Carlton Supporters Club

Impossible not to be sceptical....

BB has really shown very little in terms of getting hi skill set (teaching mantra) stuff to convert into wins....

Yes, agree with you here Paul, you cannot expect overnight success. Bolton was very reticent to let Gibbs go, as he knew what that really meant in terms of effect on the team, and, the players around him. You can't replace that without a like for like, which was know we couldn't get. Injuries, and the departure of experience left us devoid of coverage - all discussed here before.

Personally, the arrival of Andrew Fraser may be the greatest recruiting impact for next season in particular, and, I suspect the year after. This will shape the list, allow players to start to show their talent on the bigger stage. Who knows what a fit SPS, Williamson, and, Pickett may deliver. Those three in particular I highlight, as some serious organic development from them covers not only their set positions, but opens up new areas of the ground. If SPS, and Pickett were able to push into the midfield more, or play off half back, you will see other positional changes from other players, and this will really help us develop.

The players I expect to show some real organic development this year are:
Setterfield (if he gets a full pre-season, no reason he cannot be a very good player in his first year essentially - think Dow last year)
Cunningham (again, full pre-season, and who knows what he can deliver)
Williamson (if fit, he will play a lot this year)
Macreadie (the forgotten man in many ways, I rate this guy)
O'Brien (he has some talent, will be much better for another run, and a full pre-season)
Lang (full pre-season into him, and I think he will be starting 22 most weeks. He can play, showed that at Geelong, and in flashes last year)
Kennedy (he played a couple of solid games this year, give him a full pre-season under Fraser - different player in 2019).
Shumacher (my dark horse for break out year, I think if fit with a full pre-season, this guy will break into the side, and stay there)

Factor this type of development into those players, a full pre-season into Fasolo, Mckay, DeKonig, Marchbank, and Kerr, then you have the makings of real solid organic growth right across the park.

I don't expect a 'Dockers' game this year. I think those things will be eradicated, and, if so, if you look at the rest of our games (taking out the horror shows), you see a pretty competitive Carlton in most games next year.

I know it's only pre-season, but I think there is real cause for optimism for 2019. How may games will we win? It will probably come down to injuries on other lists, the organic improvement rate pre-round ten, and, how well they 'gell' or build 'cohesion' as Chris Judd often mentions. I would be happy with say two to three wins pre-round ten, which would set us up nicely for an overall of around seven to ten games for the year.

If that scenario played out, we could beat the Saints, Suns, Dockers, and probably the Bulldogs, give Geelong a run (we did this season), knock over the hawks, push the Pies, Richmond, and Eagles. I think we can also (dependent on injuries), knock over the Crows here, and, Port Adelaide. Down here I think we also a pretty good chance against the Lions (I rate them - quietly building up there), and will definitely push the Swans down here.

There is a lot to look forward to in my opinion.

If we have another 2 years like this season, we will fold!  It would be an absolute disaster.

A Collingwood supporter friend of mine said to me the other day, what's happened to Carlton, they just accept mediocrity now, they used to be ruthless and now they're timid.

I said injuries, bad luck, people leaving and he said yeah but the way they play, just not good enough - yet you supporters just continue to accept it. 

Not sure what else there is to do but accept and hope the right people are in!

Maybe Bolton should grow a beard ?

We wont have another two years like season 2018 (not so soon anyway).

That sort of season is a perfect storm for clubs who have gone heavily onto a youth setup who lost a couple of seasoned performers before a ball was kicked and had quite a few other seasoned performers playing under duress for most of the year.

Anyone who played less than 14 games for the year, and should have been a walk up start likely played at least 4 of those unfit, returning to fitness, or under an injury cloud to start with meaning they were not quite 100% but could give us 4 quarters of their presence.

Those players are:

Marc Murphy - 13 games
Matthew Kreuzer - 12 games
Sam Docherty - 0 games
Caleb Marchbank - 12 games
Darcy Lang - 11 games
Lachie Plowman - 13 games
Andrew Phillips - 5 games
Levi Casboult - 10 games

When the above reads like that, and a bloke like Lachie O'Brien plays 18 games and never really looked in his depth at the level, you have issues.  I exclude Paddy Dow from this discussion because he actually looked comfortable, but he played 20 games in his first season up.  It speaks volumes, when you have the following:

We had about 5 blokes that were reliable to be 4 quarter performers all season.

Patrick Cripps - 22 games and then day light

Ed Curnow - 21 games
Dale Thomas - 20 games
Kade Simpson - 21 games and should be playing less frequently at his age to give him a bit more longevity and maximise his career effectiveness a bit like the others use their stalwarts.

finally, Charlie Curnow playing 20 games, and still not quite a 4 quarter player (but a supreme talent).

It's not likely to happen again any time soon and the rest of our list is better able to cover their absences if it did happen again anyway because although we have shed some senior experienced bodies, the likes of Rowe, Lamb, Mullet, and O'Shea will not be of any great loss, or are not covered by the incumbant experienced heads of Fasolo, McGovern and Newman.  we are a tall defender short, but Macreadie should give us some extra cover, and we probably have enough medium sized players to cheat provided we rookie a taller player.


Aside from being alarmist, I don't see the point on dwelling on season 2018.  It showed us glimpses of what the youngsters are about and that we have some good young talent with bonafide AFL credentials, but thats about all we can gather.  Its not a litmus test of anything, not even the coaching staff.

Kennedy only played 12
Williamson, who I rate highly played 0

We're so heavily invested in the 2015 and 2016 drafts. Given that by next year it will be 3-4 years down the track it will be interesting to see how this crop improves next season:

2015
1. Weitering
10. McKay
12. Curnow
13. Kennedy
23. Cunningham

2016
5. Setterfield
6. Samo
27. Fisher

Those 8 guys have to lead the charge up the ladder. They are what we invested all our available trade / draft energy in. Thus far the mids as a group have been pretty underwhelming. They've got to push us back up the ladder starting in 2019.

IT supports my point, but both of them are not walk up starts at AFL level at this stage (at least as far as I was concerned).

The blokes I was talking about are the sort that could realistically expect to get a game for any club in the AFL.

Kennedy only played 12
Williamson, who I rate highly played 0

And when Kennedy played, most games he clearly was far from right....

Remembering, he was injured early in Q2 against the Tigers and then (in my opinion, returned far too soon.....