another achievement for a future leader of the club!

Now. The season hasn’t ended entirely yet, and still, trades are going on around us, or are they? We have heard from Carlton about who is not going to get another contract moving forward.

So the club says goodbye to Darcy Lang, Hugh Goddard, Finbar O’Dwyer and Ben Silvagni, and because of the last name to be delisted, the “shit” hit the fan literally.

On social media, people went “off their face” about Ben’s delisting and then took the word of a journalist who said that Jack Silvagni was next. The vitriol aimed at the club was and still, is not warranted and completely unjustified.

The romance behind the name that is Silvagni is just that: a romance. To have a player, two players whose surnames is Silvagni in a club where their father and grandfather were stars, is outstanding, for sure, but we cannot expect them to have a carte blanche path staying at the club because of their surname. They have to be able to perform at a senior level.

The fact that some are still levelling hate regarding the dismissal of Stephen Silvagni is not logical. I loved what SOS did for the club and will always, however, to have two of your children at the club and not be objective is narrow-minded. He finished his contract last year, and the club decided not to renew it. It wasn’t one person’s decision, as some are alluding to with regards to Cain Liddle. The foul names that he and even the entire Board are getting called is downright disrespectful and not warranted. If you disagree, disagree, but come at it with a rational point. Name-calling proves nothing, achieves nothing.

Let’s get one thing clear here: list sizes of ALL clubs have been cut, due to COVID-19. Players that could have had more time to develop or grow, may have to be delisted because of smaller squad size. So, a player on the fringe, and out of contract, could be delisted. Ben Silvagni is one of those players. Just because he bears a surname linked to the club, does not mean that he should stay if he is just not up to it. Will he get picked to another club? I doubt it.

Then there was talk that some media person stated that Jack Silvagni is asking for a trade and will be leaving. Now that sent social media into a frenzy. Jack is a contracted player until 2021 and was injured for most of this year after suffering from a severe bout of gastro. He is not going, nor is he going to be traded. However, put that aside, and ask yourself: Do you want a player that is there because of his surname, or do you want a player who is there because he is and has the potential to be a great player?

I do believe that Jack can be a top player. He needs a bit more time to develop, and also needs to shake off the stigma of his surname, and this is why I believe that the decision not to renew SOS’s contract was the right one. Hopefully, he will have a great pre-season and come back better than ever.

The trade period will see media spouting something to fill the air, and write conclusions on a team or player based on their determinations; this does not mean that it is true. Before posts are made about the likelihood of player coming or going, check the source, review the information and then wait and see what the club and the player will state. Don’t fall down the trap of assuming that what you read or hear from sources that are not credible, are credible.

Also, the fact that others have said that Carlton’s year has been a failure are just saying this for clickbait. I said at the beginning of the year that I would love to see Carlton sit at the top of the bottom 8. Most media put them finishing between 13th and 16th, nothing higher. We finished 11th! How is that a failure? Because we couldn’t get into the top 8? We were not ready this year, and this season has taught us what we can be capable of and what we need to work on and strive for next year. This is not a failure, by any means.

We all want to see Carlton great again. It will happen, and I will say this now – Carlton will be in the top 8 in 2021. That is my view and opinion, and if you disagree, then that is your right. I won’t call you names, promise!

#ALLOFUS!

As the news travels on social media, and the media in general, Carlton fans are stunned at the retirement of one of it’s greatest players and most loved player. Our world reverberated with the announcement from Kade Simpson of his retiring and that the game against Brisbane Lions this week on Saturday night, would be his last.

I was on Blue Abroad this week, and when asked the question about who was my favourite player, I said that for me, the player who gives the game his all, who lays it all on the line for every game, and who may not be a forward or the star of the game, but that player who never gives up or gives in. Who is dynamic around the ground. Who, no matter what is in front of them, whether it be the conditions or the state of the game, they play with heart and soul. That is an apt description of Kade Simpson – Simmo.

For the past seasons, we have seen how this stalwart of a player, wearing the long sleeve jumper, and the number 6 on his back, came out in every game to play his heart out. He plays as if his life depends on it. That ball to the face a few weeks ago epitomizes the type of person and player he is. He got whacked, shook his head, got up and played on. That is the type player that I love and the person that is Simmo.

I always felt that his attitude to the game could affect not only his health but his well-being. The hit to the head by a ball, made me ponder that maybe his time should be up as a player. We have seen him battle his way through no matter what, and given the current status of head injuries and injuries, in general, that could affect a player as they age, I don’t want to see Simmo become a player who left on terms that were not made by himself. I did not want him to retire because he was injured; I wanted him to retire because he felt it was time.

I would have loved him to be a part of a team that raised that 17th Cup, but I don’t think his body could take much more. His heart could; his mind could, but not his body.

Kade Simpson will always be that player that I love in this game. That player who puts on the guernsey and plays for the pride of wearing it. Who still plays his heart out and with the satisfaction of playing for Carlton.

Simmo will always be that player that every upcoming player should try to emulate. He may not have the star quality skills or showmanship, but he has heart, and that heart was for the Carlton FC. He retires with his head, a little bruised, but held high. He goes out with the immense love and respect of all supporters, players, coaches and administrators who know that this quiet, little man gave it his all for the Carlton FC.

I hope Simmo that you achieve so much in your life after retiring from the game. You are one of a kind and for me, the type of player that I love.

From ALL OF US…we thank you, and we will miss you.

#ALLOFUS

The game against the bottom team is one where, well, we should have won, or should we? Expectations directed towards Carlton and even Adelaide for that matter showed that the outcome was, well for the most, a given. Carlton would win and keep their finals hopes alive. But let’s be a bit honest here, it was a goal that was just a tad out of reach in this season. All pieces of a complicated puzzle, had to be in place for us to make it to the top 8, and well for season 2020, it was not going to happen.

Social media has taken a few “nuffy” pills given the comments made leveled against not only the coach but players and even supporters. To state the coach should be sacked, is well, showing a level of understanding and footy knowledge lacks any credibility or validity. The comments made against Murphy and Simmo in carrying off a person who is one of their closest friends, after that player, who played his heart out for Carlton, Bryce Gibbs, announced his retirement, is well downright the opposite of what their actions were – a show of great sportsmanship.

The somewhat idiotic blasting of how terrible Carlton is and to some on social media always will be, shows once again how they don’t seem to get it. Let’s take off those rose-colored glasses and understand the season for Carlton this year.

Carlton was going to be the team that finished near the bottom of the ladder, according to most, and it was either last or second last. We had no hope of rising slightly. So, what did we do this year? Well, we climbed. From being a team that finished 16th in 2019, we are likely to finish either 11th or 12th. That signifies that the team in 2020 has not gone back to what it was in previous years but has grown, maybe not the speed that some believe we should have, but they have grown.

Without a doubt, there were some players on the weekend that didn’t step up, and there is no point naming them because I’ll leave that to others, as this is not my focus in this blog. The focus is to look at the team and the club as a whole. To discuss how, after years of mishandling, we need to see growth in the players under a coach who understand what it will take to make the club successful again. He has done it as a player and will do it as a coach. Because this year, we have seen growth in the team.

We are all “long-suffering” supporters of a great club that has been through really, well shit times, but for the first time in a while, I can see growth in the team and the club. Indeed, there are gaps in our playing group that need to be “plugged”, and through the draft, we will get players that can seal those gaps.

We need to “calm-the-farm” down! We need to look at the bigger picture. We need not feel despair because we did not finish in the top 8 this year when there was always going to be too many factors conspiring against us to do that.

We have achieved more than most thought this year, and in season 2021, we will achieve more again. I believe this wholeheartedly because if you watch the games and watch how some players are growing and developing, we have the talent to get us there.

We will get there, but this constant barrage of disparaging the coaches and the players achieves nothing and gets nothing. Understand the progress, understand the growth and then you can understand where we are at in terms of setting us up for season 2021 and more.

#ALLOFUS

P.S. Some have also come out and made comments about Gibbs and his decision to leave Carlton. No matter his reasons, to lay blame when you don’t have the real truth, is tantamount to bullying. No matter what decision a player makes for their lives, their family, it is theirs and theirs alone. Gibbs loved Carlton and still does. Enjoy your next journey sir!

Dear Mr Matthew Kruezer

The heart and soul of any organisation, no matter if it is a business, school or a sporting team, is what one person can bring to the organisation. In footy, especially Carlton, there has always been those players that step through the doors at Ikon Park, bringing with them heart and a determination to play the best way possible with quiet grit and love for the club. That is what you have delivered at Carlton.

As a supporter, watching you go about your role on the field and seeing you in the ruck, seeing you around the ground and kicking a goal, every single supporter at the game, yelled out the words ‘Kreuzz’.

You wanted no limelight, no front-page headlines; you just wanted to play footy and play it for one club only – Carlton. Your loyalty towards the club, the players, the fans was what defined you as a person.

I had the privilege of sitting at your table during a breakfast function and what you see on the ground, is what you get in person. Your demeanor is one of respect. That’s it. You have respect for the supporters, the club and game that is footy.

The issues you have had with your health and injuries, must have been frustrating not only for you but for supporters as well, because all we wanted to see was the big man – Kreuz, run out on the field and we knew that the ruck was in good, no, great hands. Despite the issues you faced, you carried yourself with dignity and humility, and that is what makes you such a beloved person, not only at Carlton but in the AFL as a whole.

I want to thank you for being you; for being that heart and soul of our club and for giving us all that you could provide. I, together with every single AFL fan, wish you nothing but success for whatever it is you will be doing after your time in the AFL as a player has ended.

You are what every player should aspire to be. You are one of a kind. The chant of ‘Kreuz’ will lie dormant now, but our memories of you playing will not.

Lots of success and enjoy your time as a non-player.

Love you Kreuz! And ALL OF US, love you.
Debby

#ALLOFUS!

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!