Carlton Supporters Club

When I was a young bloke, I would come home hoarse from yelling at the footy.

Yesterday, I, together with my wife and my oldest son and our nearly 5 year old grandson, went to the game. It was his first ever game.
I came home, voice completely intact.

I did not raise a whimper throughout the whole game. My grandson sat on his seat like a 25 year old, cheering Carlton Goals. Then, when it looked like we were stuffed with about 10 minutes to go, he looked up at me and said, "I don't want to watch any more, can we go home"?

We actually stayed until the end.

In my more than 60 years of supporting this Club, I have never felt more dispirited about the prospects of any success in the near future, as I did yesterday, and today.

Yes, we have had a tough run since the salary cap breaches, fines and penalties. But I knew when that happened that it would take years to, dare I say it, "rebuild".


What we have now, is a President, passionate about the Club, but with no idea how to run it, supported, and I use the term loosely, by a Board that is divided within itself, and has got no clue how to get us out of this malaise.

What sort of message does a President think the players receive, when they are told after round two, "we are rebuilding"?

How many players are training through the week, and playing games, mentally shot because they have got no idea, whether they are contracted or not, if they have a future at this Club?

How can the Club plan for any future, if the players, the Club, the management and most importantly the supporters, have got no idea, who will coach the Club and who the coaching staff will be?

Under the conditions that I have detailed above, Why should Henderson or Kruezer re-sign with the Club? I wouldn't if I was them.

What I saw yesterday, disgusted me.

I happened to be sitting with like-minded Carlton  supporters, none of whom I knew.

They kept calling Gibbs, "the Princess". A name well deserved.
They said, that Murphy isn't a captains shoelace. Another term well deserved. ONE POSSESSION IN THE LAST QUARTER, AND GIBBS TWO!!
WE all admired Tom Bells work ethic. We admired Sam Docherty, and Touheys efforts, and YES, even though we all believe that Sam Rowe is a spud, in fact one bl;oke kept yelling out "go spud", we admired some of his efforts and remarked how he had improved over the last two weeks.

We loved Levi's efforts and commitment, and agreed that Liam Jones just doesn't have it.

We all agreed, that Clem Smith and  Bokehorst are out of their depth, and applauded the fact that the idiot who thought Bokehoerst was a great selection at pick 19, is gone.

We were very disappointed with Dylan Buckley, and Mark Whiley. Walker, was an absolute disgrace to the Jumper.

BUT WE LOVED, CRIPPS.

Most of all, we could not understand why Mick perseveres with a game plan, which insists that the players bring the ball around the boundary line, rather than take the game on and go up the centre of the ground.

At the end of the game, we noted that only 20,000 had bothered to turn up and that there were tumbleweeds blowing in the section where Carlton members would normally sit. 

I can't bring myself to go to another game. So I will sit at home and watch on Fox Footy.

I have never felt so bereft of hope about MY club, at anytime over the last 60 years, as I do now.

I await with great anticipation, the President,  the Board, the CEO,  SOMEONE, ANYONE in authority at the club, to call a press conference or send a letter to members giving us a clear unambiguous direction in which the Club is heading.

I have a feeling, it will be a long, long, wait.

At what?
He was serviceable... for a 2nd year player maybe but for a B&F player of his caliber we demand so much more 

100% spot on. You look at his stats & you could say 23 isn't bad, but all I remember is a helluva lot of indiscriminate 'round-the-corner' hoofs forward & very little possessions of substance.

Gibbs and Walker, at 183 games experience a piece, disgraced the jumper yesterday more than I have ever seen a Carlton player do before.

.

Bryce is better than that though.

I think the part that sums up why Gibbs game fell over was late in the 3/4 or maybe early in the 4th, we won a clearance, and Gibbs ended up with the footy at the coal face, and ignored two targets in front of him trying to handball over his shoulder, and straight to a Lion who cleared and goalled.

Game was on the line, and we need blokes to stand up, and a no look handball turnover in the centre of the ground from a ruck contest gives them back to back scoring opportunities.

Not good enough.

Bryce is better than that though.

I think the pressure is causing the players to make stupid decisions on the back of trying to lift the side.  Being inspirational doesnt mean playing speculative and spectacular footy, its about doing the 1% and backing up your teamates.

The most inspirational piece of play last season was ironically Dennis Armfield, and Jeffy Garlett who both sprinted about 50 metres, to shepherd an opponent away from Yarran who was bearing down on goals against West Coast.

THAT is what we need, not look away handballs.

He is, he's taking the piss ATM. Just grabbing and kicking Robinson style or making bizarre decisions.

I think one of the worst things I have seen this year was Gibbs decision not to shepherd for Cripps.
It was selfish, lazy and showed a complete lack of leadership.
He should have been dropped after it.
Pathetic

It's like he's saying fork this, if the club are going to take the piss then so am I.

I get this, I really do however at what point does being a man and having some pride take over being a sheep?