Momentum & Support!

After the game on the weekend, I took some time before I wrote something. I wanted to see what was being said, written about and discussed not only by commentators but also on social media.  There were some good points, bad points and some downright nonsensical, disruptive and very nasty comments made.  While these did not surprise me, they made me think that maybe I was seeing something completely different and that perhaps I was on my own here in terms of how I saw the club and the direction it was going.


It seems that I am taking a view that is on the whole positive in its position and not all the doom and gloom that others are seemingly taking. I do admit that this is my nature in life. To see things from a different perspective and for the most part, a half-glass full, rather than one being empty.  It seems that, for the most part, I am in the minority, albeit a very small one. Maybe I am wrong.
I just cannot understand why others don’t see what I see or try to see in the development and growth of a club that has, for the past ten years, been one of instability, inconsistency and breeding a culture of entitlement that repeats every three years when the going gets so tough that there is a need to change hoping that this time, it will work in a time-frame that is, in a sporting arena, virtually impossible. 


A few comments in previous blogs state that supporters are like this because it has been 29 years since our last Premiership.  That is not in question; what is in question is that I cannot think of another club that went down the quagmire of the salary cap issues that set this club ten years backwards.  Then we changed, and changed, and changed, and changed, and changed again our coaches because some strongly believe that it is our right as the Carlton FC to achieve what has to be achieved in a time frame that is simply not possible. 


But enough with the need to reiterate that what has gone on in the past does have a massive effect on our present and future, I will state something that I wrote before the major Bye. It has to do with momentum.


Let me say that while I was disappointed and even perplexed about Saturday’s game, the only thing that really upset me was the reaction that some seemed to have regarding the coaching team. Some even suggested that Michael Voss would be sacked at the end of 2025. For some, maybe he should be sacked now!


Before the major Bye, teams such as Brisbane Lions, Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Geelong, GWS, and the Western Bulldogs were struggling.  Even last year’s Premiers were languishing. I have often stated that it is not how you start a season but how you perform after the major Bye Round. It is the momentum you gain by not being the very best at the beginning but how you progress after every match, and that translates into how you perform after the Bye. 
In season 2023, we saw this in full action with Carlton.  Sitting fifteenth before the Bye Round to finishing in the top eight, the team’s momentum and determination showed what is being shown in the teams now sitting in the top eight. 

We are seeing a Sydney Swans team, which was touted as Premiership favourites for most of the season, falter and now only be one game ahead of four teams below them.  Who would have imagined that the game against Port Adelaide would see this team not score at all for the first half?  We saw Fremantle get beaten in the last seconds of the match by a team outside of the eight.  Yet we believe that because we are Carlton, it is a given that we will not succumb and beat a team that is not only our life-long foe but one that is gaining momentum after a poor start.


I’m not going to point fingers at the team, as plenty of others do that, and this is not the point of this blog.  There has to be some rationality in thinking and unmitigated support and positivism directed not only to the club by supporters but within the club as well. This will only happen if we understand that what we have been through is not going to be something that will change and suddenly become what we want it to become in a few years. 

We have to have the momentum to know that right now, we are on the right track. Sure there may be a few steps backwards, and it might not happen in the time frame some want, but it will happen. It is up to us as supporters to do just that – support, no matter what the score is.


If we want to build a club that is a force, it takes time and patience. It will not occur with the constant barrage of nasty negativity and the need to change when things don’t pan out the way they should in the time frame that we want. This will never achieve any kind of successful momentum. I know we have not had the success we crave for quite some time, but since 2023, our momentum has slowly grown, even if we have had a few setbacks. But hey, maybe I am alone here, but it will not stop me from keep on believing this. 

#GOBLUES!

Dear Supporters!

After the weekend, after looking at the match results and discussing this with friends, I firmly believe and stand by what I have always thought and written about. Carlton is not in the same position as it was three years, two years, or even one year ago; it is better. Many will not agree, so be it, but hear me out.
Sydney has long been touted this season as the team to be in the Grand Final. As I have stated before, its coach began coaching the club in 2011. In that time, they have won a Premiership—once. They have been in the top eight for all except two years. Again, they have won the Premiership in thirteen years—once. Yet Carlton supporters expect the team to win it in just two years since Michael Voss took over.


Geelong’s Chris Scott has been head coach since 2011. When he took over from Mark Thompson, who resigned at the end of 2010, he was gifted a playing group that he did not shape nor mould, but he was handed a playing list that did win a Premiership in 2011. It then took him until 2022, another eleven years later, to mould and develop a Premiership team. Yet Carlton supporters expect the team to win it in just two years since Michael Voss took over.


Collingwood’s Craig McCrae took over as head coach in 2022, and though he did win a Premiership in 2023, he took over when Nathan Buckley, who had been the coach in 2021 after trying to get the team to a Premiership since 2012 when he was appointed. The club did not go through five other coaches in that period that Carlton went through. Yet Carlton supporters are expecting the team to win it in just two years after a tumultuous previous eight years.
Let’s go further. Port Adelaide’s Ken Hinkley began his coaching at the club in 2013. The club was featured in the top eight at that time, but he did not take the team to a Grand Final win.  So, in that period, he has gotten the team to become successful but has not garnished for the club that ultimate prize. Yet Carlton supporters expect the team to win it in just two years since Michael Voss took over.


Then there is Justin Longmuir, coach of Fremantle. He took over in 2020. In that time in 2020 the club finished twelfth. In 2021, they finished eleventh, and in 2023, they finished fourteenth.  They had consistency in their coaching team as their previous coach, Ross Lyon, had been head coach from 2012 to 2019. In that time, he had taken the club to a Grand Final only once, his record had been that he took St Kilda to two Grand Finals, loosing both. Yet some supporters expect Carlton to win the ultimate prize in just two years since Michael Voss took over, given our tumultuous past.


The point that I am trying to make is that, yes, we have the talent. Yes, we have the ability to go all the way, but we should not be so cocky to assume that because of all of this, we should be and must be Premiership favourites, given that we have not had consistency in our coaching and, therefore, game plan.


I understand that we have been waiting a long time to come close to touching that Premiership Cup, but it will never, ever be achieved if we keep changing our coaches, believing the next one will do better. History has shown it won’t work.  You have to have consistency in the coaching group, especially the head coach, to instil in the players a belief and a culture that ensures that they will get all the support they need and facilities to ensure that each player that pulls on a Carlton top, has the tools to be a champion.
Those who call up and say that other coaches will be better than Michael Voss are, quite frankly, delusional and narrow-minded.  They don’t understand what it will take to get the club back to where it wants to be if you believe the grass is greener on the other side.


Do we want to be a club that wins one year and falters the next? Do we want to be where Collingwood is sitting now? Where the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne are sitting now? Or do we want to be where Hawthorn and Richmond were?  Alistair Clarkson, the coach of Hawthorn from 2005 until 2021, won the Premiership in 2008, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The club went from fourteenth to eleventh, fifth, and second.  Clarko was revolutionary in his mindset and began his role understanding that the club needed a sweeping change in both its playing group and its culture. His achievement in this area is one where the club rose, faltered, and then rose again for three successive years.  He understood that consistency on the field and off would be critical to achieving success.


Richmond’s Damian Hardwick was its coach from 2010 to 2023.  In that time, they won the Premiership in 2017, 2019 and 2020.  In 2010 Richmond were second bottom of the ladder. It took the club seven years to finally develop and grow enough to become Premiership winners. Hardwick was at the helm of the club for thirteen years.


In both Hawthorn and Richmond cases, the coaches understood what it would take to become a powerhouse club, yet supporters expect Carlton to become this type of club under a coach who has had to remould the club after a tumultuous time when the hiring and firing of coaches is dependant on a whim. Despite all expectations, he took the team to the finals in 2023, falling short yet seeing real growth on and off the field.


Supporters should not expect Carlton to perform differently or more so just because it is Carlton. There is a need to understand that long-term success does not just happen over a few seasons; it takes time and consistency both on and off the field. It takes maturity from its young players, and it takes more than just being a star of the game. As supporters, we need to understand this. If some out there don’t see it, that is their right. If their fickle nature means that after a few years of being a head coach of a club who does not live up to your expectations, only to get rid of them, you are free to leave. It takes courage and dedication to become a successful long-term group, and I firmly believe that we are heading in the right direction despite what others may say.

#GOBLUES!

Disappointed? Yes! Giving Up? No!

Firstly, let me say I am disappointed and a tad upset. But I am not and never will disregard supporting the club as it makes strides in its bid to achieve the ultimate prize. After a match, I go on social media to see how others react, and it surprised me that for one Carlton group, the admins had to switch off comments due to the sheer nastiness and vitriol directed at players, coaches and the club.  Under the guise of ‘venting’, they believe they have the right to make their feelings tainted with nastiness and self-entitlement public. 

While there is no issue in vocalising an opinion or view, there is if it has the underlying theme of name calling directed at players, coaches and the club.  Regarding the ‘self-entitlement’, some believe that the club ‘owes them.’
This is a sporting club that we support. There will be many highs and just as many lows, and we have gone through many, many lows in the past. We are now starting to slowly savour the highs that come with consistency in the administration and coaching of the club and also amongst the playing group. Sure, it needs tweaking, fine tuning, solidifying, but it does not need those out there sinking to a level that does and achieves nothing except for the sole purpose of venting based on a nasty undertone. Let’s focus on the progress we’ve made and the potential for even greater success in the future.


Behind me sat a ‘supporter’ who, after the third time that they made a derogatory comment directed at our and the opposition players, I turned and gave him a rather nasty look. I noted where he was sitting; if he had made one more comment like that, I would have reported him to the club and the stadium. There is no need at all, in any way, to behave like this. We can be critical, disappointed, upset, and angry, but the names this man called players are deplorable.  Another supporter yelled at the umpires, vocalising their anger, but did not stoop to the level of name-calling. 


I have stated before that five years ago I wrote a timeline of where I thought the club would be for the next five years. So far, I have not been wrong.  The reason is that I understand and look not at the short-term success of the club, but the long-term.  I don’t expect others to see it this way, but this is what I believe based on the evidence before me.  I have no issue if others don’t agree, and that is what makes this sport or any sport exciting: we can all have different views and opinions, but it should be based on the evidence and not on emotion. I understand that we are all emotionally tied to the club and what it means for us, but that alone will not make a club successful in the long run. Let’s stay committed to our long-term vision for the club. 


Season 2024 is proving to be one of the closest we have seen for a long time. There is no guarantee which club will eventually make it to the Grand Final.  There have been losses from clubs that should not have lost and wins where clubs should not have won. Why should Carlton be any different? 


We are a club slowly building to where it eventually wants to be. If we want successful longevity in the game, we have to understand that sometimes it just does not work out. But there will be times when it all starts clicking into place, and the memories of our losses will fade into the past.  The game on Friday night showed that we are not quite there yet to achieve this long-term success. We are making strides, but we are just not there yet.


We have to also stop with this name-calling directed at players and coaches. We can be upset, angry, frustrated and disappointed, but not nasty and derogatory comments directed at the club and those who want to strive to be successful.


Always: #GOBLUES!

Image courtesy of the AFL

It Ain’t Pretty…but hang in there!

After the game on Sunday, I had to take some time to think.  Not only about the game but what I could possibly say that could or would provide some context about the game and the eventual win.  I did not want to go down the same usual path that I had done in the past; I wanted a new perspective.


The game was frustrating to watch, and even though we won, it was only a win due to the pressure in the third quarter, which should have been the same pressure in the first half.  We played a game in the first half based on fear and immaturity of our game decisions.  We played a slow-paced one that is not really what Carlton has been demonstrating in the past.  But yet, it is to be expected that teams will have watched our game plan and tried to combat the onslaught it has been delivering for a while. 


Despite the setbacks, our team has shown remarkable resilience. We’ve had to cope with injuries to key players, but this has only served to highlight the depth of our squad.  If we’re to be serious contenders at the end of the season, we need a squad that’s not just skilled, but also determined to secure the ultimate prize: a win and a Premiership.


We have seen clubs blast ahead before the major Bye and some falter who shouldn’t have really faltered. We have seen clubs struggle and fall after the major Bye, and others who were struggling before are now surging. This was always going to be the way, and we are seeing the competition become what we all love about this game: no real contender that can be guaranteed to be in the Grand Final of season 2024. That is exciting to witness and be a part of.
For Carlton, our games after the Bye have seen us falter and struggle a bit. Yet it is these teams that can regroup and become the team they were before the Bye and forge ahead at the pointy end of the season. 

It may be one that will have losses, but it can also have wins that may be frustrating and full of pressure, but a win is a win.  It makes no difference how a team gets to the end to be in a position to play for that ultimate prize; it is that they got there.


In this modern game, being a powerhouse of a club consistently and all the time will not and does not work for the team’s benefit.  It is the steady crawl to the end. The sometimes setbacks. The sometimes injuries. The sometimes unfathomable games that involve surprise losses and wins will make the team not only better but more resilient.  These clubs will benefit in the long-term for that ultimate achievement: a Grand Final win.


I know we have been waiting for a long time to see our club get anywhere near competing for that prize, but given where we have come from, we are making strides.  Are we there yet? I think we need a bit more steps to take that leap from mediocrity to ultimate glory. But we are on the right trajectory, and pressurised wins witnessed on Sunday against a team that we maybe should have blown away will only make the team hungrier and more determined.  It is these traits that will make a team a championship one. As the image states: together we write our own history.


I want the team to hold up that Premiership Cup. But I don’t want it to be a one-off fluke. I want long-term consistency. If we strive for that, we can be a team that was once feared before all the past turmoil took hold. We can rewrite history. I may be the only one who thinks like that, but hey, I am quite happy to stand alone in this regard.

#GO BLUES!

Image courtesy of Carlton FC.

This Will Not Be Popular…but I don’t care!


I went out on Sunday, and a stranger who saw me wearing my Carlton scarf (proudly) yelled out, ‘That was embarrassing, wasn’t it?’ I smiled, said, disagreed, and yelled, ‘Go Blues!’ It was not that I was embarrassed. I was disappointed, sure, but not embarrassed.


After the game, I looked at the comments made by ‘supporters.’ I put that word in parentheses because what was written shows me that they are not supporters in any way, shape or form.  The language used and the vitriol aimed at both coaches and players illustrate how fickle they are and why, for them, it is only in the success that they will support. The suggestion that some have made to get rid of the coach, get rid of some players, and replace some with others when you don’t know why they were not selected in the first place is ludicrous!


I understand the frustration and the disappointment, but to suggest that we are a ‘disgrace of a club’, that there are players that should be ‘booted out of the club’ together with some of the coaches, as was mentioned in some of the social media, is hilarious, to say the least, and a lack of complete understanding of where the club is situated right now from where it has been.


This club’s journey cannot and should not be compared to other clubs. Tell me one other club who has gone through five changes in coaches in ten years? Name one other club that crawled through the quagmire of the salary cap issue to try and become a success again, only to chop and change coaches when the timeline did not suit some.  Which other club has gone through this? Not one! Yet some supporters are arrogant enough to believe in the hype that we are Carlton and better than the others in terms of what can and should be achieved in a fixed amount of time; their time.


We have not had consistency, clarity nor a decent culture at the club until Michael Voss stepped in.  He stepped in September 2021 and had a full season as senior coach in 2022. In 2023, we went from being fifteenth to finishing fifth! Nobody thought we could or would, yet we did.  In 2024, we have solidified what Vossy and the team have been working on regarding consistency, connection and strength. It takes time to change and to grow when a team has had so many changes. For the team to become what the coaches believe they can become.  There will be great peaks of success and also deep chasms of failure. In each case, the team and the club learn from what this entails. It will give them more knowledge and understanding to give them the success they strive for.


Why are we so special that because it is Carlton, this growth has to be at a pace set by unrealistic expectations that do not consider where we have come from?  For any club to be consistently successful, it takes time. Yet it seems, for some, time is not something that should be relevant to Carlton’s journey so far. 


We have the talent and capabilities to be a great team, but we are still learning how to achieve that. We are traversing a road that has the capacity to end in success, but there will always be kinks in that path and pitfalls that we don’t see coming that can either make or break us. 


So, it does not bother me one bit that this view will not be popular or acceptable, and I can guarantee that some will think it is laughable. Fine. Go for it. It just shows me that instead of having a debate about views and opinions, you choose to laugh at it without any rationale. It proves that you are the type of supporter I don’t respect and never will.


We all want that ultimate success. We were all disappointed in the past two weeks. But I am not embarrassed, nor will I sink to the level of nasty vitriol directed at the club. I know I am not alone.


Always #GO BLUES!

A Lesson to be Learnt!

The loss against GWS was and is a great lesson to learn.  It is a game that will be viewed by the club in its entirety for all the good and the bad.  Yet for some, it seems that all is doom and gloom at the club just because a team got the better of us in a season where we have been a better team than we were last season and the season before.


Heading into the pointy end of the season, rumours are rife as to who is likely to stay, who is expected to go and who is likely to be pursued by other clubs.  That all of this coupled with the loss, the club is “imploding.” In all these “likelihoods”, there is one element of truth: journalists and commentators have nothing else to write about and do so for their own relevance. But while others, to their detriment, see the negatives, I see the positives.


We are not the same team we have been in the past; we are better. But to get better, you need to have setbacks, times when things don’t work out the way you had hoped. It is in these moments that you need to take stock of where you have been and what you can do for the future to change these setbacks.  Nobody in the world can be and should be doing everything right every single time, as that does not allow reflection on how to improve. It makes people believe they are the best and there is no need to learn from mistakes.  It is these people who will never achieve any semblance of complete success because they are too arrogant to see past their own specialness. It is those who see what went wrong, learn from it and grow from it.


I am not saying we should not be upset, but we should not belittle coaches, players and others because they just did not perform in a way that we categorically expect. Every game is a journey into becoming more experienced, more knowledgeable and have a more understanding not only of our own abilities, but that of our opponents.  In order to do this successfully, we have to and must sometimes be disappointed. In this respect, this disappointment can be the catalyst of learning in a way that will make a person and a team stronger and more able to combat onslaughts and barriers to our performance.  This is what Carlton will take from the loss at GWS.
The noise from outside the club flips on the toss of a coin, and it is there to rile supporters up in a way that makes them feel validated in a world where one week, you’re a star; the next, you’ve imploded, only to become a star the next week.


Nic Newman stated in an interview that the team was “not paying too much attention to the outside noise” and that “football is too volatile to predict anything.” He stated that Michael Voss advises the players to “block out the punters and remain present.” This was reiterated in 2023 when Voss said that “touching base with the playing group every week” where the team “has a strong grasp what can and can’t be achieved,” where “needing unity and confidence to put the pieces together.”  This seems to have sunk in well and truly for the club. Newman also stated that this is showing as how well they are performing so far. He said that they are keeping “our focus narrow and look at what’s right in front of us rather than looking too far ahead.”


The club has the pieces to make it a successful club, even if the pieces sometimes get lost or damaged.  The club will pick up these pieces, examine them and make them work again in a way that will benefit each individual no matter where they sit in the game.  It will be a way to learn, grow and understand how to ensure these pieces are not lost or broken in the future.  That is what a successful club does and will do. We are not different.
It’s not just in our sport but in life in general. It’s about taking one step at a time, maintaining our focus on the next game rather than getting lost in what could be possible in the future or what happened in the past.


We, as supporters, should and must do and act the same. Sure, we can dream, but the control of that dream is out of our hands, and all we can do is concentrate on the “now, not the later. ” We must not worry about what could happen in a few months time or those that stay or go. All we can do is support and know that given where the club was a few years ago, the growth and the lessons learned will only benefit each player and the club, no matter who they are, for the future.

Happy birthday Michael Voss.

#GOBLUES!

All photos courtesy of the AFL.

Through The Mist…

An eerie mist hung over the ground. The surroundings were blanketed by a grey curtain tinged with the coolness of the air. The lights on, blaring onto the field. Onlookers scattered or put on weatherproof shields to protect themselves.  On the stark greenness of the ground, a battle was ensuing that some could see was the epitome of being one-sided. The mist grew darker and darker, but the battle of one side would not stop the onslaught. In a battle, some take the stance of singling out certain participants for their fearlessness, determination and swiftness of foot. Their sheer talent that has been growing from the start. Their leadership, tenacity and will to ensure everyone on their side plays the game that they know they are capable of.


Many praise these leaders, these shining beacons of a side. This is not what this blog wants to do. However, in this particular battle that occurred on Sunday afternoon, I want to do just that. Point out and celebrate what I think that a club that has been faltering, understand that while the leaders and the talented drive a team, it is those on the peripheral, on the fringe, that no one really expects or sees as someone who can do more than fill in, when necessary, then go back to being on the outside, waiting to be brought back in again.


For me, on Sunday, there were two players who, over this season, have been the type of players that I love to watch, and I feel a sense of pride in knowing that others in the club saw something that we are seeing now. One never gave up on his dream, while the other felt their dream had faded into a nightmare they wanted so badly to wake up from.


This need to never stop pushing himself to become what he has always wanted to be: an AFL player. But not just an AFL but a much-needed, sought and much-required player that the team cannot do without. I’m talking about Alex Cincotta.


His story is one not laced with a direct pathway into fulfilling his goal to become an elite AFL player, but one that was the result of utter determination and a deep-seated need to do all that they could just to play at an AFL club at the elite level.


We all know that Cincotta had setbacks. A knee reconstruction. Being overlooked in the Draft Period in 2019. Spending time on Geelong’s VFL list but did not get to play a game until later 2021. He had joined Carlton’s program, but then the Pandemic hit the world and shrouded us like a grey mist on a cold, dreary day.  But this would not stop Cincotta from doing everything he could possibly do to just try and get inside the door of being an AFL player.


A carpenter by trade, he camped out at Power Fitness in Geelong and worked to get his body back into shape. He also worked with ex-coach Brendan McCartney of the Bulldogs to enhance his footy IQ. He was then invited to trial for the Carlton twos. There, he would work all day as a carpenter, and when all the senior Carlton players had left, he would hit the gym.


A sliding door moment came when Zac Williams was injured, and the club needed a player of similar ilk. They turned to Alex Cincotta who was selected in the 2023 pre-season supplemental draft. In that time, when all his hard work and determination paid off, he did not rest on his laurels and continued with each and every game to put in that same effort and show what he could be capable of. He has proved with each game that he is a vital link in a team that is reaping the rewards of what consistency, determination, connection and an unwavering need to be the best can and does achieve.


Luke Hodge said after he retired that before he got drafted, he was never seen as a player of any significance. He was an overweight cocky person who did not put in much effort. He said it was Alistair Clarkson who saw something more. Who changed a player from obscurity into one now seen as one of the top players of a club that achieved greatness. It is these players that can be the difference between failure and success. It is these players that no one sees as being anything of significance, to be just that and more.


Another player is, of course, Elijah Hollands. Given a second chance by a club that not only believed in him but supported him in a way that made a much-maligned player and person into a key player. Having gone down a path that could have seen him sink into the depths of obscurity or notoriety for all the wrong reasons, he was supported, encouraged and given a chance to become what not only he wanted to become but what others knew he could become.
It is these players that, together with the “stars” of the game, develop a culture in a club that believes in all of its participants. That supports and believes in any player who pulls on the navy blue guernsey.

Alex Cincotta and Elijah Holland’s stories are ones that shows the difference of this Carlton team from previous seasons. It is one that is driven by support from all players directed to all players. It is one where each player feels as if their contribution matters in the eventual outcome. It is this attitude that will make a winning team and a successful one. It is the attitude of the Alex Cincotta’s and the Elijah Holland’s that will make a team that has been fraught with setback after setback, a successful one.


At the end of the game, darkness enveloped the ground, and the grey mist faded into the night. The battle was over and won. It was time to celebrate and move on to the next battle. But this time, this team is doing it together in a way that we have not seen for a long, long, long time. Suffice to say…

#GO BLUES!

P.S This photo has to be one the most amazing photos taken in the game this season!

All photos, courtesy of the AFL.

Determination. Unwavering. Connection!

After the game on Friday night, social media was ablaze on how some commentators labelled Patrick Dangerfield’s tackle on Sam Walsh as one that was a tackle, but where Walsh “milked” the head banging to the ground. My issue with that is that, pure and simple, both arms were pinged, and the player had no way to brace for the fall. Commentators say Dangerfield tried to mitigate any damage, but I can’t see how. He was subsequently given a one-week ban, and we are waiting to see if Geelong will be disputing this.


Then, on Saturday, Steven May from Melbourne was accused of the same thing. But this one was different. It was staged, and May was not flung to the ground in the same way that Walsh was. May was spun around; he had complete control of his standing until Eddie Ford spun him, not aggressively, but carefully. They both fell. May’s head was nowhere near being thumped to the ground, but he then put his head on the ground, clutching it. This was a case of genuine staging and he should receive a fine. If he was clutching his head, then protocol suggests that he should be under concussion rules. But he was not.


Dangerfield’s tackle, on the other hand, was aggressive and instant. His body pushed Walsh to the ground, both arms pinned so he could not brace the fall. There was no time between the tackle and his head on the ground.  It was not the head hitting the ground that Dangerfield got caught out on; it was the result of him grabbing both arms and pushing Walsh to the ground. It’s very different to the May one. 


That being said, the game itself was one in which, in the words of Michael Voss after the match, the team not only knew their roles and their part in the team but were connected because of this very mantra of what role each player undertook. It was not a singular person who took the game under their belt, but the whole team that was connected to play their game, their way, together.


We have not witnessed such a strong connection within the team for a long time. We saw it starting to take shape last season, and now we are reaping the fruits of that labour. We are observing a remarkable growth from some players who only last year, some supporters were suggesting should be traded out. We are witnessing the patience and unwavering determination from a coach who for some last season and even this season, believe that is not the coach for Carlton and should be sacked. (I do have screen shots of those by the way).


The reason I am highlighting this is because these supporters do not and will not comprehend what it takes to make a team play the way they did on Friday. It was not a close game as some thought, but a thrashing. Becoming a team that played the way that Carlton did on Friday night is a journey. It requires an unwavering determination to be a team that connects with each other on the field and off. It necessitates continual training and growth to become a player that produces the results that were shown on Friday night.


The players stepped over the line of mediocrity to become more than many thought they were. But it doesn’t stop there. Vossy said during the week that after every game, it is time to move on from that result and to focus on the game ahead. Sure, you can learn from your mistakes and even from your successes. Still, each week, a new team presents a different scenario and a team that is unwavering in its determination to be successful, to be connected, will be the team that comes out winning.


Carlton showed the AFL world the growth and development, the determination and the unwavering connection that has made them a threat to others. Some may not like it. Some may disagree, but at the end of the day, when the final siren goes, it is the result that counts. The ability to kick the goals. The ability to defend when necessary and the ability to not let opponents and the umpires cut the unwavering determination and connection that the club has. Exciting, isn’t it?

#GOBLUES!

A Team Based Win!

I don’t usually write about specific players after a match. The reason is that there are enough voices in that arena, and there is no need for another one.  However, the game against Essendon on Sunday night was, for me, the only thing that I wanted to write about.  The reason is that it proves one thing: I think Carlton is this season (and I have stated before) – they are not the team they were last year; they are better!


The game against Essendon was for both sides, simply a battle. It is a long-established battle between two clubs that, for supporters, dislike each other. That for a while, friends become enemies.  There is an expectation that our “stars” of the game would become the heroes. That they would be the ones that would catapult the team to a win.  But that was not necessarily the case in this game, and that is what this piece is about.


If we look at the statistics of the game, our “stars” produced a great game, but their figures were well below their usual ones.  Sam Walsh 22 disposals, Jacob Weitering 13, Partick Cripps 19, Charlie Curnow 11, Harry McKay 8, and Adam Saad 20.  But what is more impressive is that it was a combination of players, both “stars” and the peripheral players, that played in a team-spirit way that dominated the game and sealed the win.


Without a doubt, Tom De Koning played an outstanding game even if he did not win in the centre clearances. It was his ground ball usage and subsequent clearances that made him one of the top players in the game. I have always believed that a ruckman can be great at the centre clearances, but how they play around the ground determines the actual impact. He was impactful and dynamic in getting the ball to the midfielders, which resulted in a chance to score a goal on many occasions.  Yet, for me, it was not just him but those other players who had an impact that resulted in the win.


It was those such as Elijah Hollands, Zac Williams, and Alex Cincotta who stamped their mark on the game in a way that made the team exciting to watch and see where they could go as we moved further into the season.  It is Lachie Fogarty, Mitch McGovern, George Hewett, Mattie Owies and Corey Durdin.  These players showed that you don’t need to be considered a “star” of the game; you have to be a passionate, determined and focused player willing to be a part of a team and know that you, too, can make a difference.  This was the case on Sunday night.  And for me, the vital aspect of the team that had been missing in the past.


Footy is not a singular sport. It is defined by a team mentality, commitment and support. It is one where each player on the field not only knows their role but knows that the outcome does not rest on a few shoulders but everyone’s.  For me, that is one of the most exciting aspects not only of the game but also of the growth of Carlton FC. 


If we can bring this attitude moving forward to the games after the Bye, we are in an exceptional position to win the ultimate prize.  I will state this again: we are not the team we were last year, but we are better. Far better. We are a team, not a bunch of individuals playing for themselves.  This is damn exciting to watch and be a part of!

#GOBLUES!

All photos courtesy of AFL

Determination = Success!

The true testament of an organisation’s success, including a sporting club, is not just the talent and abilities of those representing it, such as players, coaches and administrators; it is more than that. It is how the person at the helm of such a club, in this case, determines the environment in which those who represent it perform not only on the field but off it.

It is the determination of the very culture of the organisation that will lead to success. It is how the participants react and find their place within the organisation that will see eventual success. The reason that I am stating this is because, on Thursday night, we saw a group come together in a way that illustrates what unity, a positive culture and being there for one another can actually achieve.


I watched the game again, feeling less stressed because I knew the outcome. I watched it more intently than live because it allowed me to see how Carlton took the game on after the third quarter in a way that shows what I have always believed the team to be capable of. I saw players not play for themselves but for the team. I saw players back each other up and support each other when needed. I saw camaraderie, encouragement and a sense of experience and maturity that has, in my view, been building since Round One.


I said at the beginning of the season, through the close wins and devastating losses, that with each game and every mistake, the players will gain more knowledge and understanding of the game than they realise. This knowledge and understanding will come to fruition, and given their intensity during a match, they will reap the rewards. It did on Thursday night.  


For most others, there was the belief that Carlton would lose against Port Adelaide, given the history and the fact that for them, they just could not see it any other way. Now, I know that I do not tip against the team, no matter what; I just can’t do it. But to win against PA, they would have to take their game to another level. If they are determined to do better than last season, they need not just to win against PA but to win by a lot.


The fact that the game was on a knife’s edge during the first half showed they were not ready to give up. In the second half, they played in a way that not only would they not give up, but they would fight for every ball, mark, tackle, and shot at a goal. They did this in a way that proves what I have always believed: Carlton is not the team they were last year; they are better. 


Sometimes, in sports, you must see the depths of despair before you can understand and act to ensure that it does not happen again. They did this on Thursday night. Moving forward, Carlton comes up against a very in-formed Essendon. If they take the same mentality against PA to the upcoming game, it will reap the rewards they have been fighting, playing and striving for.


I do believe in the club, the direction it is taking, and the culture that it is growing amongst the players, the coaches, and the administrators.  Now it is time for all, not just some, supporters to grasp that.  We must see that the team is better than last season. The coach at the club’s helm understands what it will take and how to achieve that ultimate success. I see it, and it came to the fore on Thursday night.

#GOBLUES!

All images courtesy of AFL.com