Bloody Hell. So many of you guys read so much into a single performance or an individual effort.
The reality was that Ratten was sacked because of the inconsistency of our group and the lack of development of our next level players. The performance against Port Adelaide last year was the effectively the end of his coaching reign at Carlton.
We can argue all day whether it was right or not but that was the reason.
MM has come in and is here to get the best out of our group whilst assessing who is up to being part of the next great Carlton side or not.
In the first three rounds we have played an improving Richmond and lost by just five points. Beaten by Collingwood after leading late in the game and just being rolled by this years flag favourites on a ground we don't play well.
I bet all three of those side will play finals this year and we were close and are no where near our best. Previously we may have well been blown away by one or two of those sides.
The fact is we have played some very good and some very bad football in those games. That is what happens with a new coach and a new game plan. Imagine if we had had Sydney's first three weeks. GWS, Gold Coast & North!
Malthouse has played 28 players in 3 rounds. That is more than anyone else. Why? to expose players to the big games, see who can play and in what positions and to get experience into our potential stars of the future. It is a fine balancing act.
We have a number of players who have had a lot of chances over the past few years and have teased without producing consistent and match winning football. A call needs to be made on their future and it will.
To go to the next level we need to know who can play at the required level and who cant. Simple.
As Malthouse has said he no pre conceived idea of any players, and he will be assessing them as he goes.
I know this is hard but patience is required, but not that much. The hardest part (on paper) of our draw has been played. We now have WCE (tough but winnable) then Adelaide (struggling) at the G, Melb (pathetic)at the G, St Kilda (gone)at Etihad then Port (improving) at Etihad and Brisbane (struggling).
If we can beat WCE we could easily gain a lot of confidence and momentum and those next games are easily winnable. It is not impossible to be 6-3 after 9 or at worst 5-4 and we are right back in it and on a roll.
Not only that during that time guys like Warnock, McCarthy, Menzel, Temay, Watson, White, Ellard, Buckley, Dale, Collins, Bell will all be given a real opportunity to prove their worth and by years end we will have a "real" idea of our list.
On top of that we will have Waite, McInnes & Betts back in our line up.
Individually the "Wins" we have had in the first few weeks are:
1. Walker to a HBF
2. Kruezer fit and firing after knee
3. Hendersons growth as a key position footballer
4. Bootsma, Buckley, Davies getting game time in big games
5. Rowe's comeback
6. Judd fit & free of pressure
7. Lucas improving
8. Gibbs back in middle and playing contested footy
Seriously, have a bit of a bigger picture look at what's going on and I have no doubt by mid year we will be in a much better position and on our way up.
Thanks CJ.
I'm still feeling good about our efforts thus far ...not entriely happy with the result...but can live with it.
If we make finals this year that will be great but I can see Trade priod at the end of the year being quite significant for us.
I wish we practised a bit more tackling over the preseason, but maybe that wouldn't have mattered.
I would've expected a more defensive output thus far and also believe what Carey wrote on the weekend: we don't have the players to play MM's defensive way.
MM has a lot of work ahead of him before Trade period...and a lot of wins to be had too.
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