1979 Norm Smith medal wrote:
For all of Pagan's errors - and he had quite a few of them - starting at the top of his list was his reliance on Whitnall - the fact is that he did lead us to two pre-season premierships.
Those cups are in the trophy cabinet and for many people here they mean nothing - but to me they kept my Carlton heart beating.
They were a waterhole in an otherwise depressing desert.
For those flags I am grateful.
ARE YOU FOR REAL???
Did you actually watch ANY Carlton games in the first 3 years of Pagan's tenure??
Whitnall's career was destroyed in the main part by Pagain keeping Fevola at the club and using Fevola as the main target going forward with his long-kicking game plan. This whole game plan effectively took Whitnall at CHF completely out of the play because the ball was being kicked over his head the majority of the time.
Obviously Whitnall didn't help himself because of his poor conditioning and diet and approach to football but to say that Pagan relied on him in the early years of the Pagan days is a disgrace.
A reliance on Whitnall?? Give me a break. Unfortunately due to the haemorrhageing of senior players leaving the club due to Pagan's methods, Denis found that he had to use Whitnall in a different role - one that he was certainly not suited to.
The fact that Whitnall had an exceptional start to 2006 which enabled him to win the B&F is a testament to how good he was when fit (and not crap about him running around loose off half-back with no opponent cause its just crap that will be spouted by his detractors - no names mentioned but everyone knows who he is. Whitnall played on, and beat some big named CHF's in that early part of 2006)
Anyway, Lance is history and has only himself to blame. Denis is gone and has himself to blame and the club can look up and forward thank God.