The following true sentence encapsulates the madness of this AFL season: there is much that GWS could learn from Carlton.
If you combined GWS’s talent with Carlton’s consistency and endeavour, the Giants would not only be the best football team on earth, they would be the best basketball team too. They would crush Golden State. Their sporting dominance would not be restricted by the arbitrary confines of the code that happens to house them.
For much of the season, the Giants have played like they can’t really be bothered for three quarters, and then they have backed themselves in to be talented enough to pull a game from the fire in the final 30 minutes. Disgustingly, most of the time they have been proven right.
They are the most frightening team in the AFL and the most reprehensible. When they start to truly care, it will likely all be over.
Until then, though, we should appreciate the teams that do care, the ones that can only dream of having GWS’s talent, but do all that is humanly possible to bridge the cap.
After Richmond stunningly removed themselves from the discussion on Saturday night, right now, remarkably, there are only two teams who you can trust to show up every single week. Sydney, who might win the premiership, and Carlton, who will not.
2017 has been the perfect season for the Blues. They are not a contender, and for any non-contender, wins are only style points. They want to develop their youth, have their games be watchable, and lose. Mission accomplished.
Carlton are shockingly watchable, and even more shockingly competent. They are almost aggressively competent. They pressure and absorb pressure, spread hard from contests, use the ball selflessly, make the high percentage plays, and maintain their shape. They never give up, wonderfully and defiantly ignorant of their constant, raging mortality.
Bryce Gibbs and Marc Murphy are playing inspired, and Kade Simpson and Sam Docherty offer composure in the areas of the ground where young teams need it most. Dale Thomas is Lazarus, and Liam Jones is Jesus Christ Reincarnate.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Last year the youth was hazy, this year it is clear. Patrick Cripps, Jacob Weitering, Caleb Marchbank, Jack Silvagni, David Cunningham, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Charlie Curnow… this is a future, not merely the hope of one.
Players are being reborn. Levi Casboult used to be a monster, now he is a MONSTER. Matthew Kreuzer is playing the best football of his life. Even Sam Kerridge is having 35-disposal games. And again, Liam Jones is the saviour.
The Alastair Clarkson coaching tree is in magnificent bloom. Brendon Bolton is the coach of the year. This team is unrecognisable from the debacles in blue that preceded it. They play with purpose, and a conviction that isn’t content with pats on the back. They are not a cute young team. They are coming.
They have a number of scalps already. They schooled the Swans, strangled the big rivals, Collingwood and Essendon, in unpleasant conditions, pulled an upset against Gold Coast, and punished the Giants for thinking they were playing the Carlton of old.
Carlton ran out of steam on the weekend, with two on the bench against a Melbourne team that had much more to play for and are a couple years advanced in its development. Still, if the ball at the edge of the goal square had sat for Dale Thomas instead of Michael Hibberd at the death, the result likely would have been different.
Those breaks will come for Carlton. And when they do, the evidence suggests that Bolton’s men will capitalise on them. And then, the Blues can stop being the team that clutches onto the leg of their opponents, hanging onto them for dear life and refusing to let go. Instead, they will be able to simply sprint clear of them.
Until that time, they’ll have their honourable losses, from which the upshot tends to have a lot more ‘honour’ than ‘loss’.
Revenge is nigh
Guest
Carlton's "Sweet 17th flag" is on the horizon and when it arrives Bluebaggers far and wide will rejoice. Payback for the great screwing they copped.
Macca
Guest
"disappointing early draft picks who still remain from an earlier failed rebuild" Would those players be one of the favourites for the All Australian ruckman this year and has been in the AFL team of the week 3 weeks running, a player who received 9 out of a possible 10 votes from the coaches on the weekend and is in the top 10 for disposals on average this year, and a player who is ranked 18th for disposals on average, who averages the 3rd most goals per game of the top 20 disposal winners and in the last 7 games has averaged 33.28 possessions? I'll ask again, do you ever make sense?
anon
Roar Pro
when the reality is there has never been a bigger fall from the throne than the Bulldogs in The history of the game. Freo in 2015 was minor premier, then went 4-20 (four and twenty heh) over their next 24 games. Falls from grace don't get any bigger than that.
Mic
Guest
Lets face facts mattyb. Footscray fluked a flag last year, and have now returned to the rabble they have been for the last 70 years. Beveridge sits in the coaching box this year looking completely bereft of ideas, while his players run around like headless chooks. You're still banging on like they are flag favourites, when the reality is there has never been a bigger fall from the throne than the Bulldogs in The history of the game. They look like they might finish bottom four. If you want to talk about a garbage team, have a look in your own back yard. I've been saying it all year - bulldogs are playing like a bunch of goobers. Will be LMAO when our young brigade flog your bunch of hasbeens this weekend
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
No we haven't been through this at all. You make false accusations about me and I ask you to provide the link which you fail to do. I now call you for what you are and that is a dead set liar. If you like all you have to do is press on my name and it will bring up every comment I have ever made on this forum. So go ahead and prove your false accusations. I doubt you will because you know you won't find what you accuse me of. However if you continue to make these false accusations I will report you to the editorial staff for breaking one of the conditions of this website.
Mattyb
Guest
Col,please,we've been through this...the reason you abused Boyd you said was because you were sick of people outlying the tragic blues had so many GWS rejects and you compared your rejects to him,a Premiership player. A horrible comparison,Your rejects are extremely ordinary and most are already list cloggers. You said Daniel shouldn't have gotten his rising star nomination because you thought Wietering was more deserving,you even told me to "cry a river" that Wietering was nominated first. Daniel finished runner up and won a premiership,while Wietering remains highly overrated and seems a little lost. You only criticised Williams a few weeks ago saying some Carlton player was more deserving to win a rising star nomination. Do Carlton fans even look at the ladder or do you all think this is still the VFL? I honestly cannot believe this up and about,born to rule mentality for a club that is still languishing at the very depths of the AFL ladder.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
What a lot of cr@p. I have never compared Boyd to Carlton players - why would I and have never mentioned Daniel and as I said I don't even know who Williams is. You are completely delusional and an embarrassment to yourself and other Bulldog supporters. The fact that you need to make false accusations about me says a lot about your character - pi$$weak.
Mattyb
Guest
Col,I'm just giving my opinion on a club that still languishes at the bottom of the ladder and I'm unfortunately not up and about regarding their future fortunes and still think they need to make a few changes. My opinion will not make or break this tragic club. You compared Boyd to Carlton players which is a horrible thing to say and claimed Carlton players were more worthy than Daniel and Williams for rising star nominations. Boyd and Daniel are premiership players,I was right.
Mattyb
Guest
Gene,I expressed my disappointment regarding the dogs season last week,if people feel the need to be critical of them that's fine. This article is not about the dogs though but when articles are I don't feel the need to be their protector. I think Carlton are going nowhere and I don't understand the arrogance of a club sitting third bottom with an AFL history that is as tragic as one could imagine. I have positive solutions for Carltons rise to finally becoming a relevant AFL club which should start with the removal of Silvagni and McKay,I speak positively about the blues but fairly considering their ongoing plight.While Bolton has achieved nothing yet I think the Blues should stick with him and at least see if he can produce a winning game plan when he thinks he has the players to do so,now that's a very positive outlook.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Hey Matty - Boo. Now go hide under your covers. Once again you bring up your old chestnut about me criticising Boyd and Daniels and once again I will ask you to direct me to those alleged comments. Actually I couldn't give a rats about Boyd and Daniel and certainly wouldn't waste my time commenting on them and who the hell is Bailey Williams?
Mattyb
Guest
Col,Tom Boyd,Caleb Daniel and Bailey Williams all say high,your entitled to your criticism of these players but the fact remains Carlton are still struggling. Boyd and Daniel have since become premiership players since your onslaught against them and Williams is still young.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
I get a lot of enjoyment from your Carlton paranoia. I think if Carltonphobia was a word your name would be in the definition. The fact that at some stage Carlton have turned you into somebody who obviously has to sleep with the light on brings me al lot of delight.
Cat
Roar Guru
Where ya been mattyb, you don't post much since the dogs have been stinking it up. What's wrong too busy going for yet another handout from the AFL to keep your sad and tragic eternally on the dole club going?
Mattyb
Guest
Absolutely amazing,this sad and tragic club sit sixteenth on the ladder,while being the most sorrowful club since the inception of the AFL. They have a new list of kids and rejects to go with the disappointing early draft picks who still remain from an earlier failed rebuild, and the born to rule mentality has their supporters using the article to take pot shots at other clubs like Collingwood,Fremantle and even the current reigning premiers. This is a sorry club that really needs to change its mindset,starting from the top and hopefully sending a legitimate message to its members rather than this false hope that has them ridiculously up and about for a third bottom side with such a negative game plan. While I don't agree with all the patronising this once proud club now recieve,I'd still like to see them to again try and become legitimate member of the league,they're still miles off with many unknowns though. There's nothing wrong with that,but the level of arrogance is already astounding.
Cat
Roar Guru
2007 to 5 points i still a loss for you. 2008 Yep wasn't good enough on the day, as a Pie fan you'd know all too well you can't win every GF. 2009 Cats won, that's all that really matters. Where was Collingwood? Oh that's right we once again absolutely humiliated you 120 to 47 in the Prelim. 2011 Hurt and injured? Please. We beat you twice in the H&A season too. Humiliated you by 96 points in round 24. Face it your mob just was not good enough to beat us. Three meetings, three losses by Collingwood. That is comprehensive. Leaves no room for doubt or luck.
Peter the Scribe
Guest
tick tick Cat....your window is slowly closing yourself....2007 prelim the pies ran you to 5 points, 2008 you kicked yourself out of a premiership, tick tick, 2009 just hung on against the saints, 2011 copped a hurt, injured Collingwood side, tick tick, your luck can't continue Cat....tick tick tick the premiership clock is closing...
Macca
Guest
No Roger - I highlighted 2 halves of footy, along with the last 2 weeks and I have previously mentioned the St Kilda game - I could point to plenty of other periods ing games as well. The blues don't play stodgy football - they control the tempo, the play slow when it suits and they play fast when they can.
Roger
Guest
You just cherry picked 2 halves of football that contradict the numbers of 15 rounds of football. I think your mind is already made up.
Mark
Guest
So your rebuild started before Carltons yet they are ahead of you? Bucks the master coach!
Mark
Guest
No