SPORTZ

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!

For the Easter weekend, my family and I head to Bryon Bay for Bluesfest and I know that it means missing a game of footy and as dedicated Cheer Squad member, it really pained me to miss this one. But given the time of the match, I was able to watch it live in our apartment and to those that were in the surrounding rooms, I humbly do not apologize for the noise I made during the game, the spectacular goals by Hazza and would you believe it – Casboult.  I do not apologize for yelling when Walshy kicked the goal that took us over the 100 mark or the tears of joy when knowing that the boys dug deep, played four quarters of great footy and reaped the rewards.

For the past months, I have stated that I believe in what Bolts and the club are doing in terms of building a group of players that have the stamina, talent, and ability to take us up the ladder. I have witnessed over these months those that simply do not see this.  I have stated that for the first time since the sacking of Malthouse, who as I have said before, decimated the club; the club has taken the road of an actual rebuild. Of getting rid of players that simply just do not stack up.  I’m not going to go into the whys and whys of Eddie Betts leaving, what’s done is done.

The club swept out the cobwebs of disunity, fractionalization, and players who were just in it for the sake of being part of a club and didn’t really put in when the time came to play at a senior level. I have said from the start that once the club mechanisms are in place not only in terms of players but coaches and administrators, things will change.

Bolts and the team have been patient in structuring the team and those around them to ensure that the playing group becomes a force in the competition.  Last year we were getting thrashed, this year we were beaten, but not thrashed, and last week’s game I believe was a catalyst for the group and Sunday’s match proved just that.

When you watch it on TV the perspective you get is enormous because you see the whole ground and what I saw was a different group of players from last week. They came out firing and stunned not only the footy world but the Bulldogs. I saw passages of play that were quick, calculated and determined. I saw players step up and step in.  SPS took hold of his role in the game and played in a way that we always thought he was capable of. His game was staggering and his movement around the ground was athletic and agile.  His role in becoming the ‘wing-man’ for Crippa was beautiful to watch.

But for me, while the team played like a well-oiled machine, with just a few hiccups that over time will iron out, it was the inclusion of Kroooz that made a huge difference. His pivotal role in the ruck and around the ground allowed others such as Jones, Casboult, and Hazza to be freed up in their specific roles. Jones is becoming an incredible player down back and with Weiters, proved to be a lynch-pin in our defense.

I have stated and will state again that I believe Jack Silvagni will be a great player but needs a bit more time to develop. His role in the match was a step in the right direction and his role which allowed him to move around the ground was pivotal in some of the plays during the game.  He was in the same position as Paddy Dow is now and I believe that with Dow, he needs to continue to be molded in the seniors. He is a different player than Silvagni and does not have the stigma of a name and I believe that he will only develop more in the seniors than in the VFL. We need his type of player in our mid-field.

This win while is bloody amazing, we still have a bit to go in terms of development, but what we saw on Sunday was a step forwards in this respect.  We must not go down the path that the Bulldogs went down and are now showing how much of a one-hit wonder of a team they are. I don’t want to be a Premiership one year then floundering down the bottom years later. I don’t want to be a team that has been touted as being top eight material such as Melbourne, then prove everyone wrong. I don’t want impatience for success to define us, I want longevity and if this means taking time to develop players, then so be it. I want Carlton to be dominant once more for a long time.  We saw on Sunday what the team is capable of achieving and while there will be other setbacks or other losses, you cannot say that we are not heading in the direction of eventual and continual success.

It was great to see, great to cheer and great to win and it was damn great to prove to those that only see the negative and not the growth of the club and the playing group, sink slowly back into their holes.  Now it is the time for the players to keep up that momentum. I believe they can.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

As the siren went on the Gold Coast game, I felt guttered, despondent, shocked and every other emotion. I just didn’t understand what happened. It was a sheer case of wow! Just plain and simple WOW! Then I thought about it overnight and read the comments on social media, both the negative and the positive and while this match, this loss probably hurts the most so far this year there are positive lessons and aspects of the game that have to be taken into consideration.

Firstly, this time last year we would not have lost by mere points, but by goals – huge-overpowering-deflated number of goals.  So, in that respect, we have improved immensely. There are players who last year did not really perform to their fullest capacity and some who are just needing to take a little more time to mature into players that I personally believe they will become. Jacob Weitering was a player who came to the club with great potential then petered off in his second year, last year. This year we are seeing the rejuvenation of what will be a great player for the club in the backline. He is becoming such an outstanding player on the field that it has been hard to fault him and in the game against the Gold Coast, he was one of the best players on the field. He still needs to grow a bit more, but time is on his side in that respect. Then we have Liam Jones who played his heart out and deserved a win for that alone.  Daisy Thomas is proving to be a player that is getting more and more love from supporters with each match because of his input in the game and especially in this weekend’s game.

Then we have players such as Paddy Dow who last year was an incredible player. Full of amazing potential and game-skill. This year, he is suffering what I call the Second-Year-Yipps.  He is suffering exactly what Weitering suffered from last year. He needs a bit more time to develop along with another player who has been in the media these past few days for what some commentators say should happen.

Although he didn’t play in the Gold Coast game, apparently Jack Silvagni has been banded about and told that for his benefit, Carlton needs to get rid of him.  I disagree – totally. I see a lot more potential than probably others see and he is the type of player who given more time, with more maturity, will grow to become a great player.

The thing that some commentators are missing is that no matter where Jack plays, he will still have the surname of Silvagni. He will still be compared with his father and grandfather. He will be a better person and player by staying at Carlton and developing and proving everyone wrong because I believe he will. He has the capacity but is just not ready yet.  Some players take time to develop and grow not only in maturity but in their bodies as well.  I firmly believe that Jack Silvagni will be one of those players.

The issue surrounding the call to get rid of Bolton is ludicrous, ridiculous and downright – well stupid. So, getting rid of the coach after only four rounds is a great thing? So, putting the club into a position of more turmoil is a great thing? What some people are simply not understanding is that Bolton had to take a club that was decimated and start over.  He had to re-build (and I know people hate this word) from the bottom. From the culture of the club to the culture of the team. He had to balance the makeup of the team with what he had available. This year is the first year that for the first time since he took the reins that he has the foundations of a team that has the capacity to win games.  The change in the atmosphere of the club as a whole has changed. It is not the same club it was four years ago; it is better. Sure, there are areas that need more improvement, but that will come.

I understand the anger, frustration that supporters are feeling, I feel it too, but I do not want to go down the knee-jerk reaction path we have done in the past. I want to maintain a solid foundation within the club and the team that will lead us not to one success, but more. This cannot be achieved if when the going gets tough, we kick out the coach. We have the core group of talent in the playing group, we just need a little bit more tweaking and just a little bit more maturity.

I believe that by the end of the season, we will surprise everyone, including those supporters who believe in knee-jerk reactions which they believe will solve the problem.  History has proven it doesn’t work.

I understand how supporters are feeling, but unlike some who feel that all is doom and gloom at the club, I don’t. The club is heading towards success, it’s just going to take a little bit more time.  As I have said before, I don’t want to be a club that has one success, then nothing. I want to be the club that has success after success after success and is a feared club in the AFL and given what has gone on in the past, this is going to take time. More time than we would like, but it will take time.

That’s my take.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

It’s been a while since I last wrote and this is only because of one factor – I was sick and it was not from Carlton’s performance, far from it.  The game against Sydney, I watched from the comfort of home even though I much rather have been at the game, but it did allow me to see the entire game from a different perspective.  Was I disappointed in the end result – absolutely, was I disappointed in how the team fared in the middle of the game – absolutely; am I depressed in the state of the team ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Social media went ablaze with some supporters stating that the team has not progressed or that Bolton is the right coach and some have incredulously stated that James Hird should take over!  I really, really don’t think that some understand what it is going on at the club and what the long-term plan is.

We have played three games this year against two sides that were in the top 8 last year and a team that is touted to be in the top 8 this year. Last year if had played these opponents we would have been smashed – in all games, we weren’t.  What the club and Bolton are building in the team is a group of players that have longevity in the game and the club to ensure long-term success that will hopefully render a Premiership.  They are not building a team that rises one year then falters the next – Bulldogs, or Fremantle or even this year – Richmond.

These teams are ones that have either won a Premiership or come close then falter in the next few years.  Richmond has lost some of their top players and the team does not have the depth in their group to counter that loss.  Do we want that? NO! I want to be in the same position as Hawthorn and even, dare I say it – Geelong, where they lose a few of their stars and can still win games.  In order to achieve this depth in the team, it takes time.

The suggestion that Bolton does not have what it takes to take a team to the top is really not very insightful – really.  He has had to re-build a club that has been decimated.  Some people say that they are sick and tired of hearing the word ‘re-build’ but that is because it has been bandied about but never really actioned. With Bolton it was.  He had to move the pieces of the chessboard that is a club, around to ensure that in the end, he can have not only the coaches required but the players to ensure that success is imminent.  This takes time!

Look at Melbourne, who were supposed to be Premiership contenders this year, how are they doing?  They look anything but Premiership material.

I was disappointed that we could not take home the four points on the weekend, as there were moments when we looked so close, but on reflection, we are on the right track.  We did not lay down and give up as we would have in the past.  We fought, it was just not enough. We cannot expect a meteoric rise up if we are not prepared to pay the price the next year.  We need to have a slow, steady and consistent growth in the group to reach the top and stay there.  That is the only way the Carlton FC will become a force once more. Anything else and we are doing our club a great disservice.

Let’s be disappointed, let’s be frustrated and a little impatient, but let’s remember the end goal – sheer dominance in the game for a long time – that is what I want and we are getting there.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

 

Round One of the AFL season has come and the results in a few games have overwhelmingly stunned the footy world.  Carlton’s match against a top-eight team did not get the result that we probably all hoped we would get. Yet by the end of the round, we were actually better than a lot have thought and commented on. Why? Because in spite of the first quarter, we played a better match and scored better than teams that for most commentators were either going to be in the top 8 or were Premiership material.

Now I know this is only the first round and as the season moves forward, teams get better, so it is possible that Essendon won’t ‘bomb’ out or that North won’t ‘jump’ to the bottom. But given what they have shown, or haven’t shown, you would have to ask…can they come back from the quagmire of humiliation?

Carlton, on the other hand, showed that despite a shocking first quarter, the players did not let that define or stop them and we came close at one point where we were only 13 points away from the lead.  The players didn’t give up, they just ran out of steam towards the end.

I said during the first quarter, that in the second one, the boys will play a better and less scrappy game. You have to realize that this is the first major game in front of a big crowd, against a previous year’s Premiership side and we lost momentum in the fourth quarter.  But the signs are there that weren’t before. There are players who have gained not only confidence but stamina and playing ability that they lacked last year. We have gained seasoned players who will give this young playing group more depth on the ground. We have to acknowledge that the team is now shaping up to be a decent team that still needs maturing and developing and that will happen during the season when they play more and more together.

I watched the Essendon and GWS game and Essendon were just a fragmented group of players who could not for the life of them get into a cohesive game plan and North Melbourne are in the same boat. Here they were touted as being top 8 material and they still might, but right now they look anything like that.  Sitting in the bottom four are four teams that no-one thought would be there and Carlton are sitting 14, a place again, no-one thought would happen.

The question now to be asked is what will Carlton do now?  They must utilize their position and the resulting outcomes from this round and be bolstered by the fact that the team was not that bad in comparison to other previous so-called top teams. They must understand that Round One was better than first thought and that the playing group as a whole can only become stronger and more focused when they take on Port Adelaide. But they must, I mean must go into the PA game feeling a sense of empowerment that they have the tools to overcome a loss if they really want it.  To prove that, they must look at the girl’s team and see how they became a single unit pursuing a single goal – to fight and run until the final siren.

Being at the girls game and see how sheer determination and the ability to focus on the team getting through was inspiring. That through everything that went on during the week, they pushed that to the curb and concentrated on the task ahead – to win, and boy did they do that.

I am stoked that this weekend I will be traveling to Adelaide to see the boys and then the next day, watch the girls in the Grand Final. A team that won a wooden spoon last year, to be playing in a final is momentous. It should send a signal to the boys that what you can achieve if you play without giving up and play as a team, no matter what level your game is, outstrips defeat.

Well done Girls and to this upcoming weekend on all fronts GO BLUES!

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

This week has seen when differences make a mark not only in the sporting world but in the world generally, for both the good and bad.

The horrible events that took place in Christchurch have become mind-boggling unfathomable that such a peaceful country, has had the horrible, bias, racist and downright ugly aspect of the differences in people come to the fore in such a cowardly and ugly way.  But this actually highlights the ugly side of racism and well, ignorance.  I’m not going to delve into the aspects of this, for this is a “sportz blog”.  But it is the differences in our society that make our society so invigorating and exciting and these marginalised radicals and racists have no place in our society.

On the weekend we saw what the differences in society that does have a place.  On Saturday afternoon at Whitten Oval, there was an AFLW match, but more importantly, it was a time of celebration and inclusion of our differences.  The game between the Western Bulldogs and Carlton was a game of inclusion where people from all walks of life, came to watch a battle in rather hot and humid conditions. Besides the match which had everything from blitzing scoring, to questionable umpire decisions. From a scary come-back to the final siren that signified that Carlton made it to the finals series and now play Fremantle on Saturday afternoon.

The girls played their hearts out and they never gave up or gave in and the final siren culminated in not only the players celebrating but Carlton supporters.  But as I was watching the match, I was also watching loving couples stroll hand-in-hand around the ground and it was not the male/female ones, but those who for so long have been shut behind closed doors of unacceptability in society. Where their differences were shunned.  The Pride Game show-cased what acceptance of differences can achieve and how it makes society so much better.

Congratulations Carlton’s AFLW for once being wooden spooners to now making it to the Preliminary Finals at home.  Hard fought and hard-won – epic!

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

 

(Photos courtesy of the Carlton FC).

This afternoon I received an email, which I am sure that all members received. It was headed as ‘You did it, Bluebaggers!’ I watched the video attached to the email (it is at the bottom of this article), and I have to say, I just wanted to go into the world wide web and with an almighty yell and a big, fat fist pump – scream YEAH! Why? The reason is that as I wrote about a few weeks ago about the AGM and those that want to shake the now stable apple-cart, and push their own agenda’s, the club must be doing something so damn right to reach this incredible milestone all on the back of finishing last year.

Since Bolts stepped into the role and together with the Board and Administration, we are now a club that has stability and a group of passionate and dedicated players, coaches and footy administrators whose main goal is to get this club back to where it belongs – on top and a powerhouse.

To reach that milestone is an amazing feat and one that all members should be so damn proud of and we are not done yet.  We are no longer the club that everyone talks about in negative ways, but where people sit up and take notice. Why? Because with our drafting and smart and thoughtful planning on the future, we have a group of players that will be part of the future successes of this club.  Sure, I’ve said it before, there still needs tweaking to be done but that is the same with any sporting club and code.

Last year and even at the AGM, there are those that see the club in the dirty, stained glasses that do not look at the future but only in the past. They cannot see that Cunningham, after being a middle-of-the-road player, has now become a significant player for the team. Where Weitering is now growing into not only his body but maturing his mind to become a stalwart in the back. Where we are seeing the development of young players grow with each and every game they play.

Sure, there will be setbacks and that is the nature of the beast called ‘sport’ but it is these setbacks that will make the playing group stronger, more determined and ready to take two steps forward when forced to take a step backwards.

Those that want to continually see the negative in the growth of the club, will never be satisfied until they are proven right. As the membership tally has shown, this will never happen. The men’s season has yet to really start and already we have reached a record in the number of members, it will only increase as the season progresses and these negative filled people will fade into the background of irrelevancy in the growth of this great club.

So proud to be a part of #BOUNDBYBLUE!

carltonfc.com.au/…/blues-break-membership-record

On Saturday afternoon the footy world saw what class and integrity really is and showed the true meaning of what the game was all about RESPECT!  Carlton’s AFLW game against Brisbane Lions was a great showcase of the growth of women’s footy.  For Carlton, it was how the players did not give up and put their bodies on the line when it counted.

If you haven’t seen the amazing Tayla Harris blitz Kate Lutkins early in the third quarter, do yourself a favour and watch it.  It was the epitome of how far the women’s game has come in three short years and the skills these players are gaining.  Prespakis with 27-disposals; Walker with two quick goals and youngster Abbie McKay developing into a gun of a player.  But for me, it was the clash between BL Kate McCarthy and Carlton’s Jess Hosking that was the real cherry on the icing.

During the third quarter, McCarthy was forced off the field as she was trying to tackle Jess Hosking, who did get free from her, but it ended up with McCarthy suffering a broken nose.  Yet Jess, after the play stopped a little bit, turned around and went up to McCarthy, shaking her hand.  She did not have to do that, she could have just turned away and continued to set up her position, she didn’t.

Then we turn to the men ‘s team. I’m not talking about the JLT game, I’m talking about a player who had an opportunity to seek success at another club yet chose to stay with a club that has been his life since getting drafted.  Marc Murphy stepped down from being the Captain to allow both Docher’s and Crippa to step in, while all along being a staunch, experienced senior player in the Leadership Group.  His integrity and respect not only for the club but for the playing group is incredible.

What this club is now becoming in terms of the culture it is growing at the club on all levels, is something that is all class.  The way both teams are going about their way of development is something that had been missing at the club years ago, before Bolts.  Sure, there are areas that need tweaking, but nothing is achieved over-night.

Both Jess Hosking and Marc Murphy are prime examples of RESPECT and integrity, but more than that they are the epitome of class! With that underlying culture at the club, the only way now is the steady climb back to the top – on all levels.

#BOUNDBYBLUE!

 

I know it was only the JLT Series, but what I saw at Ikon Park on Thursday night was exciting to say the least. It was a rather balmy, hot night and the fans were there to see not only the seasoned players, but the ones picked in the 2018 Draft and of course, Walsh.

Watching the Draft and Walsh’s package, you could see that he had an old footy head on a young body, and Thursday’s match proved just that.  His strength, agility, the way he moved around the ground and the foresight to see what was ahead in the game, shows how much of a footy star this player will be, and he’s only 18! For his first real taste of senior-level footy, he achieved 28 disposals, 5 less than the legend that is Crippa! That alone is pretty impressive! His ability to read the play, and even when things just didn’t go right, he followed through and tried again. This is something that at his age and inexperience, cannot be taught in such a short time of training, and with even senior level game time on the big field that is the AFL season, will only develop more and he will become a real scary force on the field – for the opposition.

The other newbies at the club didn’t disappoint, such as Newman with 20 and Setterfield with 19. But the most surprising one was Gibbons who though only had 9 disposals, kicked 3 goals, alongside 2018 fledgling player Cunningham, who had 15 disposals and 3 goals.  It was Cunningham and two other seasoned players of Carlton, that really impressed me the most: Cunningham being one and both Weitering and Silvagni the other.

Weitering in 2018 was floundering in the back-line, but this year, he is much more dynamic around the ground and willing to take on the game. Even though he had 15 possessions, his presence in the game was felt and all for good reasons.  Then there was Jack Silvagni.  He has been a bit underwhelming of late, but over the break, he was not afraid to go after the tackle and the ball. I re-watched the game and his effort is heaps better than it was last year. I know some may say, still not good enough. I disagree. I personally think he will be a late-bloomer player and given his subsequent development over the summer, under the guidance of Andrews and the other coaching staff, I do feel he will progress and get better and better and become the player he wants to be and the one we hope he can be.

The team look and feel different this year and it showed on the ground. Even though it’s the JLT Series and it really means nothing compared to the actual AFL season, it gives the new players a chance to show the coaching staff and the fans who they are as players. This game showed how seasoned players who in the past just did not show their full potential or any potential are actually becoming not only better players, but seem to be more confident in their abilities and skill. The signs are there for a club that was at the bottom of the heap in 2018 to now be building the blocks to rise up.

It may not mean that Carlton are now “the team to beat” just yet, but we can see the fruits of the past since Bolts took control, finally taking hold, and it looks good. There can be no doubt now as to the direction the coaching and footy department are taking in ensuring to get Carlton back on the winning board and up the ladder. We saw this on Thursday and even though it is only the JLT Series, the signs are there. Oh, and by the way – we beat Essendon!

#BOUNDBYBLUE!