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Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #62 –
Here you go

"We’re back. Carlton’s back," said president Luke Sayers, managing to make himself heard above the din. Sweat soaked through his shirt: such was the closeness in the clubrooms. Such was the closeness of the match.

Elsewhere in those rooms, former Blues champion Greg Williams was scratching his head. "A few of the blokes have said it’s just as big as the ’99 [preliminary final] win against Essendon," he said, his voice still hoarse. "That’s pretty big."

That, incidentally, was an election night, when Jeff Kennett was unexpectedly ousted as premier. This felt like one. Somewhere else in the room again, former state Labor government minister Martin Pakula was rejoicing. "From where we were half-way through the season, to be in a prelim, it’s almost beyond belief," he said, "There’s no reason we can’t go all the way."

Above them, 96,000 people, the preponderance of them Carlton fans, were happily decamping. In the rooms, no one was. Such was the crush that to get to their team meeting, the triumphant players had to thread their way through a sea of humanity. No problem; they’d been doing that all night. On a table, a pile of healthy food, the first step on the road to recovery, lay largely uneaten. Like procedural matters, it could wait.

You couldn’t find a lid big enough to put on Carlton right now, and it would be pointless and even counterproductive to try. If you can’t celebrate wins like this, footy would be pointless. If you can’t celebrate seasons like this as they unfold, ditto. The po-faced schtick would not have worked now anyway; no-one could have pulled it off. "You’ve got to try to keep a lid on it," said Williams, then after a pause: "But nah, it’s off."

If this is not too much of a backhanded compliment for Carlton, they’re the Collingwood of 2023. A win from nowhere and against all the indications on the night, an opposition who found a way to lose - kicking five behinds in a row to finish the match, would you believe? - and an improbable hero, Blake Acres, doubling up from last week; here was lightning striking twice in the same forward pocket. The Blues needed a bit of space; they had Acres.

The problem with Carlton as the new Collingwood is that the old Collingwood are still up to their neck in these finals, and a grand final between the pair is still possible. For the AFL, it’s a dream. They’re having their cake and eating it, too. Three 90,000-plus crowds in nine days at the ’G; only Carlton and Collingwood can generate masses and momentum on this scale. A new generation is bearing witness. It’s impossible to quantify the influence a crowd has on a team and match, but the Collingwood players swear by it, and so too do Carlton now.

There is something unique about the atmosphere in the Carlton rooms when they’re up and about. It might simply be that colour, single, unambiguous and forbidding. They’re not just the Blues, they’re the "famous old dark Blues" and at times like this it’s its own statement. John Nicholls and Stephen Kernahan and Chris Judd weren’t in the room and yet somehow they were.

A well-meaning official tried to shepherd the crowd towards the door, in vain. His heart wasn’t really in it anyway. In the milling multitude, Terry de Koning stood out by standing out. At 196 centimetres, he’s still as tall as sons Sam, the Geelong premiership defender, and Tom, an impact player for the Blues this night.

He turned over his scarf to make sure he had the right badge facing outward. "Tom saw his brother win the flag [last year]. He was very emotional when Sam won," de Koning said. "I think it’s because he knows how hard it is."

Tom de Koning characterises Carlton 2023. In mid-season, he looked gone as suitors circled. But he stayed. So it goes, too, for the team; they were gone, but they’re still here. "He loves Carlton," said his dad. "He loves all the boys."

This was two improbable yarns folded into one: Carlton’s season and Carlton’s night. Bottom four in June, top four now; it’s the stuff of movies. No one can say convincingly what changed, except that they doubled down in their efforts, kept their nerve and their faith in coach Michael Voss in a way that the Blues would not always have, and inside the club kept their cool.

The fans kept their ... membership tickets, but only just? "I’d never given up, but I didn’t see this coming," said Pakula. "I really didn’t see this coming." Rejoined de Koning senior: "They never lost their confidence. You’ve got to admire that. They believed in Vossy, and in each other. They’ve got the ability, but a lot of footy is between the ears, isn’t it?"

Or in an even more remote place. Looking back to mid-season, chief executive Brian Cook said: "It’s like flicking a switch. I’ve got no idea how we did it. I can tell you what happened before it, and I can tell you what happened after it, but I can’t tell you what was the switch, who flicked it. I just couldn’t tell you."

Here is the mystical element about footy, about sport, that professionalism thankfully has not altogether suppressed. Sometimes, things happen this week because they happened last week. They happen because they do. It’s wondrous, and it makes nights like Friday even more wonderful.

Every club, every coach, says they’re working hard, but only for Carlton is it working out like this. Cook would demur at this, but he might be at least part of the key to the mystery. He was at West Coast for their first two premierships, steered Geelong to a trio 10 years ago and now ... and now?

De Koning thought back a week to when Tanya Weitering, mother of Jake, asked: "Why not us?" "Luke Beveridge said that in 2016," said de Koning, once a Bulldogs player. "That was their theme ..." It’s been a long time between drinks for Carlton, but for de Koning senior, it might be back-to-back.

The crowd in the Carlton rooms did not budge for hours. It was as if they were afraid to go out into the world again and find it was all fantasy, a trick of the LED lighting. Eventually, they spilled out onto a concourse, where staff were trying to load a truck with match-day apparatus. The job was done, but there was still a job to be done.

"We’re just riding an amazing wave at the moment," said Sayers. "The boys are finding belief and confidence and it’s just awesome to watch."

Williams was still shaking his head. "I couldn’t believe we won, really," he said. "It was one of the great wins. It’s going to be harder again next week. We’ll just enjoy this one for now."

After next week, there’s only one more. "I’m not going there," said Cook, "not yet anyway." They are going to Brisbane, to a preliminary final. They’ll be prepared in one way. However clammy Brisbane is next Saturday, it won’t be stickier than the overflowing, party-like-it's-1999 Carlton rooms on Friday night.

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #63 –
Thank you rocky.

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #64 –
I think the best quote from that article is from (unsurprisingly) Brian Cook :

Or in an even more remote place. Looking back to mid-season, chief executive Brian Cook said: "It’s like flicking a switch. I’ve got no idea how we did it. I can tell you what happened before it, and I can tell you what happened after it, but I can’t tell you what was the switch, who flicked it. I just couldn’t tell you."

The rest is a bit of emotional gushing IMO. Completely justified and understandable, but I think a lot of people are getting carried away on an emotional high. Let's face it, we had a fair bit of luck in that game : Gawn's touch on the goal line, Viney's miskick straight to Weitering, Docherty's opponent losing his feet as he takes the mark, Acres nearly missing his shot from right in front etc. The boys should definitely party hard this weekend, but they need to face reality starting Monday.

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #65 –
omg the NOISE when Acres took that mark!

“Zeez ear plugs, zey do nothing.”

In reality we should get pasted by Brisbane next week. But we seem to be living in an alternative reality lately.
Keyboard warrior #24601

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #66 –
Quote from: PaulP – on
The rest is a bit of emotional gushing IMO. Completely justified and understandable, but I think a lot of people are getting carried away on an emotional high. Let's face it, we had a fair bit of luck in that game : Gawn's touch on the goal line, Viney's miskick straight to Weitering, Docherty's opponent losing his feet as he takes the mark, Acres nearly missing his shot from right in front etc. The boys should definitely party hard this weekend, but they need to face reality starting Monday.


Emotion can win you games. ;)

For every thing that went wrong for Melbourne we could probably find just as many things that went wrong for us.

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #67 –
Quote from: Lods – on
Emotion can win you games. ;)

For every thing that went wrong for Melbourne we could probably find just as many things that went wrong for us.

Neither team played great footy, it has to be said. But as Voss stated, Melbourne had all the momentum in the last 8 minutes, and when you are 5 points up with 90 seconds to go, and all the momentum, you shouldn't lose.

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #68 –
Deleted
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #69 –
Generally you have to win finals, you can't defend finals. Sometimes due to external circumstances they can be one-sided as a result of the playing field not being level, but when teams are on level terms you have to win a final.

Melbourne have made a huge mistake going solo with Gawn, this luxury they have has created a hubris that has led them down a never ending path of pain, they don't connect his winning with their losing. They were right to pick up Grundy, but probably wrong to think they can change the mould on a long established player, they should have gone hard at another kid.

For that matter it's the same with May and Lever, they are completely dependant on one of those two dominating, take them out of the occasion and they are almost laid bare. All the finger pointing and arguments should be a tell, but the Dees seem oblivious to it.

PS; That experiment Melbourne did last night, running no ruck at all in their F50, they only got away with it because we weren't ready for it as an opposition. They had to do it to give Gawn 1/2 a chance to compete for 4-qtrs, but we failed to see it coming and were lost about what to do when it happened. It looks like at first we thought it was an accident, by the time it happened 3 or 4 times we started experimenting, it showed a weakness in our adaptability and experience. Next time if it ever happens, Pitto or TDK must start 5m off the drop zone and hit the fall of the footy at full speed, they can start back, left, right or even under the fall of the ball and cause havoc with the Dee forwards. Nobody will be allowed to block their run, and with momentum up they will be able to draw multiple opponents trying to stop them. I was quite surprised we didn't have a plan for this!
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #70 –
Melbourbe the new tennis players of the AFL. Out in straight sets. GO BAGGERS
 

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #71 –
If not for Kysiah Pickett trying to emulate his uncle the Dees would have almost no effective F50, the hits Kysiah keeps handing out put defenders on the back foot, and you'd expect he should get banned for yesterday, and one day it'll be a big one, that is if someone doesn't level up first!
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #72 –
Great article and thanks Mr Balboa for posting it... I was going to!!

The cockles of this little black duck's heart were warmed when Vossy declared to allow celebration in for a day or two. Ride the high. Takes me back to big error from a past coach who declared, 'don't get too high, don't get too low.' And to the chagrin and irritation of some I spoke out against this approach. Emotion is natural, and very powerful when channelled correctly... let that dopamine and those endorphins loose! Bravo Vossy and your off-field team.
Only our ruthless best, from Board to bootstudders will get us no. 17

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #73 –
I've had a wonderful 18 or so hours. Until I pressed the wrong button when conducting a review of some of the players and now my written report has been deleted. :(  ::)
Moving on, it's a thrill just to be in the third week of the finals, at long, long last. No matter how far we go, this is a wave I'm enjoying riding. Speaking of, it's expected to be a hot summer. I need to buy a bodyboard and get into it lol.
We have exceeded expectations, at least mine, for this year. It really is making up for the sadness of last year. Considering that most tipsters went for Melbourne, it's incredible we got through and are now into a preliminary. What about the crowd noise? Wow. What a bloody feeling this is. Can there be more? No pressure at all. Yeah.

Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications

Reply #74 –
Quote from: LP – on
If not for Kysiah Pickett trying to emulate his uncle the Dees would have almost no effective F50, the hits Kysiah keeps handing out put defenders on the back foot, and you'd expect he should get banned for yesterday, and one day it'll be a big one, that is if someone doesn't level up first!

Cheap and cowardly thuggery. FH. There was a bit of this attempted intimidation from some Go Dees players... we just absorbed it and kept our focus on our jobs and task at hand. Well done, fellas.
Only our ruthless best, from Board to bootstudders will get us no. 17