What today’s shite means is
Let’s stick fat
Let’s keep it together and not make panic abrupt decisions
Interpretation
Let’s take no ownership on who is at fault
It’s called brain washing
Smells like the supporters being treated like shit as if we are at fault

That brings back some memories. It's over a decade since the artist formerly known as Synbad challenged me to "get a bit closer to the club and you'll see how Carlton is run and it'll shock you"...or words to those effect. He was right. In fact it was more shocking than I thought. I had originally challenged Synners on the assertion that the club was run like an amateur suburban sporting club, but with millionaires at the helm. Again, I was wrong and he was right. In fact, it was worse, as I've spent many hours around suburban sporting clubs.

It gives me no pleasure to admit Synners was 100% right. We haven't spoken since early 2016, but he was 100% correct, and like you - uttered those exact words. He was not surprised when I informed him of my hour long meeting with then CEO and President.

Some things have changed for the better. Brian Cook actually organised the place rather well. Tightened the ship so to speak. But it doesn't change the fact that in that last decade only two men have held the position of list manager. Both sons of ex-Carlton players. Both with a questionable history when it came to that very important position. Both made glaring errors which went unchecked. The nepotism slur probably doesn't stick, but the fact they both aren't great at their job does.

You're never going to get rid of the millionaires. But the first cull has to be the List Manager. Then the GM, then the backline coach, the forwards coach, the midfield coach and the ruck coach. You want a serious football club? Then get some serious people in.

It almost feels like a sect
It’s sad because you feel
Like giving up as a supporter
Do we have to wait another 25 years
I’ll be 87 then if I am around

Remember the optimism prior to the season? Most of us were expecting a pretty strong season on field.

What a disaster it has been this year. All with a soft draw.

flower of epic proportions.

Have very little faith in anyone at the club to right the ship. GW is very highly credentialed but will he be allowed to do what’s required? I fully expect him to get Carltoned by the club just like all the others.

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We are on our way back...

History show he will be told not to do that
Let’s hope that is not the case and he doesn’t care what some people think

You old fart, you!!!

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my last one was rubbish

need a like button.


synners was the one who opened my eyes too.

I recall that period well Doc. I made the comment recently of your efforts with the club, and how its time to revisit, with the new President all ears.

Was really impressed that you did meet with the Carlton heirarchy.

To be fair, Austin did have a good record at Footscray which followed by a Flag, and Richmond, which followed with a flag, but has failed terribly at Carlton. I had high hopes Austin would find us good players later in the draft.

Lets not forget, especially those doubting the list was not "overrated", Austin said, following the last Trade/ Draft period, post Andrew Russell, Carlton had the 2nd best List in the comp.

Is this comment by Austin what you would call overrating? I would, without hesitation.

A list today which has:

No depth, after discarding 5 best 23 players, and replacing them with kids: Smith O'Farrell, Campo Campo Lord Charleson, and more with White and Young during the year.
No cover for talls, other than the player Austin tried to trade, Lewis Young.
No 2nd ruck, other than a lame Pittonet, who was still lame following PCL surgery after the 2023 season.
9 small forwards, and still short (pardon pun) of a speedy Small forward
The unreasonable weight of expectation on Jagga Smith, a 19yo was going to be our Nick Daicos saviour and solve our lack of speed in the middle. wishful thinking list imo.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Jagga missing out on this dumpster fire of a season probably isn't a bad thing really.

"Pittonet the Elder!"

My Hawks mate has already started on me about our draft pick, uuuugh

Sent from my moto g54 5G using Tapatalk

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#DonTheStash

I can see this has happened repeatedly over a long enough period to suggest there is something systemic at our club.
It has happened when we had good players and average players. Well credentialed coaches, fresh coaches, experienced coaches and younger coaches.

I appreciate that a lot of the rot starts at the top but can someone please explain how experienced and competent football people keep being undermined, dominated or persuaded by these millionaire ‘supporters’ behind the scenes?

How are these people influencing the key decision makers at Carlton and how does this keep affecting our on-field performance so profoundly? Can someone please explain how this works at Carlton, and how it works at a better run club?

(I kind of get it at the surface but I genuinely don’t understand, clearly, in a practical sense…)

Money yields power
And many people bend over backwards for it
Kiss arse for it
Call it whatever
It’s a sad fact of life
It worked at VFL level 40 years ago
But in the last 25 years it simply doesn’t mean success at AFL level
An example of how it effects the way the team’s performance
Malthouse wanted Carrazzo as captain but he was told Murphy will captain
This despite Malthouse coaching a premier where not necessarily the best player was captain in Nick Maxwell
Carrazzo would have made a better captain than Murphy but he was overridden from above
Who should make the decision on who is captain
Clearly the coach particularly one with first hand experience but no Murphy was the better player
Better marketing
Number one draft pick
Blah blah
Having the right leader on the field is vital to success
Murphy was an ordinary captain
So is Cripps
He ain’t hard enough on his own teammates
It’s all about the image of the club being maintained at the expense of making sure every inch is covered for success on field
Have a look at how the club views violence against women
They trott out games to promote the anti-violence message against domestic violence yet are happy to take a profit of a few million each year from poker machines
To keep Bruce happy
And what is one of the major reasons for domestic violence
You guessed it
Problem gambling
Money rules
You might not see it in a workplace directly but if there is a level of hypocrisy of any sort and money is the main objective then it seeps through any organization
And the powers will be good at telling us supporters it’s all ok when the shit hits the fan like it has the last 2 weeks and provide a staged media conference telling us all that it is going to be sorted

Sadly I suspect a lot of our issues revolve around on field/playing group leadership and everyone else will once again carry the can. Crippa is as dedicated as anyone but what sort of leaders do we have? Everything I hear revolves around conciliation, connection and "sticking fat". But is there accountability and challenge when required? You can't just wrap your arms around people when they continually make the same errors. The players are not there as a support group. They are playing elite sport that comes with responsibility.

The list? Yes our list has holes and the game has evolved significantly this season, but we've dominated games this year for quarters or halves, just rarely 4 quarters. When momentum goes against our players, they don't appear to have the resilience to stop it. Is it preparation by the coaches tactically and psychologically? Winning 11 of 15 first quarters suggests not to me. Outscoring the opposition 52.46 to 37.33 in first quarters suggests not.
So our game style can dominate games but not for 4 quarters. It would suggest the answer lies somewhere between concentration, fitness, resilience or leadership.

If it's coaching or strategy. You'd suggest teams would know our weaknesses and have our measure from the start of games. Everyone would know our tactical inability, train it during the week and take advantage. But that rarely happens. We're the team that dominates early in games.
Others say our players don't have the skill to connect with our forward 50 or to convert on the scoreboard. Yet last year, this playing group (with minimal changes) was the 4th highest scoring team of the year. If we'd scored 1 more point per game, we'd have been number 2 scoring team in the AFL!
How does the team that is largely the same drop off so much? You don't lose your skill overnight.

The calls for board change are also nonsense IMHO. The board is there to appoint quality people, stay out of their way and to provide quality governance. Financially the club is the healthiest it has been for 30 years. The board employed a man recognised as one of the greatest CEO's in the history of our game. (Cook). He rubber stamped the appointment of Voss and the board ratified the decision. Thats the way it should be. Stay out of it and let your people do their job.

Tactically I believe the coaches have done a reasonable job. We were being flogged with ball movement in 2023 so we adapted and became one of the best in the AFL. We were a high scoring team in 2024 but we leaked goals so we adapted. Our defending, defensive transition etc have improved markedly.
So is the answer the inability of the coaches to find a balance between strengths and weaknesses or the players inability to adapt?
It has to be one or the other. Statistics suggest the coaches know the mechanisms and strategies to change game styles as required. It's a matter of whether we are chasing the pack retrospectively or perhaps the players can't reconcile it themselves during games.

IMHO, the answer lies majorly with the playing group. The coaches are not there to hold their hands during games and provide them with answers mid quarter. They are full time athletes. They would attend more meetings and lectures than they care for. Training is designed to build instinct through repetition. They know what to do strategically.
But do the players truly demand a response from themselves and each other when required?
When Cripps is being flogged in the centre square or refusing to run defensively, do any of his team mates say "that's no where near good enough, get out of the middle and give someone else a go"?

Does anyone tell Weitering that when he drops off Taylor Walker at defensive 50 and watches Walker put it over his head for a goal that he's not doing his job properly?

It's interesting that people are talking about players who give 100% no matter the state of the game. Ot those who give a shit, demand better and show leadership and resilience when it counts. Defenders who defend like their life depends on it. (Haynes, Newman, Silvagni).
Forwards who sacrifice for others. Block opposition defenders so their team mates can win the contest instead of them (Fogarty, Williams)
Midfielders who work hard both ways and will sacrifice their own game to stop an opposition player at the expense of their own game (Hewett). Is it coincidence that apart from Silvagni, they all learnt what it takes to be a team player, at other clubs?

IMHO, we have the majority of the talent required. We have mostly good coaches. We need better standards, expectations and resilience from those who lead the playing group on field. I think it was Bondiblue who recently said something along the lines of, "if you can't change the people, change the people".

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

I dunno BV ... your explanations and theories would explain much, if it was just this generation of players. but we're now 3 generations deep in players in mediocrity and failure.

the board making money while we fail on field for 30 years and counting is not a success or a measure that the board is successful - self serving and profit over performance is all i see, sunken in nepotism and jobs for the mates. it's just pigs at the trough at this point.


we also (imo) clearly have the worst coaching group in the league. worst disposal efficency, worst F50 entries. we don't seem to have the capaibility in year four of voss to stem momentum against us. we still go entire qtrs and halves without scoring a goal, depsite dual coleman winners up front for the most.

from front to back we're a disaster.

in saying that. replace coaching, send a few big contracts packing and use those resources coming back to balance out the list, and we're not as far off success as it feels this season.

This has been going on for on for 25 years
We get a new coach new optimism for a while a sugar hit
Then it all turns to shit
Then the club comes out and says we are all in this together
I disagree with you about the playing list
It isn’t good enough
We have had one good season in Voss’s 4 year tenure
It’s not sustained success

I do believe there is a future if the kids we have come through get opportunity and come on
There is finally some potential there as the VFL season has progressed
But clearly the List needs some sort of overhaul
You can’t wait for it to happen
I would trade Cripps and McKay and DeKoning can go to StKilda
That gives us maybe 5 good picks
Make the majority future picks if it’s a weak compromised draft this year

Siting on your backside waiting for it to happen overrating the list and coaching staff has been a repeated occurrence
And then we use the senior coach as the scapegoat

Excellent post BV as usual.

Can only hope GW has fully diagnosed what the core issue is re players or coaches.

I agree with you re our players shortcomings which have been a recurring issue. I’m also unconvinced though that our coaches are top line and have what it takes to take us to the promised land.

In short, I believe we need material improvement in all facets of the footy department. GW has basically been reviewing this since his appointment and we can only hope he will make the required changes and great appointments.

We all know change is required and coming. We need the right people in the right roles with full accountability across the board.

Any player that doesn’t want to get on board and live up to elite standards, regardless of who they are, should be moved on.

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We are on our way back...

What if our players just can't play the 'contested game plan' for 4 quarters and hence why dominate early in games, or deep down, they believe they will get run over by the opposition as the game progresses, hence why you see them give up in the 2nd half, as they have nothing left to offer?
What if the players have approached the coaching group to modify the system but nothing is being changed?

Just a thought / consideration from the player's side.

Oh that started after R1 for me...

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Congratulations CK95