Carlton supporters: What is it that you want?

I have to ask a question, and that is simply, what is it that you, as a supporter of Carlton FC, want? The answer is easy for me: I want us to win a Premiership in the not-too-distant future. That is what I want, and right now, I can see what the club is aiming to achieve in terms of what has occurred during the trade period.

Now that this major trade period has ended, while what we have lost has a sense of sadness, it is neither terrible nor catastrophic. Not even one that will send us backwards. On the contrary, it is a forward-looking understanding of what the club needs to do in order to raise another Premiership Cup. Isn’t that what we all want?

Sure, it does come with sadness that players of our club who loved being there and were loved are now no longer playing for the Navy Blue, but that is the very nature of what a hopeful, successful club needs to do, isn’t it? I think it is!

There have been many players not only in the entire footy world but at Carlton that have in the past, by their very dedication to a club and our club, actually deserved and should have earned a chance to play for a Premiership, but it didn’t happen. Players such as Eddie Betts, Kade Simpson, Andrew Walker, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Ed Curnow, and Matthew Kreuzer, in my view, are players who should have won a Premiership, but it was not in their cards.

I loved these players and what they brought to the club both on and off the field and I’m so thrilled that Kreuz is still a part of the club as an assistant coach. Also, seeing Kade Simpson assisting the Hawthorn FC is a great thing to see, as who knows, he could come back to Carlton in an assisting role. But the point is that there will always be those players that we love who will either retire without a Premiership or move on to other clubs.

These players that move on to other clubs, while some have achieved a semblance of success, Zach Tuohy being one, others have not. It does not mean that we should not celebrate their time at Carlton as long as they acknowledge their time at Carlton. Jarrad Waite and Lachie Henderson went to other clubs and, while playing at those clubs, grabbed their guernsey right in front of Carlton supporters and did not once acknowledge their time at Carlton. Waite only did so after he left North Melbourne, but not for a long time. On the other hand, we have two current players who have now found new homes. They thanked and acknowledged the opportunity that Carlton gave them and understood that for them to get more game time, they needed to move to other clubs, even if it had a tinge of regret.

The uproar from supporters over what our list management has done in trading out Matty Owies and Matt Kennedy is, in my view, very short-sighted. I have loved watching these players don the navy blue and play for Carlton, but I understood that they were not really going to be players who would be in our top 22 when we hopefully and eventually, play in a Grand Final.

In order for a club, any club, there are times when the heart must be pushed aside for the head. That there is a need to understand that in the long run, a club needs to ensure longevity in its playing group and to get, hopefully, the very best for the club. This does mean that we may have to trade away good, not great, but good players for younger players who have more potential. It means that we need to get younger players who we develop to be a part of a hopefully Premiership team.

I love what we have gained in terms of draft points and picks. We have the capacity to draft players from a draft group that, in 2024, has the best prospective talent pool that we have not seen in a while. If that means that we have to let go of players who have been passionate about playing for the Navy Blue but who are not really going to be a part of the growth in the playing group, then while sad, I understand this process.

If what we all want is to raise our 17th Premiership Cup, then unfortunately, it will mean those peripheral players will simply not be there. I love what Owies and Kennedy brought to the club and the team, and I wish them the best for their futures. But I want to win a Premiership. I want the club to be that fearsome group that clubs come to game day with much trepidation, not just for now but long-term.

This was a good trade period for Carlton. I can’t wait for the draft period and what season 2025 will bring.

#GOBLUES!

End of Season 2024! What a win!

After watching the Grand Final on Saturday, it proved to me what I have been trying to allude to for a while.

On Saturday, Chris Fagan and the Brisbane Lions categorically illustrated that it makes no difference where you start a season but how you finish it. Brisbane Lions had a poor start to the season, languishing in the 13th spot. They then, with determination and passion not only for each other but also for the coach, finished not in the top 4 but 5th.

To then play every finals game, come out and literally demolish what was considered to be a team that just could not lose on a day that mattered most was a testament to the culture and what Chris Fagan and the club were building. Carlton, in my view, is in the same situation, but what we have gone through in the past ten years should and must fuel the team and club even more.

Chris Fagan went through heartache after heartache for the past six years. Getting into the finals, then getting beaten, then getting into a Grand Final in 2023, getting beaten, lit a fire in the club that culminated in the eventual thrashing of its opponent that no one saw coming in 2024. Seeing Fagan’s emotion as he hugged Lee Mathews was one of the game’s highlights. It took Brisbane Lions six years, repeat six years, to win the penultimate prize. Yet, for some Carlton supporters, it should only take a few years, three at the most.

I am under no illusion of where Carlton stands right now and what it is building. The past ten years, in which we have gone through five coaches in that time, will never, repeat, never allow a club to become close to being successful. We have been in two finals campaigns in the three years that Michael Voss has been at the helm. If, after all of this, you still think and believe that we are not building towards becoming successful, then you are not really understanding the modern game and where, as a club, we have been and where we are now.

The expectation from some supporters that we have not won a Premiership since 1995 and that we should have won at least one since that time perplexes me, and I have to ask: why? Why should the club be successful if it keeps changing coaches every time after a few years when things don’t work out the way it assumed they should? Why do some believe that after three years, we should be holding up another Premiership Cup when we have not earned it? If this is what you think, then you have not understood the ramifications of what happens when there are continuous changes at the club in terms of its senior coach. Under what rationale does anyone believe that this is possible?

John Longmire has been the coach for over ten years, and in that time, Sydney was in the finals for the majority of that period, yet he only won one Premiership. Chris Fagan has finally won a Premiership for the Brisbane Lions, but it took him a long time to get there. It took him time to get the team the players it needed. It took time for those players to know not only their role in the team but how to overcome setbacks, injuries and demoralising close losses.

I have read comments from those who profess their love for the club to want to see Vossy sacked. That he just cannot coach. If Brisbane Lion’s win shows anything, consistency is one word that permeates a successful club’s culture, not only in the players but in the club itself.

During the season, the Brisbane Lions had one of the worst kicks at goal, where their scores for points outweighed a goal. But they never faltered in what they wanted and how they tried to get there. Chris Fagan said before the match that after last year’s loss in the Grand Final, he got the players to write how they felt and what they could do better. He put those answers in a time capsule, and then, this season, he took them out and read them to the players. He showed a team struggling for the first part of the season what should fuel them to be determined and never give up, to eventually reap the reward they fought for. This is what will make a team in this modern game, successful. It will be one that will make Carlton successful.

We have to stop with the need to think that every time we sack a coach, then hire another, then sack, then hire, this will eventually get us the success we so long for. The modern game of footy requires a long-term plan, not a short-term one. It requires understanding that there will be times when the outcome won’t be one that we all want, but if we keep moving forward, learn from what went wrong, and focus on how to overcome these setbacks, it will furnish the team with a sense of what Brisbane Lions gave themselves: a determination not to repeat the past, but to learn, grow and come out and demolish an opponent who has now asked themselves what went wrong.

I see this potential in Carlton right now. I see the slow but steady growth and development that will position the team to claim that 17th Premiership. It may not happen as quickly as some would like, but it will happen.

Congratulations, Brisbane Lions!

#GOBLUES

All images courtesy of the AFL

Becoming not a good club, but a great one!

With season 2024 approaching its end, it is here that I reflect on the season in terms of Carlton and look to the future. I will dissect and comment on certain players and what I see as the makeup of the team moving forward because this is where each club, including Carlton, must now look.

There have rumours abound about how the club is mismanaging its list and weeks ago, there was even the ludicrous suggestion that Christian Petracca of Melbourne would be a great swap for Harry McKay. These rumours are supposedly based on “facts” and the “information” and “commentary” from so-called experts or those supposedly, “in-the-know.” Let me state that I do not and never will subscribe to what others in the outside world of the club speculate and state with “certainty” what is happening and what will or should, happen. Until the club clarifies and confirms, it is all speculation and should not be taken literally. Yet.

With the talk of Matty Owies not going on an end-of-season trip with others from the team, but meeting with other clubs, which could be true, until the decision has been confirmed by himself or the club, I will wait. But here is my view on this. I will ask the following question: What is it that the club and supporters want? The answer is simple: a Premiership. We want to be that club that, at the end of the season, holds up another Premiership Cup. It is that simple, really. Yet this comes with decisions that may cause supporters to be upset and angry. I ask, why? Again, what is it that we are all seeking?
Let’s take a few steps back into the past seasons.

There are some ex-Carlton players who, due to retirement or even going to other clubs, have been ones that we supporters have been upset about. When Marc Murphy, Ed Curnow and Matty Kreuzer all retired, we were all saddened because, without a doubt, these players deserved and should have been part of a Premiership side, but it was not in their destiny. Then there were Eddie Betts and Bryce Gibbs, who also deserved to win a Premiership at Carlton but decided to leave. This upset many, and understandably, but they left to go to a club that would hopefully garnish them a slight chance of winning a Premiership, because Carlton at that time, was not even a good club or close to being a great one. For them, it just didn’t eventuate.

Right now, Carlton is a good club, but not a great one. If we want to be great, we must understand that players we love may not be a part of this greatness. Jack Martin will not be at the club next year. While a good player, when fit, he is not a great player. He is sporadic in his performance. He is 29 and will be 30 before season 2025 starts. He is not a long-term prospect for the club, yet he could be a short-term one at another whose window is just one step above Carlton. This is the same with Matty Owies.

Matty Owies is a fantastic player to watch when he is in form. He is a good player, not a great one. He is a short-term player for a club and not a long-term one in a team that is right now, again, a good team, not a great one. Could he be a part of Carlton becoming a great club? Absolutely. But what will the cost be to the club’s future and the team’s makeup moving forward? What is it that we desperately need from him that we don’t already have in our younger players? Sure, he is ready to go, but for any club to become great, this takes time and a long-term plan, not a short-term one. We have to look at his type of player and where he could fit in the team. He kicked over 30 goals this year, and is a very handy player to have in our forward line, but not a great player. I will be sad if he does go, but not angry or furious, as some have stated on social media. For a team to cross that line of being a good one, to a great one, we have to look at a long-term plan and put that in place.

Now, I love Owies passion for the club and team, and he has been told that the club wants him, but that he just needs to wait until after the trade and draft period. He has been given the go-ahead to see if he wants to move to another club. If he goes, then so be it. We have to start looking at what holes have been missing that will make us become not a good club but a great one.

We need more depth in our backline than we do in any other position on the field. We need more grunt to assist the senior players in the team, Jacob Weitering, Adam Saad, Sam Docherty, Mitch McGovern, and Nic Newman (I have not included Zac Williams, who has played better as a forward than in the backline); who can guide the younger ones, Alex Cincotta, Brodie Kemp, Lachie Cowan, Jordan Boyd who could be a part of our future and need time to mature and grow into becoming great players.

Then there’s Matthew Kennedy, who is contracted until the end of 2025 and has been told that if he wants to seek more time at another club, then he has Carlton’s blessing. Again, those not in the “know” are furious about this. He is a good player, not a great one. He has his moments but is not consistent enough to be a great player. Both Kennedy and Owies have a great passion for the club and the team without question, and I can see them both being a part of Carlton in its push to become a great club. But I also see that they are really second only to others in the team who are either great players or on the threshold of being great players because of their age and have more room for maturity and growth. So, the club has to make the really tough decision of what to do and how to go about becoming a great club.

Personally, I can’t see either Owies or Kennedy going to other clubs, but I could be wrong. But if they do, then I will be sad, but I won’t be angry or furious that I, a supporter who has no direct knowledge or information from the club as to what their intentions are during the trade and draft periods. No one, no matter what they say or comment on, has this insider knowledge. I don’t take much value in what the media or social media commentators predict or state as being what is going on at the club, and to be honest, I don’t understand why some get so hyped up about what is being said by those supposedly “in-the-know” or past players who believe in their own hype and will say anything to get click bait and make themselves talked about.

Ultimately, we want to be a great club and we are not there yet. We will see players that we love possibly move on to other clubs, but in the end, the players know and understand what it will take to be a great club, and that may not include those who have become cult figures or much-loved players. We should not go down the rabbit hole of being so angry and furious at a decision made by a club that only wants to be successful.

I want to be at the end of a season, going to a game that is the pinnacle of the year—the Grand Final. I want to be part of the celebration that comes with holding up a Premiership Cup. I want to have the last weekend in September be one where I have no voice, am dog-tired with little sleep due to ongoing celebrations, yet euphoric because I was a part of that last game of the season where we added another Premiership Cup and can be genuinely named—a great club! That is what I want. That is my view.

#GOBLUES

Understanding the road to glory!

As the footy world watched the 2024 Brownlow Medal count, most were bracing for the possibility of a tie between two outstanding players or the possibility of a dark horse that has been an incredible player surging ahead. The talk around the media world that it will likely end up either Nick Daico’s outright win or a draw with Patrick Cripps or even Marcus Bontempelli finally achieving a victory that has been alluding him.

No one saw that one player who, despite his club not faring that well after the major Bye rounds, surged ahead to the point that he achieved a result that will probably not be seen again. To see Patrick Cripps win with a massive 45 votes, with second place going to Nick Daicos with 38 points, is astounding. To see that Crippa got the votes despite Carlton not winning many matches after the Bye rounds shows the caliber of the player he is. Yet it was his acceptance speech that I think shows the type of person he is, how he sees the club and its future and what is in store for next year. It is a speech whose contents illustrate what I have been trying to allude to all of 2024.

He stated that Carlton is a good team but has yet to be great. He said, ‘I have an appreciation, and I respect every player that goes out and plays. Every time we step out on the footy field, you put yourself up to be judged. That takes a lot of vulnerability.’ He went on to reiterate that at 18, coming from school, you don’t really know what you are doing. But by putting yourself on the field, ‘you are open to a lot of feedback,’ where there have been times when it hasn’t gone the way that he would have liked and that, ‘you feel the brunt of that.’ But, ‘what it teaches you is, it doesn’t matter what other people think. As long as you are happy with yourself.’ Stating, ‘you have a lot of people in your corner…you trust, which I do. A lot of people don’t have that.’ Where ‘as long as you work hard, (and) come in with a good attitude, you can do amazing things.’

Out of his entire speech, what had the most impact was that he understood what it would take for a team to step over that threshold of being a good club to a great club. He understood that, for the first time in a long time, the club has a culture and consistency in what it wants to achieve and how to get there. ‘I feel like it’s the closest now (to a premiership), but I know there’s a lot of hard work to go, so I’m realistic in that, and that’s why I’ve got a lot of appreciation for the Lions and the Swans, because its hard to get there.’

He then went on to say that ‘we’ve got a bit of work to do, we feel like we’ve got a great culture, we’ve got guys who love coming to work, we’re really close, but there are few things we’ve got to keep levelling up in…But I know with the quality of characters we have in our group I know we can do amazing things.’ It is this understanding of what it will take for Carlton to not only qualify for a Grand Final place but to win one. He understands what I have written about this season and in the past, that it takes a culture within the playing group and the club itself to even get close to that pinnacle.

This notion that because a coach that others feel is not up to the task when that coach has been one of five in the past ten years, that again needs to be replaced, is not understanding what it will take to achieve this success.

In his time as coach of Sydney, John Longmire has been in the finals twelve times and only won once. In his time at Brisbane Lions, Chris Fagan has been in the finals six times and has not won a Premiership. Chris Scott has been in the Finals twelve times and won twice. Ken Hinkley has taken Port Adelaide to the finals seven times yet never won a Premiership Cup. In all four teams, one factor unites them all that does not unite Carlton: consistency in its coaching team. To even suggest that Carlton needs to once more get rid of a coach who has brought the club to a place where it will only go up (in my view) is narrow-minded, arrogant, and destructive to the players and the club.

We have the makings of a team capable of stepping over the hurdles of being a good club to a great one if we just understand what it will take to get us there. We need to realize that as supporters, this ultimate success will never happen if we keep changing when the results don’t go our way. This does not achieve a culture of success; it never has and never will. Crippa understands this, and so does the team and the club. We, as supporters, also need to understand this. If those out there don’t, then to be blunt – support another team.

I proudly wear my Carlton gear regardless of the outcome and where we sit at the end of the season. Because, like Crippa, I understand what it will take to get us that ultimate chance to get the success we want. It will be frustrating at times and euphoric at other times, but this journey that we are now on must continue without any fraction within the club. We are now nearing the end of three full years of Michael Voss as coach. In that time, we have been in the finals twice. We are building a culture and consistency that bodes well for the future. Crippa sees it, the coaches see it, the players see it, and we must as well.

Congratulations Patrick Cripps!

#GOBLUES!

All photos courtesy of AFL

Consistency & Culture!

I made the trip to Brisbane to see Carlton last week. While it was not the outcome that we all had hoped for, to be honest, it was kind of expected. With each game, I always go with the mindset of a win, even if I know deep down that they will not. I waited for a week to go by just to see what transpired on social media and the media itself, where most of the narrative was predictable.

Before I elaborate, let me state that Carlton’s crawl into the Finals was not earned, but we got there by default. Could we have made it a fairytale outcome? Sure, but it should be no real surprise that we performed the way we did. Was I upset? Not really; disappointed? Yes, but not upset because I did not think we earned our spot. I then thought about the games last week, this weekend, and the clubs achieving success. We now know the outcome of the matches going into the Preliminary Finals, and they will be rather interesting because right now, as it stands, there is only one Victorian team. Will I stand with that team for a Grand Final win – no. But I do give them kudos for getting there.

There are three clubs in the top 8 who, in my view, have the ability to be contenders for a Premiership and will be for a while. Two of those teams have shown how strong they are, and one is showing it more and more. Let me explain.

Sydney, Geelong, and Hawthorn have had one thing the other clubs have not had: a consistently stable environment on and off the field. They all have an inherent history of a culture in their club that enables them to be successful. They have consistency in their coaching and the environment in which they play. Sydney and Geelong have had the same head coach for over 10 years, and Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell took over from a coach who had been with the club for over 10 years. These three clubs have developed a culture that is ingrained not only with the players but with those around them.

Clubs such as Brisbane Lions – the coach has been with them since 2016; Port Adelaide – the coach has been with them since 2012; Western Bulldogs – the coach has been with them since 2015. GWS and Carlton’s current senior coaches took over in 2022. While Brisbane Lions have been knocking on the door in the final series, their last Grand Final win was in 2003, with this being their third consecutive Grand Final win. They were runners-up in 2023. Port Adelaide has had the honour of being the club with the most finals presence but has yet to have won one. Their last one was in 2004.

The Western Bulldog’s previous Grand Final win was in 2016, and they have yet to show the AFL world any resemblance of being that 2016 team since then. GWS made it to a Grand Final in 2019 only to get beaten by Richmond by 89 points. Why is all of this relevant? The reason is not one of these clubs has gone through the turmoil and inconsistent cultural landscape that Carlton has. Yet there are those out there who firmly believe that because we are the Carlton FC, the foundations of consistency don’t really apply.

What we have been lacking is the very thing that makes clubs such as Sydney, Geelong, and Hawthorn have in droves—consistency, a positive culture, and the understanding that to get to a Grand Final and to win it takes time, patience, and a determination to exceed both on and off the field. We have not had that mindset for a long time now. Yet, it is something that we are building. Yet there are those who just do not get this.

At the game, I witnessed supporters abuse not only our players but coaches as well. How does this make the team or anyone want to perform or do better? Does this work in your home or work environment? I understand the frustration and the need to vent, but to be so aggressive both at the game and on social media achieves and does nothing positive.

The need that some have that other coaches from other clubs would be better is hypocritical at the least. When those who, on the one hand, in the past, praised the coaches and players are now doing the opposite, again, I ask, what does this achieve? To be labelled “muppets” by some supporters who attack others for supporting our coaches and players is downright disrespectful and, again, achieves and does nothing. To be told that Chris Scott would be a better coach than Michael Voss is hysterical, as these people just don’t seem to understand what he achieved and how long it took him to achieve anything resembling success – a Grand Final win.

If we want to be a dominant club, then we have to learn from the clubs that are consistently dominant. They are solid in their coaching team and may tweak it; they are backing their senior coaches as they believe that consistency in their abilities will furnish the club with a solid foundation of a winning culture, both off and on the field. To keep going down the path of giving a coach three years to turn everything around when we have had 10 years of flip-flopping coaches will never, ever garnish the success that we all crave.

If others just can’t handle that, maybe they should turn in their memberships and support a club that is currently successful, and then when they falter, go support another club. I still wear my Carlton scarf and top and have no hesitation in doing that. I support the team, the club, and its endeavours to become a consistently successful club that is rich in its culture both on and off the field. I understand that it takes time and tweaking along the way. But we have the foundations for success; we just need to understand and respect the process to get there, given where we have been. This need by some to keep changing coaches does not work, never has and never will.

#GOBLUES!

Don’t Underestimate Us!

When the week starts after the Bye for finals, that little bubble of excitement, knowing that your team is a part of the buildup – gets bigger and bigger with each passing day as you move closer to the game. It makes no difference how you got there; the fact that your team is there is pure excitement. (It beats sitting back and watching other teams become a part of that race to the ultimate prize).

It has been reported that Sam Docherty is going to be a part of the team that heads up to Brisbane. Nothing shouts resilience, determination and a sheer will to be a part of that finals campaign. Some say he should not play because he is recovering from another ACL. Yet he has been training and running in a way where he definitely should be in the mix. Whether he starts or is the sub, he definitely should be there. The reason is simple: what he offers as motivation and leadership should not be underestimated, whether he starts or is the sub. If he becomes the sub, he brings leadership and respect both on and off the field, which will only prove to be a positive influence. His ability to actually make a difference on the field and off should not be underestimated. I agree with the decision to include him.

Some in the media have stated that Brisbane Lions will smash Carlton. Here, I disagree. If we get back, which we will, some of our previous injured players, then the game becomes one that is firmly placed in our hands. Our match against St Kilda was one where we had several inexperienced players who have not had the luxury of developing over time in high-pressure AFL games. Playing in the VFL is vastly different from playing in the AFL. Some did step up, but they need more time to grow and develop to continually perform under that pressure at an AFL level.

In this regard, no one must underestimate the impact that having Docherty back on the team and these younger players will have on the game and the team as a whole. To come out and state categorically that Brisbane will thrash Carlton is misguided and misinformed. In this season alone, we have seen those teams that should have won lose and those that should have lost win.
The Bye before the Finals begins is one where a ‘reset’ button has been pressed. Do not underestimate how this can and does impact the games moving forward. How having allowed injured players to recover and build up fitness should not be taken lightly. If the injury is minor enough, their ability to heal and train at full pace is something that the Bye ‘resets’ for Finals.

We know that these players can play under pressure and in a Final. We saw it last year. The path on Saturday is ours for the taking, no matter what others may say or predict. However, win or lose, what we, as Carlton supporters, must and should emulate is the same thing that Sam Docherty does: dedication, commitment, and unwavering support for the team and what it wants to achieve.

I’m going to be there, and that little bubble of excitement is brewing with each passing hour, win or lose!

#GOBLUES!

Image courtesy of Carlton FC.

3 Seasons into 1

I don’t know about everyone else, but I was and still am pretty emotional right now for all the good and rather frustrating reasons. I know that there are voices around regarding how Carlton had the game in their hands and lost it in the last seconds. How it was a game; they should have won but didn’t. How for some, including Carlton supporters, that the match against Brisbane Lions will be a loss of epic kind. Here is my view.

I have always believed that the season is not just one, but three in one. The proof is simply in the physical evidence of season 2024.

From the start of the season to the main Bye rounds, Rounds 12 to 15, the ladder showed that Carlton was second. Sydney had won 13 of its 14 games. Carlton—10, Essendon—9, Collingwood, Fremantle, GWS, Geelong, and Port Adelaide had all won 8. At the bottom of the ladder, Melbourne—8, Brisbane Lions, Bulldogs, Gold Coast, and Hawthorn—7.

Now, after all the team’s main bye rounds, things changed. It was not until Round 19 that things went pear-shaped for a few teams (Carlton being one of them), and things blossomed for others. We saw Carlton drop to 4th. Brisbane Lions rose to 2nd after being 8th. GWS rose one spot. Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn began their rise. While Essendon dropped down. At round 21, Carlton had dropped to 8th spot. Western Bulldogs rose to 7th, and Hawthorn hovered around. Essendon dropped down to 9th. Sydney, who had been the outright favourite, began to lose games. Instead of being two to three games ahead of everyone, they were now only one. Collingwood, touted as the red-hot favourite, was now 11th.

Carlton had their fair share of major players out with injury. It meant that the rest of the season rested on those players who, for some, had either not played any senior AFL games or just a few. It meant that for the game on Sunday, the team was up against the very team that had beaten Geelong and was now determined to seal the fate of their opponents – Carlton. They wanted to inflict disappointment of chances lost and conclude their season on a high note. They were up against a depleted and inexperienced side (for some) who did not have the luxury of time and experience to furnish themselves with how to combat the pressure that St Kilda plied the team with. In the end, it came down to a game that we all could only watch and hope. An opposition team that we didn’t particularly like, but for a brief moment, we all were Port Adelaide supporters.

As the final siren went for the Fremantle/Port Adelaide game, Carlton said a big, hearty thanks; our chances and hopes were back in play again. Now we have a week off to regroup and hopefully get some of our injured players back, who had, before the major bye, got the team to be in a position to be in the top four.

What I am alluding to is that with each bye that a team has, it is a way of re-setting the game. It is a way to give those with injuries the chance to recover and return. It is a way to literally start again. This season has shown that there is no way anyone can comfortably state with certainty what will happen in every match. The way some clubs began at the beginning of the season, has not given them a sure-fired path into the finals. We have seen losses from clubs that should not have lost. We have witnessed wins from clubs that took us all by surprise.

Either way, in every scenario, it is not what transpired in the past but what a team must and should be looking for in the future. What they can control now will ensure that when the time comes, they will have the opportunity to erase past mistakes and, hopefully, achieve success.

I am and always will be a firm believer in the power of positivity. I do not and never will subscribe to the notion that what was terrible in the past will be the same moving forward. It achieves and does nothing. I believe the team will reset and regroup, and with some of its major players back into the team, it will give the opposition a sense of fear. The season has now reset itself, and the Finals campaigns for all teams involved have begun.

I know that Brisbane Lions will be fearful for the simple reason that Carlton will be out for redemption. We’ve done it before, and we will do it again. But win, lose, or draw, we have to and need to support the team and the club and know that they will be doing everything in their power and ability to ensure success.

#GOBLUES!

P.S. Said I would. Each week we are in the finals, another flag goes up outside my home!

Determination! Leadership!

Before the match on Sunday, I waited nervously. All I wanted to see from the match was that the team, whoever was playing, gave it their all, at every moment of the game. I wanted to see the young, inexperienced players that came in take on the game. To show that they have not only worked hard for their chance but why they were chosen in the first place. I wanted us to win, of course, but more than that, I wanted to see the heart back into the team. Not only did this happen, but so much more.

Before I continue, after the match, I read with laughter some of the comments posted on social media, some from non-supporters, but those that gave me a real laugh were from some who are supposedly Carlton supporters. These comments ranged from “we should not be celebrating a mediocre performance.” That “Voss cannot coach and needs to go ASAP!” That certain players who are just beginning their careers need to be “traded at the end of the season and are useless.” It seems that for some if we lose, it proves their point of how weak we are and how pathetic the coaches are. And if we win, well we are still weak and pathetic. It seems that these so-called “supporters” are not real supporters, or they are either trolls from other clubs or just cannot see what others can. It seems that no matter what the outcome, we are a useless club. To those, I say, “Jog on, mate!”

The team on Sunday consisted of two debutants, as well as players who had played a few games and were brought in to fill in the gaps of our injured star players. The average age of the team was 24.5 years old. Of that, eleven players are under the age of 25. Thirteen players have played less than 50 games. This means that if they had played all games, they have only played for two seasons or less. Nine players have come from other clubs. While they have been in the system, their time at their previous clubs did not meet the expectations that these clubs perceived these players were capable of. But at Carlton, they are showing what they are capable of.

In this team, nine players have played over one hundred games, with only one player over two hundred – Patrick Cripps. Of those who have played over one hundred, six have come from other clubs. Only three players have played more than 100 games, including Crippa, Weiters and Walshy, who have been at the club since they were drafted. There is a point to all of this.

In 2022, Geelong’s winning Premiership side, out of 46 players, eighteen had played over 100 games, most above 200. Six had played between 50 and 99. Seven players had played 50 or less. The ones who had played the most games, were prolific in garnishing the club a Premiership. Geelong is still one of the oldest playing groups and have more AFL game experience.

Collingwood’s 2023 win saw thirteen players who had played over 100 games, with four over 200. Seven players had played between 50 and 100 games, with fifteen playing less than 50. Five of that squad played in the Grand Final and had played less than 50 games. Those who played 100 games are either in their late twenties or early thirties.

Why is this important? If we look at the team that played on Sunday, most of our playing group has played less than 50 games at the AFL level. The average age is below 25. This is a vital factor in why the game on Sunday was magnificent, and showing a level of positivism in the club and the team itself that anything can and is achieved with a steadfast determination and self-belief. Sure, it was against a bottom side, but it was a side that had come off from a two-game winning streak, and we were not only playing at their home ground, but we had dropped out of the eight. Our morale was low; theirs was not. Our team was decimated by injuries, with substantial missing players. Theirs was not.

But what was so significant in this game was the constant pressure, no matter where the ball was. What was so significant was that the game was Carlton’s to shape and mould, and the team had more to gain and, at the same time, more to lose. The team showed what it means to be a team. It showed that together with a leadership group that surpassed all expectations can and does inspire. From soccer-like goals to unexpected defenders suddenly kicking multiple goals. To players who had been faltering, suddenly showing what they are capable of and why the club believed in them in the first place. But it showed so much more. It showed that a passionate determination to push yourself and play in a way that can only lead to success is one that should never be underestimated. Yes, it was against a bottom team. Yes, the last game of the season will be very important. But this game, this win is a catalyst moment for the club: that if there is a belief and a will to do all that you can to become a winning side, no matter who is there, the result will be just that – a win.

It allowed less experienced players to develop and grow to become better players. It allowed new players to experience the intensity level that an AFL game provides. But more than that, it gave the club a chance to show that no matter who is in the side, the game is on our terms and that a win is something that we can control.

#GOBLUES!

All photos courtesy of the AFL

Stronger Together! Mean it!

As I packed my gym bag for my afternoon session after work, I thought about the T-shirt I took to wear and what the words on it stood for. I pondered its meaning and significance. It seems that the words on the front may mean something to me, but I’ve realised, to some, it is just lip service. I’m talking about the “Stronger Together” T-shirt, which has also been a phrase put on other merchandise.

When it came out, after the club’s momentum last year, supporters snapped it up as they all wanted to be a part of the “stronger together” campaign. They all felt that they, too, believed in this mantra and wanted to show the world how “stronger together” the club is. Now, when the club is faltering, it seems that some are storing the merchandise away because now, when the club needs supporters to be “strong” and do it “together”, it doesn’t fit their narrative anymore. They are only prepared to be “stronger together” when the club rises, not when they are not.

How hypocritical is this? Do supporters feel that now that the club’s narrative has changed, where there is an even more vital need to be “stronger together”, this mantra is only worthwhile spouting when the club is successful? What underlying meaning do the words “stronger together” have that I am just not seeing because now the club is not as successful? Am I missing a hidden phrase or word that implies that “stronger together” is only when the club is successful does this phrase have meaning and a purpose?

I wore my T-shirt and matching jumper and am not ashamed to show my support. The words “stronger together” mean that together, we can create a strong and supportive environment that enables the club to know that there are those out there who support it in its endeavours to become a strong club, one that we can do together.

If you only see this as being a mantra when the club is rising, then it shows, to me anyway, the true nature of who you really are. Because as the saying states, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” which implies that when conditions become difficult, those with a strong will and character are more determined to succeed and support those that are down, to rise them back up . Michael Jordan stated that, “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.”

Success does not come in a way we want or in a certain time frame. If we have embraced the phrase “stronger together” in the past, we must also embrace it now. When it is needed the most.

#GOBLUES!

Perspective & History!

Let me say a few things. Yes, I was guttered about the result on Sunday. But, and there is a but, I understand where the team is and where it is heading. Now, you may disagree, but that is fine. But if you do, don’t state that ‘I am delusional’ or ‘blind’ or ‘have no idea’ etc. etc. etc. Using one word or a few words to state how you disagree proves nothing to me as it does not prove anything. If you disagree, I want to know why and maybe I can be persuaded.
I have repeatedly stated where I think the club is, and I have not changed. Sure, we have been decimated with injuries, and that plays into how we are faring so far this year. But let’s take a step back and rationalise this.

Firstly, Michael Voss has been a Head coach since 2022. Before that, how many other coaches did we have in the past ten years? Five! If we take this further, let’s look at those teams in the top eight in order. Sydney – John Longmire has been Head coach since 2011, thirteen years. Port Adelaide – Ken Hinkley has been Head coach since 2012, twelve years. GWS – Adam Kingsley has been a Head coach since 2023, and yes, he has only been in that role for just over a year, but the previous coach was Leon Cameron, who was there since 2014, eight years.

Then there is Geelong—Chris Scott has been Head Coach since 2010, nearly fourteen years. Yes, he won a Premiership in 2011, the year after he took over from Bomber Thompson, who had been coach for ten years. Yes, he took the club to a Premiership in 2022. It took him another eleven years to get the club to Premiership contention.

As we move down, Brisbane Lions—Chris Fagan has been Head coach since 2016, nearly eight years, and has taken the club to a Premiership but not won. Fremantle—Justin Longmuir has been at the helm since 2019, nearly five years. Before that, Ross Lyon, who had been there for seven years and took them to a Grand Final, did not win.

Western Bulldogs—Luke Beveridge has been Head coach since 2015, nearly nine years. Before that, they had Brendan McCartney for two years, Paul Williams for a year, and Rodney Eade for six years. Sure, they won a Premiership in Beveridge’s second year as coach, but their season has been up and down since then.

Lastly, Hawthorn—Sam Mitchell took over from Alistar Clarkson in 2022. Clarko had been Head coach since 2005, for sixteen years, and took the club to four Premierships. He won his first three years after taking over, and it took him another five years to win three straight.

Now, let’s remind ourselves of Carlton’s journey. Brett Ratten, from 2007 to 2012, five years. Mick Malthouse 2013 – 2015, two years. Brendon Bolton 2016 – 2019, two and half years. Then David Teague from mid 2019 to 2021, two and half years. Since 2007, we have had five coaches. We thought we would give a coach a few years, and then if it doesn’t work, we could sack them and try again. And if that doesn’t work out, sack them and try again. And if that doesn’t work out, sack them and try again.

We went through the salary cap breach in 2002, which set the club back ten years. So, if we take it that we had to start our rebuild in 2012, we have turned over coaches and not had consistency in the club and the team for twelve years. It makes no difference whatsoever about the talent in the club, as we have seen some of the best players at Carlton, and not one of them has won a Premiership at Carlton.

To flood social media and the media as a whole spouting their disgust and anger at the team and the club itself shows that there is, in my view, no fundamental understanding of what it will take to get a Premiership cup. Sure, be upset, be guttered even, but to be angry and not support the club anymore is a blinkered view of an arrogance that is steeped in an era that is no more and never will be if we take the attitude that we have been taking by the turnover of coaches. I don’t get nor understand this notion that there is an expectation that because of last season, it is a given that we have to be in the top eight. We are not the only club to have great players, and the competition has become a very, very close one.

I just don’t understand this feeling of entitlement that some have just because we have not won a Premiership for twenty-nine years, that given that past that we have gone through, well, it is our right to win one when we have not earned it yet. This need to bag and boo players and coaches achieves nothing positive only to vent our own frustration. It does not incentivise anyone to do better. It never has and never will.

To plaster vitriol so that it makes us feel better solves nothing. I was upset by the loss, but I was more upset about the reaction of some who had no fundamental understanding and didn’t want to understand the club’s unique situation. We may not make it to the Finals this season, but we have the core guts of being a team that will make it. We just need to know that consistency in our coaches, our players and, yes, our fitness and stamina will get us there. If you can’t support a team when they are down, then you don’t really have the right to support them when they turn it around and become the team we all want to see.

Now, SEN has posted a post about how Carlton has let the supporters down for a long time. That is accurate, but it doesn’t mean that we have this expectation of success when the club has not been prepared to go for the long haul. If they don’t, this will be a repeatable occurrence nobody wants to be a part of.