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This weekend has been a catalyst moment not only for Carlton but for the AFL as well. The issue of the stadiums monitoring fan behavior took front and center of the AFL world with the proliferation of not only fan discontent but with commentators and the media pulling up the AFL and stadiums about this.

On Sunday on SEN the General Manager of Marvel Stadium came out and stated that maybe they had gone too far with regards to the policing of fans.  Gerard Whateley on SEN on Monday came out and stated that the fans were right, the stadiums have gone too far and that even though there was no official directive from the AFL, fans are not so sure. There are not many times when I agree with Whateley but when he stated that the AFL is probably not being open with the fans and have lost their connection with the fans, I agree completely with this.  The AFL as an organization has lost touch with the fans and what they want. As stated in a previous article, we are the major stakeholders of the game, not the corporates, the TV rights, the commercialization of the game – WE ARE! Without us, there is no game, no AFL, nothing. The AFL stating that they have their finger on the pulse of what fans want is rubbish. They don’t.  Maybe this weekend will show the AFL power-brokers that it is time to listen to these major stakeholders more than they say they do.

With regards to the game against the Bulldogs, it was a fantastic game even though we didn’t get the result we wanted. In the end, it was the fact that for most of the game, we just weren’t competitive enough.  Hitting social media, it is incredulous that there are some who come out and state which players in their mind should go. That players such as SPS, McKay, Silvagni, Murph, Dow to name a few are not AFL standard and should go.

I had a discussion with a friend of mine who stated that the mistakes the boys made during the first half were because of a directive from the coaches. I told him; I don’t agree. The reason is that look at the age group and the experience of the players compared to other teams.  Look at how players of a certain age group have not gained enough senior experience to make logical and practical decisions with regards to what to do on the field. So, I did a little experiment.

I did a player stats spreadsheet comparing our team to a team that is already peaking – Geelong.  I didn’t want to compare Carlton to say GWS or Richmond or even WCE, but to a team that is on top of the ladder and is Premiership favorite as that is where we want to be.

For the first statistic, the average number of senior games that Carlton’s list has played, including Rookies, is 61.21, for Geelong, it is 77.  That means, on the whole, Geelong’s list has 15.71 more senior games under their belt compared to Carlton. If we break it down, even more, the number of players who have played more than 60 games at Carlton is 13 at Geelong it is 17. For more than 80 games it is 12 games at Carlton, compared to 15 at Geelong. For those players over 100 games, it is 15 at Geelong and 9 at Carlton.  When you look at these figures, you can see that our lack of practical efficiency in our game is not because of lack of skills, it is because of inexperience.  Geelong has 6 more players with more than 100 senior games under their belt – 6 more! This is a huge difference because this lack of experience is what is letting the team down.  But not to the point of being dismal.

The issue for some ‘supporters’ is that Carlton is a laughing joke with having given away their number one draft pick. We don’t need nor require a player with no senior AFL experience, we need experience. We need players who have played at a senior level to boost not only our stocks with regards to depth but on the field. To give the younger player who has less than 100 games under their belt, a chance to develop and gain more experience. We need those extra 6 players with experience and to do that we have to allow those players who have less than 60 game experience, to develop, grow and make mistakes.  We need to allow those players who have less than 50 games under their belt, which is 20 at Carlton compared to 18 at Geelong more time. Because at Geelong, they have 6 more players with over 100 game experience.

The game against the Bulldogs was an incredible game to watch and one that shows that given the right circumstances with regards to the coaches, star players become star players and determination from the less experienced players can get a team over the line.  While we didn’t win this time, given our lack of senior experience and now that we have a game plan that allows players to play their game, in time we will become the Geelong of the game.  Give the boys time. Allow them to make the mistakes they are making, because given the players’ stats compared to Geelong, we are not that far off and we don’t need the first draft pick, we need experience, senior game experience.

We have the young talented players in our team, give them time to develop. It does take time and we have the base, we just need to build on that.

Enjoy your week off Boys!

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

The outcome of the game – Carlton vs Brisbane Lions was a catalyst moment not only for Carlton but for the game itself. The media coined the win to be ‘a win for the ages’ considering the week the club had with the exiting of Brendon Bolton, and the divisive choice as senior coach David Teague. The end result was a game that showed the footy world what this team can be capable of.  But the biggest and most important aspect was the 19^th Player.

Who is the 19^th Player? The fans, those that support the team no matter where they are on the ladder or what is happening to their club. Who show up every game no matter where it is. Those who because of distance, watch and cheer and rally behind the team. But this is for the 19^th Player who was part of the game against Brisbane.

To be a part of the crowd for that game was incredible and so emotionally charged. I watched as when a call was given against one of our players it wasn’t just the Cheer Squad that stood up and voiced their views, it was everyone. It wasn’t just the Cheer Squad that celebrated the amazing second, third and fourth quarters. It was everyone.  It wasn’t just the Cheer Squad yelling out ‘CARLTON’ it was everyone. It wasn’t just the Cheer Squad starting chants, it was everyone.  Being a part of that made me choke up because after the really terrible week the club had gone through, seeing so many get behind the boys and the club was something to behold.

Then after the match when reports came through that a fan had been ejected out of the stadium it started an avalanche of fans voicing their concerns about the AFL’s handling of ‘boisterous’ fans and others.  That an umpire didn’t like what a fan called him. That opposition fans didn’t like the way a fan celebrating a win and so reported it to security.  According to the AFL, they have not given the grounds a directive on how to handle fan behavior, yet the grounds are still making a determination on what constitutes ‘acceptable’ fan behavior.

As yet the AFL has not come out and eased the concerns of the fans in this regard and in this respect, they are ignoring the most important aspect of the AFL – the 19^th Player – the fans.  They are placing more resources and revenue into re-designing their logo, or opening an office in a country that will never become an important factor or growth in the game. Without the 19^th Player, the AFL has no game. Without the 19^th Player, there is no atmosphere, no wonderous fan support for a team put through the mill then coming out on top.  The extreme support that the 19^th Player has on a team and the game has been pushed aside by the AFL and made to feel as if their position in the game is not valid or acceptable.

The umpires must be respected that is a given. The umpires must also be held accountable for decisions that can and do affect the outcome of a game. When the free-kick count is so unbalanced for one side the 19^th Player being a major stakeholder of the game, voices their complaint and that voice is shut down, this is not right. This protest must not be one that is aggressive in nature such as racist, sexist, homophobic or incites violence, but it is one that nonetheless must be allowed.  Make the umpires professional. Pay them a salary that not only keeps umpires in the profession but entices others to want to become one. Make them accountable and give them the required training.

The premise that the AFL is now putting in ‘spies’ to purge the crowd of those fans that are deemed too loud or too ‘boisterous’ is making the game more clinical and is not what the game of footy is. This is fast becoming an issue where the 19^th Player is being told what they can and cannot say. The 19^th Player is being sanctioned for just being a fan of their team and the sport.  The game against Brisbane Lions is proof that the power of the 19^th Player is one where players respond to and it can boost their game and make it what it was at that game – a ‘game for the ages’.

If you don’t believe me, read this:

https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2019-06-12/harry-soaks-in-electric-win

 

#BOUNDBYBLUE

P.S Thanks Bolts for being who you are and what you brought to the club. You nourished and made leaders of the club. You were for the club and its supporters. Thank you.

This week we have seen, once again, Carlton splashed across the pages of the news. Dale Thomas, who has been a player that has put his heart and soul on the line for the team, get a Leadership Group sanction because he was apparently drunk during a Carlton charity event.  Now the media and ex-players who are commentators are coming out and saying that he should not be picked again in the senior side, that he should never play AFL footy again. Really? Do you know hypocritical you all sound?  I mean, come on, what are you now bullies? Because this is what you are sounding like.  Here’s why.

In 2013 Buddy Franklin, then at Hawthorn was reported by The Age that he intimidated a person while he was drunk in a bar.  He did apologise but the media did not get to the point of saying he should never play AFL again.  Then in 2014, he was interviewed by police as the car he was driving crashed into five cars. Now while he was breath tested and it came up with nothing, it did not state whether he was under the influence of any substance. Not saying he was, but the media did not go to town on him in the same way that they have with Thomas.

In 2019 Steven May apologises to Melbourne players for drinking during this season. While he was injured, he was not put through the mill as Thomas has been.  Jack Watts was reported as being videoed snorting a white powder that was while legal as it was Wisen Pulver. Given the issues surrounding illegal drugs, why didn’t the media state that he should not play AFL again? In 2018, North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin sustained injuries while drunk and stepped out in front of a motorcyclist.  In the same year, Jodan de Goey had been banned indefinitely by the Collingwood FC because of a drink-driving offence.

An ex-Collingwood player, Dane Swan has come out and stated that to demote Thomas to the VFL by the Carlton Leadership Group is not acceptable and he should never be picked again for the senior side.  Georgia Love, a former reality TV ‘person’ (I would not call her a star), has put on Twitter that to her, he has had more than 3 drinks.

This barrage of ex-players, media’s constant comments is coming across as hypocritical and bordering on bullying.  The media has sunk to the level where they are fast becoming a problem not only for clubs but for the players themselves. They believe in their own hype that they are just reporting the news when they are actually going much further.  They believe they have the insight and the first-hand knowledge of a situation and believe that their commentary is valid, succinct and sound.  They are judgemental and hypocritical and are there for one reason only – to make themselves seem relevant to the community.

Their ‘journalism’ is becoming more along the lines of gutter ‘journalism’. They seek not to report the news but to make judgements on it. They are not interested in the bigger problems of the AFL and the game because it is something that is governed by the big organisation that is the AFL. They are not interested in commentating of the state of grass-roots footy, or the state of the umpiring, or fan violence; or even that the women in the AFLW are not paid nearly enough what they should be paid.  They pay lip service to the issue of mental health in players because they harass, barrage and bully players so when they do come out with mental health issues, they have empathy and wish him well. So, in this respect, they are bullies.  Picking on an incident and someone because it makes them feel good.  That is a bully.

Now I am not condoning the action of Dale Thomas, I think what he did was wrong, but it is not front-page newsworthy or warrant the hypocritical comments from the media, ex-players and an ex-reality ‘star’.  How debased and low are these people stooping just to get their face on social media and the media in general.

Then on SEN this morning, Garry Lyon and Tim Watson interviewed Michael Lombardi, an NFL expert.  It was an interesting interview until they asked the question about what he thinks about the Thomas incident.  He stated that it was a problem because there was no inherent culture in the club. They did not tell him that he had been sanctioned. So, they left that out because it makes the club, Carlton and Thomas look even worse. Great job guys!

We are a society that is quick to judge, quick to condemn and quick to show all the nasty, negative aspects of society on media and social media and not focus on the bigger issues.  The media and ex-players, and so-called reality ‘stars’ have a lot to answer for in this regard and they are the ones pushing this nastiness and negativity to the forefront.  They are hypocrites and bullies.

Dale Thomas did the wrong thing, he was sanctioned by the club’s Leadership Group, let’s leave it at that. To call for him not to play AFL anymore is laughable and hypocritical.

#BOUNDBYBLUE

I am quite sick of what is happening with footy at the moment and it has nothing to do with the state of Carlton right now, even though I am not really impressed with their performance. But that is not the basis of this article even though I will touch on it very briefly.

I don’t get angry very often. In fact, probably only about a few times a year. But this year, I’m getting angry, frustrated and sick and bloody tired of the state of the game right now, across the board. From the AFL as a whole, the MRP, to the so-called unbiased media whose only goal is to make themselves more prominent in the media world, to the umpire fraternity, to so-called supporters and fans who take to social media to spout hateful things about players, coaches and administrators.

So, let’s start from the top – the AFL.  I love this game called footy but the AFL with all their tinkering, micro-managing and the constant changing of rules where even the players don’t understand, are ruining the game that I love so much.  Fans are getting frustrated with the AFL changing the rules constantly believing that this will make the game a better one.  They have become arrogant and self-centred in their own belief in their superiority.

All I have seen is the frustration felt by players, clubs and supporters who have no idea what the rules are.  We used to know. We used to be able to state with certainty what the rules were. You hit above the shoulders and make contact with the head; you get rubbed out a minimum of 1-week. Well, that is ok as long as you are not from some clubs where players become ‘protected species’ and no matter what, they get the ok to do it again another week.

I am sick and tired of the umpires who simply have no integrity for the game. Point being that on the weekend of the St Kilda v Carlton match, there was on the ground an umpire who was an ex-St Kilda player. The AFL and the umpires go on about protecting the integrity of the umpires, where’s the integrity in that! Don’t come to me and say that an umpire, no matter who they support or used to play for are objective, that is rubbish. If a judge presides over a case where he has some connection, he recuses himself. The umpires should do exactly the same. I’m not saying that this would have made a difference, but it could have. Umpires are human beings with human traits, and it is ludicrous to think that they don’t come with a little bit of biases.

The umpires need to be held accountable and the way they interpret the rules. I have the greatest respect for them as a group and I understand that it is a human faculty where there can be human errors, I understand this. But when there is a lack of consistency in a game or when they make themselves present during a game; something is not right.  The role of the umpire is to allow the flow of the game and ensuring that players are protected, and the rules upheld as much as humanly possible and there will be times when they get it wrong. However, they are to be the referee that hovers in the background and not push themselves in the foreground.  They are not doing this.  I really believe that the umpires should be made full-time and professional. They need to be continually trained and monitored and to be held accountable. It needs to be a career that starts from the VFL and up to the AFL. Where a person enters the profession knowing that they have a full-time job that encompasses training, accountability and are renumerated accordingly and they need to show a bit of integrity – if you played or support a certain team, you don’t oversee a game with that team in it.

I’m sick and tired of listening to the rationale of the MRP and Christensen giving one player a suspension, then another doing exactly the same thing, nothing. Where’s the consistency in the rules regarding that?  Why doesn’t the President of the AFLPA come out and defend other players that have been wrongfully fined or suspended that is not a player from his club? He did that last year because it was a Carlton player. I haven’t seen nor heard of him come out and say anything for any other player from any other club.

The AFL believes that fans and supporters are idiots, they really do. I do not subscribe to the calling of umpires, players etc. that go down the path of racist, sexist, homophobic, aggressive and violent diatribe, but I have a huge problem with the AFL trying to stifle the voice of the fans. We are the major, I repeat MAJOR stakeholders of the game. Not the advertisers, not the media, not the corporations, WE ARE! Without us the AFL has nothing. It has no game, no forum, nothing, yet we are continually policed, charged ridiculous prices for tickets, food and made to feel that we are paying for the privilege of going to a game. WRONG!  The fans, together with the Cheer Squads, are the ones that the AFL must appease. Because you can have all the roaming signs on the ground as much as you want, you can have the corporate boxes filled, you can hike up food prices and entry tickets all you want, but without the fans you have nothing.

I am sick and tired of the media and their complete and utter disregard for what is true. In the newspaper today, Jon Ralph in the Herald Sun posted an article about the mid-season draft with the heading ‘Jailbird Picked’ then went to Carlton’s first pick, Josh de  Luca. It implies that he was a jailbird! The news breaking last week regarding the Carlton Cheer Squad was deplorable news really and should have never been made to be what it turned out to be when all it was that a person told a journalist who should have checked first beforehand, but thought only of their career and how it would look good on their resume.

I am sick and tired of the media and commentators who come out and state facts about Carlton and the club and have no idea or clue. I’m sick of them bullying and barraging the club and not to others. What about Melbourne who were touted as being top 8 material, are they splashed across the newspapers? Are their coaches, players and admins brought under the scrutiny of the media world? What about Essendon? They were also going to be a ‘team to beat’ in 2019, why isn’t their club, players splashed across the news? Why aren’t journos such as Caroline Wilson debating these teams so publicly and so full of vitriol? Why because no matter what they say or believe, they do not leave their bias at the door, they take it with them and cannot objectively make comments without showing how bias they are.

I am sick and tired of those on social media who believe they have the insight and knowledge about Carlton when they are just forming their opinions and then when someone disagrees, they can’t argue their case, they just block you or resort to nasty, derogatory remarks. What cowards.

I am sick and tired of the constant violence at the games. It should not happen, but it seems to happen more at the MCG and why? There is a complete lack of security at the game for fans. They are non-existence. They need to be more pro-active than reactive. They must allow fans to be fans but step in when called in and not wait until it gets to the point where fights happen.

I am sick and tired of the state of the game right now because as a supporter who loves the game, the atmosphere, the whole aspect of this sport, it is nowhere near the game that it should be. Not even close and the AFL, the commentators, the media, the umpires must investigate how what they do and say affects the very core of the game.

I am sick and tired of where Carlton is right now, but I do believe in their ability to overcome this.  I am sick and tired of people calling and speculating the sacking of a coach mid-way through a season when history has shown, it solves nothing.  He stated from the outset a 5-year plan, this is the fourth year!

I am sick and tired of players who put themselves above the club and the game. You get to play for a club, you get the privilege of putting on a guernsey where supporters love, show respect for that – play for that. Play for the pride of being at one of the greatest clubs and don’t allow the umpires, the media, the commentators dictate the game – play it on your terms.

GO BLUES!

It’s taken me quite a few hours and days of lying awake and thinking about that game against GWS and in this article, which I will refer to it as ‘that game’.  Then came the barrage of comments, and posts from all and sundry.

Just to be clear, I am angry as hell at the lack of performance by players at ‘that game’.  I travelled to Sydney to see the game and along with others, we showed up to support the club and team.  To dish out that performance is, quite honestly an insult to the club and the top they represent.  The moment they step onto a field for a game, they must play not for themselves, not for the coach, not for the club, but for the team, and the supporters who turn up each week to cheer them on.  They must, I repeat MUST understand this.

Now there are calls to sack Bolts, in the middle of a season. Players are getting abused on social media together with the Board and all the coaches.  Now we have a right to be angry, frustrated, upset and even wanting answers to the question – why?  But we do not have the right to turn to social media and send out rude, disparaging and aggressive posts directed towards a player on any level.

We saw in the past week the retirement of a player, Tom Boyd, who at 23 years old and could have become one of the greats of the game. He retired because of injury and because of a struggle with mental health.  This is a very, very sad thing to say for a person of his age because we know that he is not the only one and won’t be the last.  The pressure of being an AFL player is intense and the belief from those on social media to think that their comments don’t influence the mental psyche of a person shows their complete lack of empathy or intelligence. The cowards that post these messages aimed at coaches, players and clubs must realise the damage they are doing, but perhaps this is their aim. But what they don’t understand is how this is damaging the brand that is the AFL.

There are players who I dislike intently (not from Carlton), but I would never come out and say disparaging remarks on social media to make myself look so clever and great. There are players that I have no respect for whatsoever, but this is my view and even while I’m sure others would agree, it serves no real purpose other than the person making that comment to feel better for themselves.  This is what is happening now on the social media pages that are Carlton based and on radio station pages, and the AFL.

After the weekend and that game, the flood gates opened with a massive backlash towards the coach. I feel that it is being misdirected. So, in that vein, here is a letter to the players.

 

Dear Carlton Players

There is nothing that I can say to make the pain of that game go away, because as a supporter who travelled to Sydney (I’m from Melbourne), together with others who travelled, what you feel we feel it too.  I don’t understand what happened given the week before.  We know you have the ability and capacity to be the hard, determined, no-holes-barred players that pursue success,  so what happened?

I don’t subscribe to the fact that it is the coach or coaches, and it is theirs alone that must shoulder the responsibility.  You are a group of talented and for some, inexperienced, players given a great opportunity that many would relish for.  I understand that for some, you are still coming to grips with the high-level intensity of the professional game that is the AFL. But you are trained, have the abilities otherwise you would not have been signed, so, you must shoulder some of the responsibility of the standard of gameplay that was shown at that game.

But a week is a long time in sports, and everything can change moving forward and the future of who you are as a player, how the club, the team, the coaches are now perceived is in your hands and yours alone.  You must not now be a player that jogs along, but one who runs with everything they have, and with determination, grit and a bit of ‘mongrel’ in your blood, change this.

You must be a player that lays it all on the line this weekend because that is all a supporter wants to see. We want to see you never give up the chase, never back away from a tackle, or a contested mark; never compromise the club by putting in a lack-lustre performance.  But you must play for the team, the club and most importantly for the privilege of wearing that guernsey and for the supporters.

This weekend, the ball is in your court and your hands and all you have to do is just run with it.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

You bought a car, a second-hand car, it is flashy, shiny and works wonderfully.  You take it to the mechanics after a few months, because something isn’t quite right with it.  He tells you that you just need an oil change and some minor servicing.  So, you do that.  You drive away, the car running smoothly.  Then after a while, it just stops. Nothing works. You get it towed to a different mechanic who tells you that it needs major work as the previous mechanic put in dodgy and used parts and that you got ripped off.  Furious, you ask how much this will set you back. He quotes a figure and you collapse from the shock. But you love this car and don’t really bother about going to do your due diligence and get a second opinion, because you just love this car, so you get the work done.

Then a few weeks later the care engine catches fire. As you manage to escape, the fire is put out, but the damage has been done. But you still love this car and you just cannot give up on it.  You know that it will take patience and care with the right mechanic and body repair shop to get this car back to what it was.  You know that given the age of the car, you will need to lovingly allow for time to get the parts that work together in order to get this car to where you want it to be.

Why have I written this? Well, it is a great analogy for the Carlton FC.  The club back in its hey-day was flashy, shiny and worked brilliantly.  Then something just wasn’t quite right and we got hit with the salary-cap scandal.  The club chooses a coach with no real outside experience in coaching and does reasonably well, but not enough for sustained longevity, so you get rid of him, then because the club just wants a quick, but expensive fix, you hire a coach that is really only after one thing – his ability to be considered one of the greatest coaches.

After that doesn’t work, and a fire has been started at the club that shows how things are just not working out, the club realizes this and takes the re-building of the framework of the club from the ground up.  You understand that this will take time, patience and getting the right pieces together to work together. You understand that sometimes it will work and sometimes it won’t. You understand that with anything new, it has to develop and mold into the framework of the club.  You understand that for all the pieces to work together takes time and patience and that getting the right parts in, which may not always happen at once.

On the weekend (and I’m not going to delve into the absolute terribly umpiring as I believe that a team must win in spite of the umpires; shows and develops character and if for another time); the team, a bottom team played against one of the top teams and nearly went over the line to win.  They fell short in the last 10 minutes, but it gave Collingwood a shock and the footy world, for no one saw this coming given the previous week’s debacle.  I am not saying that this loss was something that we should be proud of, or accept, I’m saying that we are getting there. After a long, long time in getting this mechanical beast of a club to work in a way that is cohesive and dynamic, we are getting there.

The panic call for sackings, the paranoia that some players are leaving, the call to disrupt what has been a slow re-build is one that will have no other consequence then setting the club backward. It will be like taking out what does not work right now and putting in something that could, maybe or possibly work without looking into it more.

We are getting there and I know it is frustrating and annoying that we are not there yet, but we will get there. The team believes it, the coaches believe it, we should too.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

In the past few days, we have seen two quite remarkable headlines.  One from the Tottenham Hotspurs English Football Club and their incredible win over Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League and the statement made by Patrick Cripps.

Crippa went on the radio and has said has “immense loyalty to the Blues”.  He has stated that “I’m from a pretty loyal family, and I never usually shy away from things when they get tough.”  He then stated that “I know once we get there, building something from the bottom-up with your best mates is going to be pretty rewarding.”  He reiterated that he would much rather garnish success from the ground up than slotting into a team that right now could possibly win.  He has also come out and stated that he shoulders some of the blame for the loss against North Melbourne last weekend and that he has complete faith and belief in the coaching staff.

Then Tottenham’s manager (as that is what the Head Coach of a club is called), Mauricio Pochettino said that it was the players who deserve all the praise and accolades, not him.  He said that it was the players who are the real heroes, not him.  He is a manager who has been on the outer of the Football world over there and has categorically stated that it was the players who rose and played their hearts out.  It is the players who had that mindset, in a year plagued with injuries and on the downward spiral, that just did not give up.

As Carlton are in a situation this year like Tottenham, but it is up to the players to determine whether or not they let this current situation define them.  It is obvious that Crippa won’t and that the team now won’t. To lay sole blame on the shoulders of Bolts and the coaches is, I believe, incorrect.   It is up to the player of where they now stand in terms of what they want to achieve and the lack-lustre performance from last weekend was probably one of the biggest learning experiences for every player, including Crippa. But for him to come out now and state what he did, is proof of how much integrity and passion he has not only for the game but for the club. 

On SEN, Tim Watson stated that what Crippa said was one of the most pinnacle moments not only in Crippa’s career but a line is drawn in the sand for the players.  Crippa understands that the players must shoulder the blame for what happened last weekend, no-one else.  Pochettino took the incredible win off his own shoulders and placed them firmly on to his players.  Each both understand who has the capacity to achieve a success they all want – to win.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

After the debacle of a match on Sunday, I have been struggling to understand the ‘why?’. Why did it happen given the previous matches? I just sat there with others and we just could not understand what was happening. Given the response by the club and the team, I know that they are feeling just as confused and angry as we are.  So, in true form of the previous article, here is my response.

Dear Carlton Football Club,

I don’t understand what happened at the game against a team that in all respects, we should have won. Now I understand that with four players of senior expertise and experience, did not play – Kreuz, Simmo, Brackets and Neuman, that our midfield and backline, even our forward line, was going to suffer, but not to that extent.

I struggled to comprehend how it happened. Then came the barrage of social media abuse and comments and calls to sack Bolton and the Board, when only a few weeks ago, these same people said nothing. They did not praise Bolt or the Board when we beat the Bulldogs, they were silent. It seems that the only time they stand up is when there is something negative to say about the club, its direction and its current situation.

Now I understand what is going on at the club and what everyone is trying to build, it doesn’t mean I feel disappointed with the outcome on the weekend, or angry, but I understand. I understand that the club is trying to build depth and a winning attitude and to play the game their way – aggressive, dynamic, strong and determined footy.  It didn’t on the weekend, the team played scared.

Then came the barrage of comments from the media, the so-called experts of the game, when for the most part, they are really batting to their own tune, their own agenda’s.  The audacity for some to suggest that they know and understand what is required and needed in a club where they have no inside knowledge or understanding and their sole purpose is to get more ‘likes’ on social media or more ‘comments’ made.  To make the ‘news’ so they can seem to be clever or knowledgeable to their peers, and those that believe in what they say as being gospel and to disparage the team and the club at any opportunity.

So, where do you go from here?  So, for me, here is what I want.  I want the team to know that there are those in the footy world that understand what the club is endeavouring to build, from the ground up. I want the team to know that despite this horrific weekend and the pain that they must feel, that this must spur them on this upcoming weekend.  I want the team to know that even though they are sitting near the bottom, it makes no difference where our opponent sits, it is up to them, the players, to make a stand and literally say, (pardon the language) ‘fuck ‘em.’

I want the players to know that from the first bounce of the ball at the game against Collingwood, the past has gone, what we own is now.  That it is up to us, the players to determine the outcome.  I want them to know that at the end of the game, no matter what they gave it everything. That from now on, the game against North Melbourne will never occur again.

If they do that if they promise that to the supporters, I can guarantee, that in the end, success will come. But you have got to want it, not just ‘jog along’ as some players did. I don’t want to again feel the way I felt last weekend and I’m sure you don’t either – but it’s all up to you, the players to make that decision, we the supporters, can only watch.

I was told last week, that people love my positivity, my optimism.  Some have even said that it is naïve and misplaced, but I don’t believe that negativity achieves anything other than more negativity and it is definitely not misplaced.  I am a passionate and proud Carlton member and will continue to be so, but I don’t really want another repeat of last weekend.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

Dear Carlton Football Club

 

Together with my fellow Victorian Carlton Cheer Squad crew, a few of us travelled to Launceston to the game against Hawthorn, who had won only two games.  We were privileged to have the Carlton supporter group from Tasmania in our midst and it was with great excitement and anticipation that we headed to the game after that amazing win over the Bulldogs the week before and after the devastating loss against the Gold Coast Suns the week before.

The first half of the game was everything that we wanted from the playing group. The ability to move the ball around, tackle, mark and kick goals were reminiscent of the win the week before.  McKay was showing how he has grown since arriving and his ability to move around the ground given his height is something that is amazing to watch.  Cunningham back in the squad showed how much of a valuable player he is and how much he is needed in the team.  I don’t think that we give enough credit to the player known as Daisy and he shows week after week how much he is part of the team and how he gives to the young playing group.  Jones shows up every week and gives the backline a very much needed grunt in his capability of stopping the ball and the opposing forward. But we all know how Hawthorn have been touted as being the ‘come-back’ kings of the game, along with Geelong and they came back in the third quarter and from then on, things went a bit pear-shaped and with four players down, the boys tried and ultimately failed in the last few minutes of the match.

Bolts stated in his press conference that he was going to lose sleep over this loss. While I understand his statement, I don’t think he has any reason to lose sleep.  Now, this is my view and opinion, but I can categorically state that for me, the game was lost because of two things. One is the loss of major players in our structure – Simmo and Kreuz.  By having them sit on the bench, the structure of the rest of the players had to be altered to counter-act their loss and this was proven during the second half of the game and together with the second factor, inexperience, we could not get our groove back.

We must understand that for the many of the players while they have been playing for a few years, they are still developing into major, leading senior players.  They just didn’t have the experience in how to stop Hawthorn in the final stages of the match with two of our most senior and experienced players watching on the bench.  I give full credit and respect for the group that in the end we only lost by 5 points. I don’t subscribe to the ‘what if’s’ as we can learn from the mistakes, but we should never harbour on them.

With each and every game, these youngsters are only going to gain more by playing together as a group and learn from mistakes.  We did not get thrashed as we would have in the past. We did not give up and let the game pass us by as we would have in the past. We didn’t stop as we would have in the past.  We tried and tried and, in the end, the sheer weight of having no ability to swap players from the inter-change bench got the better of us. I am saddened and really hoped that the siren would have gone just a few seconds more after Harry’s mark, but it was not to be.  But I have the utmost respect and admiration of the group for all that they gave during the game and they should not in any way hang their heads down.

I am proud of the direction the club is taking and the growth of the playing group and with that, we are on the right road to success and continual success.  We must not let this loss over-shadow what this group is capable of achieving and will achieve.  I see it on the ground and know that with just a little bit of time, maintaining success will come.

So, Carlton Football Club, I am proud to put on the Navy Blue for every match,  travel around the country and know that with just a little bit more time and just a little bit more experience, the devastating loss that you all feel right now will fade into a memory where we will look back on this time and say, wow, look at what we have achieved.

Heads up boys, we are sniffing the smell of continual success that is still being baked in the oven of experience and elevated skills.  In a scene from the movie Hook, Peter Pan looks at his children and they say to him, ‘I believe in you’; and I do.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

Yours in Navy Blue

Debby

I learned six things from Sunday’s match. Well not actually learned, but witnessing defining moments that I have firmly believed in for a while.  You can agree, disagree but they are really undeniable, in my view.

1 – Jack Silvagni. I have always felt that Jack has been under the microscope of his surname and while he does have the abilities, this has been a hindrance to him. Being compared to the greatness of your grandfather then father places a huge rock on your back that will take some time to shove off.  I have watched the game against the Bulldogs, many, many, many, many times and his movement around the ground was better than I have seen from him in a long time.  His role in assisting with our goal scorers, his ability to get down on the ground and fight for the ball, was something I knew he had it in him and knew that he just needed more development. Sure, he is not there yet, but that was one hell-of-a-game he played and with time will only get better and better.

2 – Marc Murphy. I understand why Murph took hold of the Captaincy and why he relinquished it this year. I also knew that his stepping down as Captain would free him up to be the player, we all know he is.  His game this season so far has been better than I have seen for a while and on Sunday, his game against the Bulldogs was magnificent.  His quiet leadership and skill on the day is something all clubs need. That quiet determined little gun of a midfielder who can be anywhere and everywhere and just snap a goal.  His goal was the stuff I love about footy. The quick off-the boot kick and landing the ball between the goal-posts.

3 – Zac Fisher.  Watching the replay over and over, this player is well, downright outstanding. He is like the fly that just won’t give up on the picnic table full of food. He just buzzes around, head down and goes about his business. He was everywhere and his kick at goal was majestic.  I have always loved watching Fisher play, the way he plays, curved over and just goes for it. Sunday’s match was pivotal in showing what an amazing player this kid is.

4 – Michael Gibbons. A player is given the chance to play in AFL footy and to show the club how grateful he is in being given this chance came to the fore on Sunday.  He never gave up, never wavered in his role and his goal was like sending thank you cards to the club and supporters for believing in him.  I loved the story behind getting him and I love how he is showing why we got him.

5 – Matthew Kreuzer. Without a doubt, without a shadow of a doubt, the Big Man, the Tractor, is one of those players that every single club need and for some, just don’t have. That quiet, unassuming and ego-less player who is vital in the clearances and still has that ability to move around the ground and come down from his lofty height and get the ball and player on the ground. He was magnificent on Sunday. His presence allowed Casboult, Hazza, Jones to be more dynamic around the ground, which they were.

That leads me to the final one: 6 – Levi Casboult. For me watching Casboult is a bit like going to a religious service and I’m not religious at all. When he has a shot on goal, you all hold hands and pray that he slots it through.  He has one of the best grabs in the AFL, to my mind. His ability to mark the contested ball is like watching a magnet grab hold of a metallic object.  The ball just sinks into his mitts.  Then when he lines up for a goal, he has in the past fluffed them.  His role in the win on Sunday must never be understated, he was incredible and I’m glad that he is back in the side.

I’m not going to go on about the rest of the team as we all know how amazing they were, but these six were for me, ones that really stood out as players who stepped in and stepped up and who for some, have either gone under the radar or for some, believe should just not be in the side.

What is exciting is that now we are starting to see the fruits of what being patient and developing a playing group with skills and depth.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!