Wow! Just WOW!

Photo Courtesy Carlton FC

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.

Photo Courtesy Carlton FC

How bloody exciting!

#ALLOFUS!

P.S.

How was that celebration from Matt Cottrell! Loved it!

Photo Courtesy AFL

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

I Am At Peace…

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!

Heartbroken…but so damn proud!

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!

We Need More Time…

Photo courtesy of Carlton FC.

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!

Photo courtesy of Carlton FC

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!

Not this year! Not this team!

Image courtesy of Carlton FC.

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.

Image courtesy of AFL website.

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!

ENOUGH!

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!

I Believe In This Playing Group!

After a win in this rather unusual season, especially considering who we beat, it makes you think about not only this season but the future.  Then along comes a statement from a coach that really gets to the nitty gritty of what a find this coach is and will be, and I have to say, it gives me chills…really great, spine-tingling chills.

David Teague stated after the Geelong match that, ‘What I really hope is that they start to believe. Belief is a powerful thing. I believe in this playing group.’ I mean how inspiring is that message – that you as a coach, as a leader of the club, believes in the playing group and what they can achieve.

The statement that belief is a powerful tool is exactly that – an exceptionally powerful tool. To know that what a person can achieve is part ability and part belief and he gets that.

You can be the most amazing player in the league, but it you don’t believe it, you will not achieve the goals you want. We saw this during the game at Geelong and this was clarified by their coach, Chris Scott who has said something is not right down at Geelong.

When I first read Teague’s statement, I really did get a bit emotional, because he states succinctly what I firmly and have always believed in: that if you have the will, the drive, results will happen. If you believe in your abilities, then results will happen. If you never give up, no matter what is put in front of you, results will happen.

I have always believed in the Carlton FC, no matter what they have been through. There have been times when I have wondered about the direction they were going in, but I have never stopped believing in what this club can achieve if only the players believed it themselves.

For a coach who has now solidified the club in a way that I have not seen for a while to come out and say this, is one that we, as Carlton supporters should get emotional about. At a luncheon last year to celebrate a Premiership Team, when the then interim coach was asked to say something, not one person remained seated. The thunderous applause and cheers and cries for ‘Teague’ reverberated around the function room. It was emotional, inspirational and one filled with pride. We believed!

David Teague’s words that are now circulating on social media have more power than anyone can really fathom, because not only does he believe in this playing group, but he is making us believe in this playing group. I’m not saying that it is perfect, but perfection does not garnish results that we want to see.  

Being great does not mean getting the best of the best if these bests don’t believe, as their best just falls by the wayside of missed opportunities. Being the best, means believing in who you are, what you are and knowing that those around you believe in you as well.

I hope that the players will start to believe as belief is a very powerful tool and I believe in this playing group as who knows where it can take us. But it will take us further than we could ever anticipate right now. Belief is a powerful thing!

#ALLOFUS

That Warm, Fuzzy Feeling!

When you wake up on a Sunday morning and you get this warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with a win that not many thought would happen – but it did!

Photo Courtesy of Carlton FC.

We all knew that playing against Geelong in Geelong was going to be a tough match and given our performance last week, we had to come out from the first bounce, firing. Boy did we ever! I’m not going through the details of the match as that has been already done; suffice to say that after the match, I had a really bad sore throat and needed a defibrillator to try and get the pounding of my racing heart to calm down! What an incredible win!

We all knew that Geelong were going to come out hard and we had to either try and follow them, or make them follow us. From the very first goal to the end of the third quarter, Geelong followed us. We all knew realistically that Geelong would not give up and they didn’t in the final quarter and at times it looked like the Carlton of old, give up, give in, just too damned tired to try.

In the very last minute of the quarter a little man came running out of the starter gates and downed Geelong with one great tackle and the sounds of a whistle signalling “ball” echoed in GMHBA Stadium. The cheeky grin of that player knowing that he had the control of the game in his hands, irrespective of a score or not, brought a tear to my eyes and when the siren went…wow! Gobsmacked, stunned and elated was this Carlton supporter.

Photo Courtesy of Carlton FC

Even though we only won by two points, the fact is that WE WON! So, let’s dissect it a bit.  Firstly, let’s start by saying what an amazing get Marc Pittonet is and what a bloody beast he is proving to be. Every Carlton fan was concerned regarding the injuring of Kreuz; who could ever take his place?  Sure, we had youngster Tom De Koning, but he needed more time to grow and develop, we needed a ruckman who could be the beast that the big Kreuz is on the field, now.

Photo Courtesy of Carlton FC

In the second half of the Melbourne game, we saw the birth of the Pittonet game. Sure, he is a tad slow, but his ability in the centre and tap it off to one of the mid-fielders, especially to Crippa, was a revelation! Kane Cornes (one of my least favourite ‘media’ person) stated on the Footy Show on Sunday morning that it was surprising that Geelong allowed Crippa to be manned by a player not really suitable to combat his abilities.  That Geelong gave so little respect to what Crippa could and did achieve in the mid-field. He did this because he had a dynamic ruckman who knew exactly where he would be, and this set up for an incredible goal feast in the first half of the game, all going Carlton’s way.

Photo Courtesy of Carlton FC

The way the players moved the ball around was something that we had not seen for a while, and we bloody loved it! Seeing Eddie Betts, one of the most beloved players in the league right now, not only kick a few goals, but be the player that every team wants, earning the title of being the leading goal assist player since statistics began.  Seeing him wearing the Navy Blue that he has always loved and be that player that made the difference in the dying minutes of the game, made every Carlton supporter jump, scream and cry.

While this season will now take another turn due to COVID19 and that our next game which was to be against Essendon and may not take place, we have a belief that we can, if we come out from the first bounce to play every single minute as if it is the last. That we can beat top teams. This match showed that we have the talent, we have the Pittonet, the Betts and the Crippa to be up there with the best. 

One of the best moments of the match might go un-celebrated for some, and that was that our co-captain, Sam Docherty, played an outstanding game down back. How great was it to see him fit, healthy and ripping it up on the field.

I know the season will be a long and stretched out one because of COVID19, but right now, that warm, fuzzy feeling of a win just cannot go away and warms the cockles of this heart. Chris Scott said in his presser after being asked what is going on down at Geelong, that he had no idea what was going on and that it had been like this for some time. To know that we, a bottom team where nearly everyone had no hope for this season, would be one that dug them more into a hole, is, well, bloody sensational!

With each match Carlton will now be playing, they have the belief that they can be up there with the best. There might be times when this doesn’t work, but right now, they should and must know that every single game played is an opportunity to come out first bounce, and play as they did against Geelong. Do this, and with time, the end won’t be so close as it was on Saturday night. Do this and over time, playing four quarters with such intensity won’t be tiring, but exhilarating, just as it was against Geelong.

#ALLOFUS!

P.S Get on to the Carlton FC website and watch the interview with Eddie Betts!

https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/719798/afl-match-report-blues-stun-cats-in-thriller

No more silence!

The footy started this past week and while we, the fans could not be there for the games, it was great to see it back. But what has tarnished this great game of ours and the re-start of the season was the racist attack on one of footy’s greats – Mr Eddie Betts.

I could not, like others, believe that someone could post something so vile and really ignorant, given the current climate that is sweeping the world. The person who posted this said that his account was hacked. Is that now going to be the catch-phrase of our world, that an account was hacked! I have tried to work out what type of people keep posting these things and while I have my own theory, the bigger issue is that we as a nation must stand up for our Indigenous people and what they have had to endure since we ‘graced’ their shores all those years ago.

Then I thought about it more and we, the ‘white’ people of this country have so much more to do in order to make our Indigenous people a vital part of our society in all aspects and to rid ourselves of people who belittle, taunt and are generally racists bullies hiding behind their screens and the catch cry – I was hacked.

We have to make the Indigenous culture a vital component of our education system. We have to stop stereo-typing Indigenous people into an area that is more negative than positive. We have to start celebrating a culture that gave us this great game of ours. We have to start becoming our own great country by celebrating and acknowledging the incredible culture that the Indigenous people have and live by.  We have to treat them with dignity and respect as we would with any other culture or religion, or creed or sexuality. 

The easy way in which some people believe that it is their right to post something that portrays a person in a way that has been over the weekend, shows more about their level of intelligence, education and respect. Does it mean we should just ignore them and hope they go away, ABSOLUTELY NOT! But what we have to do is wipe the slate clean and start again, yet always ensuring that the atrocities of their past are not swept under the carpet of well what was done, was done and nothing can be changed.

We must honor those that were at the mercy of a brutal regime that saw our Indigenous people as nothing more than what this person tweeted over the weekend and we must stop this once and for all. We must honor the Indigenous history that has shaped not only our country, but our sport. 

Being silent won’t help. Being aggressive won’t help. Being a part of a movement that places our Indigenous people to the forefront of what makes our country great, will help.  Teaching our children about the Indigenous culture from Prep right to Year 12 should be mandatory.

We have an amazing opportunity to show Eddie Betts and others not only in the footy world, but in our society as a whole, that we want to change. That we want to become a society that respects, admires and knows all that we can about the Indigenous culture, where our great game came from.

I stand in total unity with you Eddie Betts and every Indigenous person. I respect and admire who you are, your history, and your culture. While we cannot change the past, we sure as hell can make sure that the present and the future is one of respect, admiration and pride for our Indigenous people. It will, as Carlton’s slogan states, is going to take ALL OF US!

#ALLOFUS!

https://www.afl.com.au/news/449709/-being-silent-hasn-t-worked-thoughts-with-betts-after-disgusting-racist-post?fbclid=IwAR1pervDw45HBNiN9f5rSuAwW_VqPkVj3Cdk6L7cGcUO6NL4tfOCGZgZ7K0

Golden Opportunity Here!

Carlton-Fans-1400x800

The Covid19 has thrown not only a spanner in the works of the AFL season – both men and women, it has thrown a rather large, dynamite filled drum the size of Thor’s hammer, in the works.  With the AFL playing the first round with no supporters, it made for a rather soulless atmosphere of a game that, let’s be honest here, is nothing without its supporters.  It showed how the game can be played with the players celebrating a goal, taking a tackle, a mark, whatever, but it means not much really to the actual game because, without supporters, it is nothing more than a few people getting together to play a sport.

There is a TV show on paid TV called The English Game. It is about the rise of football in the UK and how it became not just a game for the “toffs” that played it, but for the people who supported it. It became a game that gave the local townspeople pride in their team and respectively, their town. It enabled lower class towns to challenge and beat the “toffs”. The pride the people felt and still do for their team was far more reaching than the actual game itself.  In the series, a team was spurred on by the support the town gave to the team and that team eventually won a Premier League cup.  Our game, Footy, is no different.

Sure, you can have players run around the ground playing the game, but it means nothing if supporters aren’t there, spurring their team on, through the challenges faced during a game. I understand that we all want the game to start up again, but at what cost?  The “hub” factor that is being touted around makes no real sense to me as a footy-loving supporter.  It will be like in the TV series, just a bunch of people running around, playing a game for no-one. This is, however, in fact, a momentous opportunity for the AFL. Here’s why.

Nevermore so than this time right now, there is an opportunity for the AFL to understand, appreciate, and respect the most important aspect of the game, besides the players – the fans. It is those people who pay memberships, go to the matches no matter where and no matter what the weather is or the cost, and who turn up, shout out, cheer and push their team to succeed.  It is not the corporates, those who sit in the boxes who are the backbone of the game – it is the supporters. Without the supporters, the members, clubs are nothing more than a bunch of toffs playing a game exclusively for themselves.

Right now, the AFL has not a golden, but a diamond opportunity to shift the game back to where it belongs – the supporters. It has an incredible chance to make them the focus for the future, for without them, the game, the clubs are nothing. The AFL must, I repeat MUST put the supporters and members in the forefront of any plans moving forward. It must speak to them, listen to them, and do all that they can to make them the most important factor of the game if the game is to be successful again.

The game will never go back to where it was, it can’t, for now, because of the huge impact this pandemic has had on the game. But let’s ask ourselves, do we want to go back to before Covid19 or do we want to move forward and make the game one that is what it should always be – for the people.

The AFL has a great opportunity here that it should not squander.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!