SPORTZ

A Valid View Mr Scott!

Before I go into the basis of this post, it was good to see the club secure their first win. Although not very pretty, given the number of times the score was more points directed than goals. This win, however, will boost the team and the club up a bit, leading into the sixth round and for the rest of the season. Knowing they are capable and can do the job, with some tweaking and more practice in front of the goals while under pressure, will fuel them moving forward.

It was also sad to see Harry McKay go down earlier on in the match due to no fault of his own. Some supporters have said that he is “accident prone” and that we must trade him. Alluding that the head clash was his fault and this alone is not only ridiculous and idiotic but downright disrespectful. It was a nasty head clash and an accident that left one player unable to continue and be subbed out of a game; he probably was ready to make a mark. Also, having Brodie Kemp out with what looks like an Achilles tendon injury is disheartening, but it also has its rewards as others now have a chance to step in and step up.

In this week’s game, we get back Marc Pittonet, who can significantly influence how TDK plays and is positioned. Right now, the club and Michael Voss have stated that though the team won, it was not an elegant nor dynamic win and that the mistakes made, especially in front of goal, can be worked on for the rest of the season.

The basis of this post is not about the players or the game, but something that was said by a current coach that should and must be actioned on. Firstly, I am not a fan of any of the Scott brothers, but Brad Scott said, “In my time in footy, I’ve never seen a coaching group more frustrated with a whole range of things […]. It’s more the way coaches are regarded within the AFL. I’ve never seen a coaching group more disenfranchised with the way they’re treated as a whole.” Then went on to say, “While the game is blossoming and the game is in great shape, the AFL have clearly said what their priorities are – and coaching and football departments are low on that priority list.” More prolific was that he said, “Talk to the Players’ Association about pathways for players into coaching, and their feedback is solid that players don’t want to do it. They see the benefits in terms of the career in coaching versus the challenges it throws up and they’ve voting with their feet and choosing not to pursue it.”
With what went on with supporters insisting the sacking of Michael Voss over the past weeks, Brad Scott’s comments are so valid.

The way coaches are treated and regarded not only by disgruntled supporters who believe they know what is good for the team and the club but also by those in the media. This constant talk of sacking coaches only after a few rounds shows the sheer lack of respect. It shows a complete lack of understanding about, in Carlton’s case, what it will take to make the club successful. The constant need for knee-jerk reactions shows that Brad Scott is correct; no player would even look or contemplate becoming a senior coach or even an assistant one, given the sheer lack of respect directed to them and the disregard by the AFL to be more proactive rather than reactive.

I have seen and read supposedly Carlton supporters bag the coaches one week, then praise them the next. I have seen supporters become vitriolic and nasty because they sincerely believe they know how or who can make Carlton successful again. Why would any player in their right mind want to aspire to be a coach?

Sam Mitchell, over the weekend, at his press conference, made a statement that I am sure commentators will just ignore it. That is, the Hawthorn FC is not the ladder-leading team being touted right now. That they are not as good as what the media says about them, and the game against Port Adelaide is proof of this. He reiterated that sure they have started off strong, but the game against Port Adelaide showed holes in their team that they have to work on, and with a relatively young side, it will take time.

His comments were a slight dig at the noise that the media make to get a “scoop” or to try and rationalize their own views and opinions, which can sometimes be to the detriment of not only the coach but also the players and the club.

Now, the “media” are stating that TDK has put on hold talks with Carlton as he is weighing up his future at Carlton. The media are reading into a statement that could be a way to get them off his back. Who knows! Either way, no matter what happens, the narrative surrounding a club, its players and its coaches has become more of gutter journalism than anything else. Brad Scott’s comments about the lack of ex-players turning their hands at coaching is proof that while the job may be one that used to be an excellent pathway into continuing a footy career, the challenges facing players and coaches is the horrendous and disrespectful way that the media and some supporters react in a very public way and the lack of notifiable support from the AFL and the footy world in general.

Carlton will slowly progress over the season, and if it doesn’t and the team takes a step backwards, we must not go down that muddy, murky path of wanting to sack yet another coach. It will get to the point where no coaches want to come to Carlton or even contemplate the idea of coaching because of the nastiness and vitriol directed at them. Who would want to take that on?
Be upset and be angry, but there is no need to be nasty or to want to sack a coach. We’ve been there and done that, and it has not worked out well for the club and the players. It never will.

#GOBLUES!

A Response!

I wrote a piece in the form of a letter that has had people either agreeing or disagreeing. This has meant that conversations are being made about the state of the club and how it is faring. Yet some don’t seem to get what was written in the letter.

I never in one sentence stated that I accepted mediocrity, yet some are saying this is what the basis of the letter was about. They are incorrect. The letter was about the fact that when the Carlton FC has been faced in the past thirteen years with what is happening now, there is a tendency to go down the path of sacking yet another coach. The letter was about the notion that we must stop this continual need to expect success after only a few years with a coach, then if that fails, sack them and try again. This is the essence of what I wrote.

I want to clarify that I don’t want mediocrity in the club, and I have never stated that. What I am saying is that successful clubs understand the need for time to make the club a success. It doesn’t happen and never will happen if any club keeps sacking coaches after only a few years, which is what Carlton has done. My aim is to see the club reach its full potential, not settle for mediocrity.

For every match, each player must come out and show why they are worthy of donning the Navy Blue. For the past four rounds, we have seen some do that and others fail. But to continually spout that because the players are not performing, we must sack yet another coach solves nothing. This is the essence of the letter, nothing more.

If some did not like it, that is fine; it is an opinion that might have said if you continually wish for a coach to be sacked, then support another team – stands. I want the club to be revered and admired because of their gameplay, their culture and the way that together, the Carlton FC is one that others fear. This can and will only be achieved if we strive for consistency off and on the field and develop a culture that doesn’t just throw the coaches under the bus after only two and a half years.

Hawthorn and Richmond allowed time to develop their culture on and off the field. We must do the same. That was the essence of the letter—nothing more.

#GO BLUES!

A Letter To Carlton FC & Supporters!

Dear Calton FC & Supporters

While Thursday night’s game against an old foe was not the outcome we all hoped for, it is not doom and gloom.

Those who have plastered social media with the statements of “Sack Voss” are not the kind of supporters a club, any club, needs when their backs are to the wall. Some expect that after such a long time, a Premiership is a demand that must be fulfilled, and now! This cannot and never will be fulfilled until we insist and demand stability and a culture that includes the mindset of winning. This can and will only come when the club takes a long-term perspective that involves and encompasses all aspects of the club, including believing in the mechanisms and the workings of the club, including the senior coach. If the club keeps going down the path of sacking a coach when the going gets tough, no matter who or what you bring into the club to try and “fix it, ” it will never achieve any semblance of success.

I am a passionate and dedicated supporter of the Carlton FC and always will, no matter what transpires. However, I do want to see success in the club that has gone through so much in the past. But we cannot allow the wrongs of the past to become what the Carlton FC is seen as being defined as. If we do, then we will still be floundering at the bottom for many years to come. It might change for a while, that we reach maybe the middle of the ladder or even make it to a final once in a while, but we won’t win a Premiership. Long-term, consistent success that enables the club to raise the Premiership Cup and be a fearsome club for some time will never happen if we continue down this path of knee-jerk reactions.

So, Carlton FC and Supporters, I hear and see your anger and frustration. I understand it, but we must go the course of stabilising the club on and off the field to see the positive results that we want. We must not be so damned arrogant to insist that this happens in a timeline that comes with the carefree attitude that it must be now or never. The notion that we have waited too long is not one that has been the result of something outside of a supporter’s control but one that has been the complete control of those within the club who demand a timeline that will never happen with the consistent changing of the coach.

I want the club to be successful in all that it entails. But I want the club to do that in a way that sees our success as a long and consistent journey that puts fear into other teams that take us on. We cannot do that by saying that others will do better if one coach doesn’t work out after a few years. That is ludicrous. Dangerous for the growth of the club and downright one filled with dogmatic blindness.

So, to those ‘supporters’ who insist that Michael Voss gets sacked or that the Board needs to be swept out and a new, ‘better’ one is brought in, I say, either support the club what is now going through, or leave. Such downright negativity and the notion that the “grass is definitely greener on the other side” will not and don’t understand that what has transpired in the past thirteen years does and always will affect what is happening now.
I, for one, will stand by the club as long as it insists on and ensures stability both off and on the field. If there are bumps in that road to success, and there always will be, as long as they are acknowledged and learnt from, then we will become successful. If we continue going down the road of what has happened before, we will lose at every turn.

Sincerely, and GO BLUES!
A Massive Carlton Supporter.

#GOBLUES!

What Do We Want To Stand For?

I have waited for a few days to write this. Not because I am angry or devastated by the loss. Upset, yes, saddened, sure, but not in the way that some others are and have been over the past days. The glaring vitriol that has come out on the radio waves and sprawled outside Ikon Park is ridiculous and, to be blunt – stupid!

Firstly, those who state ‘they speak on members’ behalf’ need to get a grip on their arrogance, as they don’t speak for me, nor do I suspect many, many others. They speak on their behalf, on their own narrative and wishes. Yet what these ‘supporters’ want to do is go down yet another path of ceremonious sacking yet another coach mid-way through a season that is only three rounds in because the team just hasn’t performed in a way that we all, and probably the coaches as well, wanted and hoped for.

According to them, the idea that the club should get rid of a coach, and some say get rid of the Board, shows a sheer lack of understanding and rationale. Here’s why. Out of all the clubs in the AFL, no other club has gone down Carlton’s pattern of behaviour. No other club has gone through so many coaches when things don’t go to plan, perpetuated by a need for instant success. No other club in the AFL has put no faith in their team both on and off-field by stating that after two years, if we don’t win, then let’s try someone else, and if they don’t win, let’s try someone else. If we count Michael Voss, in the past thirteen years, we have had five, yes, five coaches. In that time, the club became filled with uncertainty, disunity, and a culture of non-belief in its team, both on and off the field. For a club, any club, to come anywhere to the point of any success, you have to have stability and a culture of positivity to ensure any form of success. Carlton has not had that for the past thirteen years, yet some are calling for the club to again go down a path of uncertainty and instability because the end game of success is just not coming quick enough.

I don’t subscribe to the fact that Carlton has not been close to success since 1995, so we are deserving of this now. Rubbish! We are no more deserving than any other club, and given what we have been through in thirteen years, a few years will not make any inroads in attaining this success. It takes time. But to prove my point, let’s go through each club in the AFL, and I will explain what I mean, with Carlton’s details, last.

Adelaide (joined the AFL in 1991). Since 2012 – 3 coaches. No Premierships.
2012 – 2014: Brenton Sanderson. 2012 2nd. 2013 11th. 2014 10th.
2015: Phil Walsh. (Not applicable).
2015: Scot Camporeale. Interim coach.
2016 -2019: Don Pyke. 2016 5th. 2017 1st. 2018 12th. 2019 11th.
2020 – Present: Matthew Nicks. 2020 18th. 2021 15th. 2022 14th. 2023 10th. 2024 15th.

Brisbane Lions (joined the AFL in 1997). Since 2012 – 4 coaches. 1 Premiership.
2009 – 2013. Michael Voss. 2009 6th. 2010 13th. 2011 15th. 2012 13th. 2013 12th.
2013: Mark Harvey. (Intermim coach)
2014 – 2016: 2014 15th. 2015 17th. 2016 17th.
2017 – Present. Chris Fagen. 2017 18th. 2018 15th. 2019 2nd. 2020 2nd. 2021 4th. 2022 6th. 2023 2nd. 2024 Premiers.

Collingwood. Since 2012 – 2 coaches. 1 Premierships.
2000 – 2011: Mick Malthouse. 2000 2nd last. 2001 9th. 2002 4th. 2003 2nd. 2004 13th. 2005 2nd last. 2006 5th. 2007 6th. 2008 8th. 2009 4th. 2010 Premiers. 2011 1st.
2012 – 2021: Nathan Buckley. 2012 4th. 2013 6th. 2014 11th. 2015 12th. 2016 12th. 2017 13th. 2018 3rd. 2019 4th. 2020 8th. 2021 17th.
2021: Robert Harvey. Interim coach.
2022 – Present. 2022 4th. 2023 Premiers.

Essendon. Since 2012, 6 coaches. No Premierships.2011 – 2013: James Hird. 2011 8th. 2012 11th. 2013 9th (Note drug scandal).
2013: Simon Goodwin (Interim coach)
2014: Mark Thompson (Interim coach) 2014 7th.
2015: Mathew Egan (Intermim coach) 2015 15th.
2016 – 2020: John Worsford. 2016 18th. 2017 7th. 2018 11th. 2019 8th. 2020 13th.
2021 – 2022: Ben Rutten. 2021 8th. 2022 15th.
2022: Blake Caracella (Interim coach)
2023 – Present: Brad Scott. 2023 11th. 2024 11th.

Fremantle (Joined AFL in 1995). Since 2012, 2 coaches. No Premierships.2012 – 2019: Ross Lyon. 2012 7th. 2013 3rd. 2014 4th. 2015 1st. 2016 16th. 2017 14th. 2018 14th. 2019 13th.
2019: David Hale. Interim coach.
2020 – Present: Justin Longmuir. 2020 12th. 2021 11th. 2022 5th. 2023 14th. 2024 10th.

Geelong. Since 2012, 1 coach. 2 Premierships.
2011 – Present: Chris Scott. 2011 Premiers. 2012 6th. 2013 2nd. 2014 3rd. 2015 10th. 2016 2nd. 2017 2nd. 2018 8th. 2019 1st. 2020 4th. 2021 3rd. 2022 Premiers. 2023 12th. 2024 3rd.

Gold Coast. (Joined AFL in 2011). Since 2012, 4 coaches. No Premierships.
2011 – 2014: Guy McKenna.
2015 -2017: Rodney Eade.
2017: Dean Solomon (Intermim coach).
2018 -2023: Stuart Dew.
2023: Steven King (Intermin coach).
2024 – Present: Damien Hardwick.

Greater Western Sydney. Joined AFL in 2012.
2012 – 2013: Kevin Sheedy. 2012 18th. 2013 18th.
2014 – 2022: Leon Cameron. 2014 16th. 2015 11th. 2016 4th. 2017 4th. 2018 7th. 2019 6th. 2020 10th. 2021 7th. 2022 16th.
2022: Mark McVeigh (Interim coach).
2023 – Present: Adam Kingsley. 2023 7th. 2024 4th.

Hawthorn. Since 2012, 2 coaches. 4 Premierships.
2005 – 2021: Alistar Clarkson. 2004 2nd last. 2005 Third last. 2006 11th. 2007 5th. 2008 Premiers. 2009 9th. 2010 7th. 2011 3rd. 2012 1st. 2013 Premiers. 2014 Premiers. 2015 Premiers. 2016 3rd. 2017 12th. 2018 4th. 2019 9th. 2020 15th. 2021 14th.
2022 – Present: Sam Mitchell. 2022 13th. 2023 16th.

Melbourne. Since 2012, 4 coaches. 1 Premiership.
2012 – 2013: Mark Neeld. 2012 16th. 2013 17th.
2013: Neil Craig. (Intermin coach).
2014 -2016: Paul Roos. 2014 17th. 2015 13th. 2016 11th.
2017 – Present: Simon Goodwin. 2017 9th. 2018 5th. 2019 17th. 2020 9th. 2021 Premiers. 2022 2nd. 2023 4th.

North Melbourne. Since 2012, 4 coaches. No Premierships.
2012 – 2019: Brad Scott. 2012 8t. 2013 10th. 2014 6th. 2015 8th. 2016 8th. 2017 15th. 2018 9th. 2019 12th.
2019 – 2020: Rhyce Shaw. 2020 17th.
2021 – 2022: David Noble. 2021 18th. 2022 18th.
2022: Leigh Adams (Interim coach)
2023 – Present: Alastair Clarkson. 2023 17th. 2024 17th.

Port Adelaide. Joined ALF 1997. Since 2012, 2 coaches. No Premierships.
2010 – 2012: Mathewe Primus. 2012 14th.
2012: Gary Hocking (Interim coach).
2013 – Present: Ken Hinkley. 2013 7th. 2014 5th. 2015 9th. 2016 10th. 2017 5th. 2018 10th. 2019 10th. 2020 1st. 2021 2nd. 2022 11th. 2023 3rd. 2024 2nd.

Richmond. Since 2012, 2 coaches. 3 Premierships.
2010 – 2023: Damian Hardwick. 2010 2nd last. 2011 12th. 2012 12th. 2013 5th. 2014 8th. 2015 5th. 2016 13th. 2017 Premiers. 2018 1st. 2019 Premiers. 2020 Premiers. 2021 12th. 2022 7th. 2023 13th.
2023: Andrew McQualter (Intermim coach)
2024 – Present: Adam Yze. 2024 18th.

Sydney Swans. Since 2012, 1 coach. 1 Premiership (not counting Dean Cox). 2011 – 2024: John Longmire. 2011 7th. 2012 Premiership. 2013 4th. 2014 1st. 2015 4th. 2016 1st. 2017 6th. 2018 6th. 2019 15th. 2020 16th. 2021 6th. 2022 3rd. 2023 8th. 2024 1st.
2025: Dean Cox.
*Note, before Longmire, Paul Roos coached the team for 8 years with 2 Premierships. Before him, Rodney Eade coached for 6 years, 1 Premiership.

St. Kilda. Since 2012, 4 coaches. No Premierships.
2007 – 2011: Ross Lyon. 2007 9th. 2008 4th. 2009 1st. 2010 3rd. 2011 6th.
2012 – 2013: Scott Watters. 2012 9th. 2013 16th.
2014 – 2019: Alan Richardson. 2014 18th. 2015 14th. 2016 9th. 2017 11th. 2018 16th. 2019 14th.
2019 – 2022: Brett Ratten. 2020 6th. 2021 10th. 2022 10th.
2023 – Present: Ross Lyon. 2023 6th. 2024 12th.

Western Bulldogs. Since 2012, 2 coaches. 1 Premiership.
2012 – 2014: Brendan McCartney. 2012 15th. 2013 15th. 2014 14th.
2015 – Present: Luke Beveridge. 2015 6th. 2016 Premiership. 2017 10th. 2018 13th. 2019 7th. 2020 7th. 2021 5th. 2022 8th. 2023 9th. 2024 6th.
*Note, Rodney Eade coached for 6 years, no Premierships.

Westcoast Eagles. Since 2012, 2 coaches. 1 Premiership.
2002 – 2013: John Worsford. 2002 8th. 2003 7th. 2004 7th. 2005 2nd. 2006 Premiers. 2007 3rd. 2008 2nd last. 2009 11th. 2010 last. 2011 4th. 2012 5th. 2013 13th.
2014 – 2024: Adam Simpson. 2014 9th. 2015 2nd. 2016 6th. 2017 8th. 2018 Premiers. 2019 5th. 2020 5th. 2021 9th. 2022 17th. 2023 18th. 2024 16th.
2024: Jarrad Schofield (Interim coach)
2025: Andrew McQualter.

Carlton. Since 2012, 5 coaches. No Premierships.
2007 – 2012: Brett Rattan. 2007 2nd last 2008 11th. 2009 7th. 2010 8th. 2011 5th. 2012 10th.
2013 – 2015: Mick Malthouse. 2013 8th. 2014 13th. 2015 18th.
2015: John Barker (Interim Coach).
2016 – 2019: Brendon Bolton. 2016 14th. 2017 16th. 2018 18th.
2019 – 2021: David Teague. 2019 16th. 2020 11th. 2021 13th.
2022 – Present: Michael Voss. 2022 9th. 2023 5th. 2024 8th.
*Note the salary cap breach of 2002, set the club backwards with no drafts from the 2002 draft and all drafts of the 2003 National Draft.

This shows that the only really successful clubs, such as Richmond, Hawthorn, and even Geelong, Sydney, and Collingwood, have one thing that Carlton simply does not have: stability in its culture both on and off the field. Carlton (and I’m not going into other clubs) has been unstable and has had no culture on and off the field for quite some time.

Over the weekend, an article in the papers asks, ‘What does Carlton stand for?’ That is probably one of the most insightful headlines regarding Carlton that I’ve seen for a while. Because what does the club stand for if all supporters and commentators keep harping on that if a coach doesn’t succeed after a few years, then sack them. What does this stand for in terms of building a culture in a club that strives for and insists on success both on the field and off the field? What does it mean for Carlton and what they stand for if all they do is fire yet another coach because things have not worked out the way that was hoped for? What does the club stand for if they only see the continual need for knee-jerk reactions? If Carlton keeps going down that path, then they stand for nothing but arrogance and narrow-mindedness and breed a culture of instability and inconsistency. Carlton will stand for the very thing that has other clubs struggling to become anywhere near successful.

If Carlton wants to stand for success, consistency, and stability both on the field and off, then it has to stand for drawing a line in the sand and saying, ‘We are not going down that path of continually cutting coaches off because the timeline does not suit others.’ It took Alistair Clarkson five years to win their first Premiership, then another four to win their three-in-a-row. It took Damian Hardwick seven years for Richmond to win their Premierships. I keep repeating myself because it seems some just don’t get it: if we want to be a continually successful club, we must have the one thing we have not had – stability. The way that both Hawthorn and Richmond developed and grew the culture that made them so successful, is the one thing Carlton has not done.

We must stand for more than these continual knee-jerk reactions when the plan does not go according to plan. If we don’t, then it makes no difference who the senior coach is; Carlton will never, ever attain any success, and what we will stand for is continual failure. I want to be part of a club that stands for what we all want – success. Eradicating the mindset of what we once were takes time. If some can’t wait or have the patience for that, then find another club and if that doesn’t work…find another. No long-term success ever comes overnight. Stand up for persistence, stability, and a mindset that comes with all that, and then we will succeed. If not, no amount of raging phone calls, graffiti or angry messages will ever garnish any semblance of any form of success.

#GOBLUES

Full Support Harry McKay…no social media bullying!

Carlton FC has posted that Harry McKay will not be playing this week for personal reasons. He did not play last week due to illness. Now, other sites have posted it, and honestly, the nastiness and vitriol of others’ comments are deplorable and downright disgusting and tantamount to bullying!

How dare anyone state that supporters “insist” that Carlton state the truth about what Harry McKay and others are going through when they have to step away from the game. What gives you the right to insist that you know the full details? Just because you are a professional sportsperson does not mean that “supporters” have to know everything that is going on with a person. And how dare you or anyone else make assumptions about what a person is going through just to satisfy your own narrative.

Commentators and journalists who come out with sensationalistic comments and speculations are no more than gutter journalists who state nonsense only then to maybe retract their ramblings when things get serious.

We don’t know what is going on, and nor should we insist that we do. If you state that you have the right to know and don’t get told and then post on social media how disgusted you are and how weak the player is, then I feel very sorry for you. I hope you don’t ever suffer from either physical or mental issues.

It is a sad indictment of our world and society that some on social media and in the media propagate speculation and nasty comments for clickbait. Because that is all that it is. I have no respect whatsoever for any commentator or journalist who does this, and it is done on a regular basis. They think that they are funny, insightful, and at the forefront of the news when they discuss whatever is going on with a player. Yet it seems to be only some players.

When Simon Goodwin commented about Max Gawn, journalists and commentators stepped back and supported Gawn. Yet, when it comes to others, it’s open warfare. The hypocrisy is mind-blowing and shows how far some will go to “lick the boots ” of others.

I would like to say to Harry McKay and others who are dealing with whatever they are dealing with, come through the darkness of these clouds and, in a not-too-polite way, shove it up the rear end of those who only seek hostile, derogatory, and nasty views.

Feel better Harry!

#GOBLUES!

It’s Round 2…not 22!

Firstly, I would like to apologise to anyone who feels I have insulted or let anyone down in this blog. Or that in your mind, I seem to take a more optimistic viewpoint rather than a negative one. But to be perfectly honest, my patience and tolerance to anyone who has come up with the ridiculous diatribe that has been going on for the past two weeks has tested my patience and tolerance, and, to be blunt, it is becoming a bit farcical. So, before I go into my views on the game on Thursday, here is my apology: Sorry.

The reason for this stems from when I was heading to the car after the game, and a man behind me said to someone, ‘Well, that was a waste of a season!’ I mean, what? Luckily, I was holding on to the railing as I nearly fell down the stairs. What an utterly ridiculous thing to say! Have we time-warped somewhere that it is now Round 20 and not Round 2? Did I miss the entire season, as this game was the catalyst of the 2025 season?

Sure, we played well for the most part, and there were gaps in our game that allowed Hawthorn to filter and flit through. Sure, there were missed opportunities in front of the goal, but we are getting there compared to how we played in Round 1.

I remind myself and others that it is Round 2, and the season is a marathon, not a sprint. We have lost the first two games of the season. With each game played, we will get better and more productive in the backline and in front of the goals. But let’s delve a bit more, shall we?

Let’s take Hawthorn in season 2024. In the first eight rounds, they won only three games! Yes, three games. They lost to Essendon in the first round, Melbourne in the second, Geelong in the third, Collingwood in the fourth, and Gold Coast in the fifth. After the Bye Round, things changed for the club, and they finished seventh at the end of the season. The team that finished first, Sydney, got thrashed in the Grand Final by a team that finished fifth. Port Adelaide, Geelong, and even GWS finished above Brisbane and got beaten in the finals when it mattered most. The point of this is that after two rounds, no one, I don’t care who you are, cannot determine a club’s season based on two games!

Here comes the bluntness. To come out and state that this season is a waste after two rounds is ridiculous. To come out and state after two rounds how terrible the club is and that, once again, we should head down the path of sacking another coach is ridiculous. I ask the question, who in their right mind as a player or a coach would want to come to a club that simply does not believe in their current people? Who? What some ‘knight in shining armour’ that can, in one swoop, fix everything? Are some that delusional? We can be frustrated and angry, but it is only Round Two!

No club, no organisation, will ever attain success unless it believes in its people and ensures stability. The culture in this situation is not one that is fixed overnight or over a few years; it takes time. Time, it seems, some just cannot deal with it. The toxicity that had engulfed our club in the past is being eroded away, and we have to start changing the culture of the club and team, and this takes time.

No other club in the AFL has gone through five coaches in ten years. If we go down the road of sacking another coach, that would make it six coaches in thirteen years! I mean, how does this make the club one that is pushing and striving for success, any quicker or faster? Sure, we have waited a long time to become successful, but to assume that another or others will do better is delusional. To assume that by throwing out one to get another one, in the hope that they will turn things around, is delusional.

I am saddened that we just could not get the win over the line, but I am also heartened by how better they played over the four quarters. With the rest of the season ahead of us, I am sure that things will turn around. If some want to compare Sam Mitchell’s journey as the coach, then it was because the coach before him laid the foundations for what is a successful club both on and off the field. That took time.

So, if some believe that our season is a waste after two rounds, then I am at a loss for words at your rationale. If some want to believe that we should sack yet another coach, then I am at a loss for words at how this makes any semblance of sense and logic. I keep quoting a statement made by one of the greatest sports coaches in history, Bill Shankly, ‘If you can’t support us when we lose or draw, don’t support us when we win.’ But one of my favourite and most thought-provoking quotes comes from Michael Jordan, who says, ‘I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’ If we want success, we are going to have to take the bad with the good, even if that means losing a few games. We must understand that what the club has been through in the past affects the present and future and that it will take time to get it right. But given all this, after all, it is only Round Two!

#GOBLUES

Let’s Calm the White Noise!

No More Knee-Jerk Reactions Please!

Carlton has been in the front of minds and voices these past days since the match last Thursday night, in a game they should have won. Commentators and “”supporters”” alike have likened this round one (yes, round one) defeat as the worst in the club’s history; a bit over the top, to be honest. I have listened and read from “”supporters”” that in 2025, Carlton is doomed. Again, a bit over the top, to be honest. To reiterate again, it is round one!

But let’s take a step back a bit. Sure, Carlton has been yo-yo-ing their seasons since the debacle of the salary cap issue. Since then, we have gone through not one, not two, not even three or four, but five, yes, five coaches. Yet some expect, nay, insist that the club becomes once more the arrogant-led one that got them down the path which set them back not one pace, but long, long steps backwards to try and regain its once successful path. The question I have and will continue to have and also state is that no club, organization or group of people will ever, ever attain any success if they keep on changing a coach or a leader every time things don’t go the way that others want.

Let’s state categorically that the team did not play a game that they had hoped they would play to secure the win. They did not apply pressure, and it seemed they were one step behind the game. This did not happen towards the end of the season but in round one! But that does not mean, nor should it, that the club needs another knee-jerk reaction to get rid of the coach and coaches. This is not and never will be how you set yourself up for any resemblance of success. Yes, I know we have been waiting a long time, but no other club has gone through what Carlton has gone through since its 1995 Premiership. I know we are frustrated and impatient to be once more on top, but it won’t happen unless we are consistent and stable across the entire club after the instability and unstable organization of having five coaches in ten years.

But let’s go a bit further. In season 2024, Brisbane Lions were after six games, four losses, and two wins. They were deemed to be no close to winning a final, even a Grand Final, before the major bye round. Then everything changed, and we saw what happened at the climax of the season, a major thrashing of Sydney in the Grand Final.

So far this year, in the Opening Round, Collingwood got thrashed against a very dynamic GWS. Commentators and supporters loaded negatively on their effort with comments such as “too old”, “not physical enough” and that there were questions about them as a team. Sigh! Now, in round one, they, being the commentators and supporters, have labelled them as being one of the teams to beat! The fickleness of both commentators and “supporters” serves a narrative that tries to make these people relevant and knowledgeable. I would have more respect for any commentator or supporter if they said, ‘It’s only early days yet; let’s not get ahead of ourselves’. This must and should be applied to Carlton.

We played a very poor game against a team that we should have, in theory, thrashed. We did not. I do believe, and I don’t care if others say I have “rose-coloured” glasses on, we will get better. It may be a slow progression, but all that matters in the long-term of a long season is that we finish in the top 8. It has been proven by the Brisbane Lions and even Western Bulldogs in 2016 who finished seventh, that wining a Grand Final is possible no matter where you finish in the top eight. Sure, it is a slog to get to the Grand Final and ultimately win it, but it has been proven that it is possible if the team’s mindset switches to the point of determination to succeed no matter what or where they end up at the end of the season. Sometimes, a shock to the system can make a team and players so much better in the long term. The white noise from the outside world of the club is just that, white noise.

So, I will keep my “rose-coloured” glasses on for two reasons. One, it is only round one, and two—I do believe that at the end of the season, the calamity that Carlton started with will fade into the start of the climb to ultimate success. As long as there are no more knee-jerk reactions.

#GOBLUES!

It’s Round One, Folks! Not the end of the world!

Going to the match on Thursday night, I was filled with nervous excitement. Into the second part of the first quarter, even though we were well in front, I could see just by looking at the game that we would eventually struggle to win. Sadly, I was proven correct, and it is not something that I will boast about. I was disappointed, saddened, but not surprised. Yet, according to some supporters, this is doom and gloom. That we are going to have a shocker of a season. That it is the coaches’ fault and none other. That we should once again, fire or sack another senior coach because we lost a game that we were touted, supposedly, to win against a team that finished at the bottom of the ladder in 2024. It’s round one, people, not round twelve or eighteen or the season’s last round that could determine where we finally end up at the end of August!

It is so disappointing to see “supporters” continually come out when we lose to lay the blame at the feet of the coaches’ feet, get nasty, and throw vitriol towards them. Then, they turn their attention to players who did not perform. What does this serve in the long term in a season that has just begun? What does it achieve when one week you want to throw eggs and rotten tomatoes at the team and yell at them as they come off the ground, then next week praise them when they might do well?

Judging from the video from Jack Silvagni after the game, the players have taken the blame as they just were not, well, there at every contest. That they fumbled their kicks, hand-passes and game play. However, they know that in one week, this can be turned around. Logic tells us that on paper, we should have thrashed Richmond, but the game is not won on logic or what is written on paper; it is won when the entire team, at every stage of the game, puts every effort into every kick, handball, tackle and mark to get that win. Sometimes, it works; sometimes, it just doesn’t. This does not mean that the team is going backwards or that people need to get the sack; it means that in a season that has another five and half months left, the only reasonable scenario that the team will now focus on is to correct those issues that plagued them on Thursday; and I know that they will. They will be a different team moving forward than they were on Thursday night.

I don’t care what other commentators say about Carlton, good or bad; they are just doing it for clickbait. I have not read and will not read any good, bad or ugly opinions by these commentators. If they say Carlton’s season is over in round one, that is hysterical! If they say, Carlton will flounder in 2025 after one game, that, too, is hysterical. It is the same thing said about Brisbane Lions in 2024. I’m not saying that Carlton will for sure be in the same boat as Brisbane was last year; I’m saying that it’s not the end of the world when we lose a game in round one!

I do not believe the players will accept this game as the benchmark for their season. I believe the players will dig deep moving forward, but it will be not to show the outside world but for themselves. If they dig deep and pull themselves out of Thursday night’s disappointment, then success will be forthcoming, and their actions will prove to the outside world that the team should not be dismissed so cavalierly in their first game for season 2025.

I always am and always will be GO BLUES!

The Age & Carlton’s Future!

In The Age, an article published today highlights the last thirty years since the club’s last Premiership and interviews the respective coaches during that period. While it is a bit illuminating, it does not really state the obvious nor the mindset of those at the helm of the club back then. I have stated continuously that the club had a knee-jerk reaction every time a coach failed. Those who were supposed to see the value of long-term development and consistency put their blinkers on and only wanted short-term results. If a coach did not get the team to perform in a way that the Board saw fit and in a short timeline, then they were booted out. This manner of arrogancy and instability does not and never will ensure a team any success as resemblance of success.

After reading the article, I have a huge, nay, massive issue with how Mick Malthouse has been portrayed as a hard-done-by person. He is not. What has been failed to mention was that the very next day after he had achieved his record of being the coach with the most games coached, he threw down a gauntlet and challenged the club to either re-hire him or sack him. This was not done at the end of the season but right in the middle. I heard him saying this on the radio and was on the way to work and nearly ran off the road. I was appalled and livid. The article in The Age does not mention this aspect at all, and it won’t, but let’s not be blinded by his sheer selfishness and arrogance and neither should we be blinded by how the Board back then were more interested in wanting a Premiership immediately, at any cost.

I have always stated, and always will, that those clubs who are in it for the long haul will garnish the success everyone wants. That is those clubs who understand, from the Board to the Coaches, to the players and the supporters, that in order to hold that Premiership Cup up, you need a long-term, stable and consistent environment to succeed. Yet it seems there are those supporters who, even now, just can’t see past this.

On social media, supporters who say they are passionate supporters will make derogatory comments about a coach, player, or players after a loss, with the mindset that they alone know and understand what will make a club successful. There is no issue with being critical, but being nasty serves no purpose at all, and this nastiness has come from some supporters for whom I have no respect or time. I have even seen “supporters” post that Vossy should be sacked after last year’s performance! Sure, it did not end well, but to be perfectly honest, we did not earn our spot in the top eight, and the loss and failure from last year will only make the players more determined to not go down that path again.

If we want to be successful, then we have to stop the continual knee-jerk reaction every time the club goes into a game slump. The season is not a sprint but a marathon, and it is those clubs that may start off at the bottom but, over the weeks and months, do something that those that are on the top do not do – they learn and grow from mistakes. A prime example is the Brisbane Lions in 2024.

We have a few players out with injuries, and the lamenting and cries from supporters that we are now doomed is really farcical. If a team relies on a few to become successful, then we are going to fail. It is the depth of a team that will determine success, not its few stars. It is the consistency and stability of a club, from the Board to the Coaches to the club itself, that will make the team want to be successful and take that long journey there.

I understand the long haul for success, and now, we have the tools for that. The article in The Age highlights what has gone on in the past but has not come close to seeing what is now being done to erase that past and come back with success. I see it, and I know there are supporters who see it, too. We have to erase the continual need for knee-jerk reactions and concentrate on ensuring stability and consistency. Only then will Carlton become successful.

#GOBLUES!

Season 2025!

This time, in just over three weeks, the 2025 AFL season kicks off with the traditional Round 1 game – Richmond v Carlton at the MCG, and for most, we are all ‘chomping at the bit’ for the season to start. While we were disappointed in how Carlton’s season ended last year, we must be heartened by how the team has now developed and grown with new inclusions and those who wanted out. How with every year, the team’s core group has grown in their mindset and gameplay, and that we are on the rise.

I start this year’s blog beginning with a few statements, that I seem to have to make every season. The whole idea of this blog is not to point the finger (when things go bad) at any particular player or coach and not to single those out when things go well. There are so many ‘voices’ in that arena that the footy world does not need another. This blog is to write from a different perspective but to maintain a sense of respect for both the game and its participants on all levels.

Now, I am fully aware that not everyone will agree with me, and that is perfectly fine. I have no issue with healthy discussions and disagreements. What I will not accept nor tolerate is those who seek to call me names, be derogatory and even come out with words such as ‘you have no idea’ or ‘you are blind’ or ‘go back to the kitchen’. I respect all points of view as long as they are backed up by logic and rationale. I am perfectly comfortable with those that simply do not agree with me. That is the very nature of what a healthy environment for discussing a game that we love makes it the best game in the world.

There will be no tolerance or acceptance from those who seek to be divisive and combative and show no respect for others. There will be no tolerance or acceptance from those who single out players or coaches because they did not live up to someone outside the club’s expectations. It serves no purpose and has no value in figuring out what went wrong and how it can be changed for the team to improve.

I have seen ‘supporters’ belittle the coaches and players when things get rough, only to praise them when success occurs. I have seen and heard ‘supporters’ go on the radio making scathing and sometimes insulting remarks against the players and coaches when we played a game that we expected to win but did not. If this is who you are about as a supporter, then that is your right, but not when it infiltrates this blog.

So, with that in mind, I will never back down from someone who disagrees with my view if they cannot reply with a valid and logical response. Convince me rationally, and I will be and have been the first to say, ‘I was wrong’ or that ‘I agree with you.’

I wrote and have written that six years ago, I put down on paper where I thought the club would be at the end of each season, and so far, I have not been wrong. I do believe that given that we have waited so long for long-term success, this can only be achieved with consistency and stability both on and off the field, and we cannot expect or assume that, given this wait, it is our time now or not at all.

The game of AFL is one where supporters are passionate about the team they support, and Carlton supporters are no different. Yet we must realize that any success is a long, protracted journey. Sir Alex Ferguson, considered the greatest football (UK) manager of all time and has won more trophies than any other, managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013, stated, ‘ Success is not permanent and failure is not fatal.’ We should remember this and get excited for the start of the 2025 AFL season, no matter if we win, lose or draw. I know I am!

As always, GO BLUES!