Carlton Supporters Club

Quote from: Baggers – on May 31, 2026, 08:50:47 am

Unfortunately, not all the kids in the Magoos and some recruits actually aren't coming along as well as we might have hoped... nor delivering consistent strong efforts - Moir, Ben Campo, Reidy, Chesser, Irish boys...

Like to see Ben C get a run later on if it is possible. He's consistently doing a good job in the twos. Disposal is ok as long as he handballs...lol. His only issue, with the type of player he is, is that is has so many ahead of him. So might not be possible. The boys are polar opposite types from their old man in playing style.

Id like to think this is a win for us but there is always:
1. "Dead" coach bounce.
2. Carlton doing Carlton things.
Might even be no changes this week. Its must win.

Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on May 30, 2026, 03:33:52 pm

I thought Lord did well and is unlucky to be out of the seniors imo, Ben Campos problem is his use of the footy and the depth in the seniors with regards his position. Not sure who is tutoring Ben but he needs someone like Greg Williams to put a bit of polish into his game and have the confidence to take his time a bit more, always looks rushed when taking his kicks and sprays them.
Interesting seeing Bowes and Worpel in the twos for Geelong, thought the former was very good and surprised he isnt in the seniors, didnt see much of Worpel... re: Riley.....I was happy with his game vs Stanley and he only needs opportunities to learn the game more quickly at the higher level.

Speaking of Williams...he had about 500 more handballs than he did kicks over his career.
He averaged 12.5 kicks to 14.5 handballs
Ben C does similar...he's averaging around 11 kicks to 15 handballs.
Disposal accuracy is less of an issue when he's handballing as opposed to kicking.
He may be more of a weapon developing that area further in the short term.

We need to see him at senior level soon and the best opportunities are in the coming weeks.
Otherwise there may not be a 2027 for him.

Ben C is exactly where he needs to be - doing an apprentice in the seconds and working on his game until the opportunity arises.

Cooper Lord kicked three goals so not a bad effort all round from him, even if his opponent got a bit of the ball.

I only watched the last half of the last quarter so I can't really comment on player performances but, on the stats alone, Coops and Ben Camporeale are putting their hands up.

Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on May 28, 2026, 01:49:33 pm

Agree....I think its all been part of a plan engineered last season by Wright, even down to Fraser being the caretaker and the timing of his initial appointment. Why wasnt the senior assistant in Hansen caretaker? Much like Soloman going from board member to Assistant, Brad Scott would have known the writing was on the wall with that appointment and I reckon Voss would have had the same thoughts with Fraser. The club winning a few on the trot under Voss would have made the timing and decision to move him on awkward and more questions being asked. Im not a Voss spruiker but he was played like a piano this past 12 months as the Management played their games and had their fallguy in place and he would have been smart enough to have figured what was going on but forced to play along and I'll give him credit for his demeanor because he never arced up or questioned his position publically even though he knew he was finished in the role.

That's the question....
What is Wright's plan?
What's driving some of these decisions.

I reckon we dismiss some of them too easily.
Isn't the 'easy option' to look at the decision and think "Same old same old. Nothing changes.".... without considering why those decisions were made.
The problem is we're not always given access to all the reasoning behind a sacking or a failure to extend, so we fill the void.

I don't think there is an easy option when you're looking at not continuing with a coach.
Clubs won't just look at the W/L
They'll look at the reasons why that win/loss is poor.
Is it a list problem?
Is it the game style?
They'll look at coach/player dynamics.
How does the coach perform on match-day?

They'll look at the financial consequences in terms of sponsorship and membership.
They'll consider the media and the consequences for the club brand
They'll consider future options...Is the coach they want available?

But sometimes it's as simple as...there is a grander plan afoot that just needs some time to implement, that involves a total overhaul of a number of positions.

I don't believe that supporter pressure was as big a factor as some might believe in the Voss decision.
He still had a strong level of backing amongst supporters.

Supporter opposition was not at the level that demanded a change.
Many thought he was in a no/win situation...even set up to fail.
Some were still fully supportive.
Many still wanted to see how the season panned out.

But I personally think it was all pre-determined.
He was never going to be extended.
The language of him "continuing into 2026" was pretty much an indication that he wasn't going to be renewed beyond the end of this season.
There is a plan afoot, and I'm sure there will be aspects of it we won't all like and will criticize, especially if it affects our favourites.
But it will happen.
Most of the off-field carnage is done. No doubt the list will be next area of focus.

Irrespective of the change in season, there are a couple of things to consider.

As the season wore on, with the roles changing, and different personnel getting more amongst it, we were always going to improve  as the season wore on.  Guys like Ainsworth, Hayward and Florent are living in Melbourne for the first time in ages (if at all).  As their routine settles, so will their performances.   Likewise, the absence of certain individuals means we were growing accustomed to not having someone like Charlie, JSOS and TDK around.  Some of the other players were also well down on form, and as we know in sports form is fickle.  It can turn quickly.

The dead cat bounce is also a thing.  The coach going clears the air in a way that can only be cleared by backing the coach in (dont tell me Vossy was backed in, Im not having that, everyone could see it was win or else, so the players probably felt additional pressure to perform.  They couldnt stand up, we generally wilt under pressure, thats the club culture.  It stems from taking the easy way out and sacking coaches so the cycle becomes self fulfilling.

Finally, we are having a patch where we beat a very wounded bulldogs, who are playing under manned.  Despite this they remain plucky and that win was better than advertised, but would it have come without the dead cat bounce?  We cant know.  Port dont want to win.  Sure they kind of want it, but they dont, there is no gain in it for them, because when Butters goes at the end of the season, they will go backwards again so reading anything into that match is fraught with danger.

Ergo, any turnaround statistically in the midst of this season, is a furphy, and largely we were building towards it anyway.  Tomorrow will tell us a lot more, but our next few matches pit us against West Coast and the Bombers.  We were a real chance of going 4 and 1 before a ball was kicked in all those matches, with or without the coach change.

Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on May 27, 2026, 04:25:32 pm

The captain couldn't get a kick, couldn't run out a game, couldn't lay a tackle under Voss, wouldn't commit to the club but suddenly is in brownlow form under Fraser? Weitering has played crape all year, Hewett dropped. The dressing room was a mess under Voss last season and hasn't improve much IMHO and same with Scott at Essendon. I'm not interested in almost, maybes, led at half times etc etc..its been a debacle of a season and everyone knew how it was going to end except now the senior players want to try under Fraser and help the kids but will wins actually mess up our draft hand?If I'm Voss is be asking where was that effort and application to task when I needed it?

Speculation Your Honour.

Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on May 27, 2026, 02:37:55 pm

Wright wanted him gone, senior players wouldn't play for him....ditto Scott at Essendon ....

Which senior players? The ones that left? The ones that were dropped? The ones he brought back into the 1's?
The ones who almost won us the game against the lions?

They played pretty well for him while he was there at the end, just couldn't get over the line.