I thought the first fifteen minutes showed the difference in quality between the two sides, after that Collingwood were just better at executing their game plan and Carlton implemented their senior game plan of being witches hats, kicking appallingly, making poor decisions, not having a Plan B, switching off and generally running around like headless chooks. We won because we didn't give up, something the seniors can learn from, and because we were actually a better side than Collingwood, even after losing Young, though we may not necessarily have been a better team. I would be playing Luke Camporeale, Lemmey and Binns in the seniors and I would have been playing L.Young as well.
Einstein said the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. I have always believed that was the definition of stupidity. What is the plan, who knows, except watching repeats of Harry Potter. Why do we keep picking McGovern, Fantasia and Evans when they keep letting us down, Fogarty, Cripps, and Pittonet can't get near the ball, and every time Cerra, Acres, Docherty and Hewitt have the ball in their hands it reminds me why I don't go in Tattslotto. TDK is playing like a guy who has made the wrong decision for the wrong reasons and knows it. When Buddy took the money and ran to Sydney he was already the best football in the league, kicking 100 goals from center half forward and playing in a Premiership, TDK is taking $1.7m on potential and is going to a Club that has only ever won one Premiership in VFA, VFL and AFL history and are probably further away from a Premiership than we are. Curnow can barely get the ball and when he does his disposal is shocking and while HayCharlesnes is going ok, I don't see the future in him. The only experienced players to stand up were Williams and Weitering. Of the young guts, O.Hollands,, Motlop, Cowans, and Moir were good, Carroll and Lord had their moments, both good and bad, Young wasn't given a go, and to put O'Farrell up against hardened professionals in a losing side is negligent. I have hopes for o'Farrell but he needs time for development. Silvagni, McKay, Walsh, Kemp, Newman, Saad and Cottrell would improve the side, as would Smith, and I think Durdin, Cincotta and Young couldn't hurt. I don't think we will see E.Hollands again. If TDK is going, when fit I would throw McKay into the rucking position and give him the same instructions Jesaulenko gave Mike Fitzpatrick when he returned form Oxford, if he wants to play for Carlton he has to become the enforcer. I am actually quite bullish about our young guys but Ben and Luke Camporeale, Binns, Lemmey, Wilson and White need to get extended runs at AFL to see if they are up to it, while along with O'Farrell, O'Keefe, Charleson, Monahan and Duffy need to be allowed to develop. This isn't 2002 or 2014, the Club isn't broke, we have good facilities and we have Young guys coming through if they are given a chance and allowed to develop. The team needs to stop worrying about what the Club's history is and start making their own history. I thought the team got a genuine F for last night's effort, the previous two weeks they got an F because you can't give anything lower.
The solution to last Thursday was Saturday night. Keep running forward, keep moving forward, don't go in your shell when you make mistakes, trust your team mates will keep having a go, and try and kick and handball the ball to your team mates, and finally, don't give up.
Send them a note.
Do you genuinely think the AFL team aren't trying to do this?
Can I also say I was quite negative at the start of the match as Can be seen in my comments about the Camporeale brothers, but the team won me over by the end of the night. I am quite bullish by the young guys we have on our list, Motlop and younger, we just have to establish a culture of winning in the Club.
The solution to last Thursday was Saturday night. Keep running forward, keep moving forward, don't go in your shell when you make mistakes, trust your team mates will keep having a go, and try and kick and handball the ball to your team mates, and finally, don't give up.
Winning is actually irrelevant, though it is good to get the result. What was important was that they were willing to take on the game all night and didn't go into their shells when things didn't work out. If they keep running, and keep trying, and keep taking on the game, the skills and confidence will come. Hopefully we can see this sort of endeavour next week.
Finally David King says something sensible. We are too passive. Back in the 80's not only did we have lots of leaders who would take responsibility to change the game, we also had followers who would join in the rampage. Nowadays, we have few leaders and have fewer followers as everyone just plays for themselves. This is the cultural problem at Carlton and it is embedded in everything we do at the Club. We are comfortable in mediocrity. You can change the Coach, change the President, change the CEO, you can change the players, you can change the football department, you can change the committee and you can change the facilities, but until we change the culture of the Club the problems will never change.