Carlton Supporters Club

All of those in the room, he said, waving his hand around, were "good lads" with "good values". Half of them were so laid-back and gentle off the field they "wouldn't hurt a fly".

But this preliminary final would require a personality change for all of them. When they crossed the white line, he said, they had to become different people, like warriors going to battle, prepared to do whatever it takes – within the laws of the game – to secure victory.

Clarkson cited the case of Damien Hardwick, the former Essendon and Port Adelaide player who had been one of his assistant coaches before securing the senior coaching role at Richmond: there was no nicer person off the field, he said, and no harder, more competitive beast once he crossed that line.

If you need props like a bag of flour to get your team up, I reckon you need another career.  Talking about on and off field personalities isn't going to cut it either.

I'm not saying that a coach can't change players' attitudes and behaviour but it won't happen in the week leading up to game.  If I remember correctly, Hawthorn had adopted "unsociable football" early in Clarkson's tenure and being prepared to do whatever it takes was the way they went (and still go) about their football.

I don't get the flour reference?

Roll them in it to find the wet spot?

Every time I see this thread I think of a big bad of weed. I don't know why but there you have it!