After two good weeks, we once again saw where Carlton is at this season – a bottom six team.
In a regular board meeting in April, coach Mick Malthouse delivered a clear assessment as to where the list was at.
After Friday night, reality was stark and real. There are too many passengers when the heat is on and there is not enough depth to cover for the loss of key players.
They are well behind where they thought they were when Malthouse took over just 31 games ago.
Malthouse has always been a coach that has got a high level of consistency from his team and especially his role players. Added to this, when a quality player goes down, someone has the ability to fill the role. Right now, that is not the case.
“Our side right now has got passengers,” Malthouse said.
“We cannot afford to not have good contributors right across the board in a consistent fashion. At the moment … we have players who can’t give that consistency.
“Unfortunately, when we lose too many of our players that play vital roles, we really needed others to stand up.”
When evaluating a list at any point in time, you need to identify your A-grade players, players who can perform at a consistent AFL level, and players’ trade potential. You also need to look to the future and see where your squad will be in three of four years’ time.
After just seven rounds, this can be easily identified. Based on this, here is where all Carlton players sit:
Untouchables:
Walker, Murphy, Kreuzer, Henderson, Simpson, Jamison
Consistent Players:
Warnock, McLean, Tuohy, Curnow, Thomas, Everitt
Future:
Cripps, Docherty, Menzel, Giles, Buckley, Casboult, Temay, Holman, Watson, Bell, Graham
Entering final years:
Judd, Carrazzo, Waite, Scotland
Trade bait:
Yarran, Garlett, Lucas, Robinson, Gibbs
To keep or delist:
Bootsma, Ellard, White, Rowe, McInness, Armfield
Last year, Carlton turned over 10 players. Based on Malthouse’s comments on Friday night, there is more to come.
“In the position we are at, we are trying to regenerate our list. By regenerating our list you take some heavy falls,” he said.
What is clear is that despite many saying Carlton has very few young players, the truth is they do. Unfortunately we are yet to see them given consistent game time.
This is reflected when Dylan Buckley became Carlton’s first Rising Star nominee since 2010, when a young Jeff Garlett burst onto the scene.
Malthouse put faith in the young kids at Collingwood. At Carlton, this has not been the case.
Primary to this is he was given the task of winning a premiership with a list that was never in the hunt to do so. After Round 3 in 2012, they were top of the ladder. From there, it has been a consistency of inconsistency.
Patrick Cripps, Troy Menzel, Dylan Buckley, Nick Graham and Sam Docherty must be played. The time for winning a premiership is clearly not this year, but in three to four years’ time.
Despite criticism of the Dale Thomas recruitment, the fact remains there were no key forwards on the market. Thomas can add so much to this list, despite Friday night’s non show.
This year’s draft is littered with key position players. With a likely top 10 draft pick, the key recruitment must be a power forward.
Along with this is whether they allow Bryce Gibbs to take up free agency. Should they do so, there is no doubt that Carlton would receive a top 10 draft pick, so two picks in the top 10 would go a long way to solving their key position issues.
Along with this, Carlton must identify players from GWS and Gold Coast that are out of contract and go and get them.
These players have been in the AFL system for two to three seasons. GWS and Gold Coast can’t keep them all so, after giving the expansion teams draft concessions, the time is now to go and get back what was given.
Season 2014 will be a defining season. Much has been said about the 150th year anniversary celebrations. This is very much becoming a sideshow to the on-field reality.
Marc Murphy has copped his share of criticism. Like a good captain and player, he responded.
Chris Judd has played just six minutes of football and what happens at the end of the season is still unclear.
What is clear is that Carlton is in a rebuild mode and have the right coach to see this through. For all supporters there is going to be short term pain but, through tough decisions, a 17th premiership can be achieved.
at g
Guest
he doesnt need 10 years a fair bit less time I would say I cant put a figure on it .the people who say he coaches just for cash are wrong he coaches for the love of the game . I wasnt a huge fan of his but he deserves respect
at g
Guest
Give malthouse more time look on footywire his record is pretty fair his teams are competitive turned collingwood round after the 2002 2003 grand final losses.
lyn
Guest
Big mistake taking him in the first place and an even bigger mistake paying him the money that he is getting
Rob
Guest
They have the right coach maybe but. Has he really got another 10 year stint in him?
macca
Guest
Darren - I don't think my pre-season expectations were unrealisitic - I didn't expect the blues would be in premeiership contention or even top 4 (although I did say if they won what appeared to be 50/50 games against Port and Richmond along with Melbourne and the 2 games they have won by this stage they possibly could make top 4 everything wnet right) but I did think they would by in roughly a 9 team race to finish between 5th and 13th. I also thought they would be competitive against other teams in that group. In the years prior to this the blues may not hvae won but they were competitivein 90% of games - this year so far in 7 games they have been terrible against Essendon, Melbourne and Collingwood and Against Richomnd they were terrible for half the game and against Port the were terrible for a quarter. The list was improved over the summer but yet the side has gone backwards. Watching the games the blues seem to be constantly kicking to contests, having so many players behind the ball they constantly get to the wing and have to stop and wait (or worse turn around and kick it backwards) and the players decision making seems to be muddled due to either a lack of confidence in the plan or conflicting messages in the plan. On top of this for the second year in a row young players don't seem to be getting games under their belt, Graham has been dominating the VFL since preseason (has often been in the best) and yet has played 1 game where he was made the sub, Cripps has 2 games where from memory he was the sub frst time and subbed the second, Menzel is almost always the sub, Holman has been playing pretty good footy but not getting a look in, Giles has been in the best a couple of times but not go for him either, Bell has been dropped, subbed and used as the sub and even Buckley was overlooked for selection and dropped despite being one of the few bright spots of the year. Meanwhile we persist with Kane Lucas (although even he has been treated strangley), Mitch Robinson and even Scotland. Last year we were told we lost game early because the team was still adjusting to the new game plan, now after 18 months in charge we are going worse and the only time we look any good is when we move away from the Malthouse way. NOne of the above observations are because of inflated opinion of where we should finish but simply fact. (by the way Malthouse had us going into the premiership window pre-season). On Graham the reason I asked if someone had watched the game so tehy could tell me what things he wasn't doing - considering he added 7 clearances and a goal to his 30 touches.
Darren
Guest
Spot on. We need a long term fix, as supporters we need to strap in and go along for the ride.
Darren
Guest
Macca I think you came into this year with unrealistic expectations (going by all your comments in the pre-season) and now seem to be taking it out on Malthouse because they are not being met. Gibbs comments today are the sort of thing that interest me. He is committed to the club and where they are heading. I've got confidence in the coaching group and that the players are on board. I think the good times could be a lot closer than people think. It won't be 2014 need to accept that - but that doesn't mean we won't be top for in 2015. Re Graham getting 30 odd possessions and not being in the best - I'd say that comes down to what the club is wanting him to do. Is he meeting expectations.
Big AL
Guest
Totally agree with Jack.. I was surprised to see Yarran on that list.. your kiddin yourselves Eagles supporters.. LOL
Lyn
Guest
Winners are Grinners Gustav - You will all eat Humble Pie when Nathan takes us to a winning GF. Either this year or next
Paul D
Roar Guru
I think we need to remember Thomas has had a long time out of the game, and changing clubs is always very difficult. There was an article written here a few weeks ago by someone about what happens when players change clubs, and it said that players can take a year or two to regain their best form. We all know Thomas' quality, but it's going to take more than even a few months for him to get it back. Given this season has already wrapped for Carlton, might as well just let the team get on with working on development, and take some consolation in the little improvements.
Cat
Roar Guru
Should a 700k/yr player merely be improving and still looking well below his best the majority of the time (no idea what he has done to his kicking motion but it is horrid) at AFL level? Mick is giving his special treatment that he isn't giving to anyone else, what kind of message does that send to the playing group?
Darren
Guest
Thomas has been improving every week. He was very good against West Coast. He has a shocker against Pies and I think the emotion got to him which was disappointing. I'm a blues supporter who takes a different bent to most. I think Malthouse is doing the right thing. We were not going to win a flag the way things were going. I think he is building a top 4 competitive team. I'll wait to see how they are placed at the end of 2015.
at g
Guest
mick has the energy to fix carlton have faith his teams have always been decent Dont sack him make another mistake like ratten.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Joel, Uncontracted players can be acquired through the PSD, but you'll need to meet personal terms. Carlton has no experienced players I'd want at GWS, except for Henderson. Note also GWS' salary cap is very tight, so a player like Gibbs is effectively untradeable to us.
Jorgi Costava
Guest
Big difference between other occasions and now is you have the AFL in expansion mode so a lot of players are being shunted off to the heathen outposts at expense of the heartlands. We have the NSW and QLD clubs with a major advantage being allowed an extra payment to keep players and gain players. That could swing back the other way. Don't be surprised if a Tom Boyd does not end up at the Blues in a couple of seasons. The Giants and Suns cannot pay everyone millions.
Jorgi Costava
Guest
Your just parrotting what a lot of Melbourne media hacks have been spewing the last couple of months. Not a single original utterance in your comments. Come back when you have something sport.
Macca
Guest
Why not go both Jack
Jack
Guest
I would go cripps over graham. Graham is a Brock McLean type player
macca
Guest
as an aside I would be intersted to hear from anyone who saw the blues VFL game to answer the question of how Nick Graham got 31 possessions, 7 clearances and 1 goal but wasn't in the 6 best players in a losing side?
macca
Guest
Yeah he was respectable enough TOm - a bit slow to get going but got better as the game went on - we need to get more games into him. He had some issue with his quad pre-season which held him bakc but has earnt his spot through consistent quality in the VFL.