With the scoreboard reading 37-90, Marc Murphy lined up for goal after the three quarter time siren from the right boundary, and you got the sense that even he knew his kick was utterly meaningless.
Murphy’s connection with the ball was sour, and it missed right, fluttering innocuously to the ground, something that the game had already done much earlier.
‘Carlton versus Geelong, Round 19, 2017′ will only be one for the history books in the sense that it did actually take place in the world. The lone upshot from the game is that a certain player probably won’t get a one-week suspension.
It wasn’t a well-played game, and it wasn’t an especially poorly played game. It was just a ‘played’ game. Geelong were clean, and cleanliness is all you really need to win Round 19 games against teams with five wins.
The Blues, who for much of the past three months have excelled at not shooting themselves in the foot, finally got the shotgun out and pointed it downwards. Levi Casboult dropped uncontested marks, Zac Fisher lofted 20-metre passes to opponents, and Bryce Gibbs looked lost wherever he went.
It was the kind of game where players have the ball inside 50 with plenty of time and then decide to chip a short pass sideways to a contest.
And through it all, the Blues tried. Sam Docherty marched out of defence, proud, upright and with the illusion of purpose, and Dale Thomas jumped up and down on the mark like a madman, partying like it was 2011.
It was somewhere on the spectrum between pathetic and admirable, mostly veering (sympathetically) to the former. Carlton’s defence, incomprehensibly solid for so long, has become more comprehensively woeful the past fortnight. Whether other teams have figured out their structure, or the Carlton players have figured out that there’s only a month left in the season, is hard to know.
The Blues have played like they’re waiting for an ending, and this game played out as though both teams were waiting for the siren. Patrick Dangerfield’s laconic last quarter snap, hit with the intensity of a tired child taking a shot for goal on an empty suburban oval with no one watching on a January afternoon, said it all.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Much of the season’s last four rounds will play out as this game did, and as Richmond versus Gold Coast and West Coast versus Brisbane did. The team whose mind is elsewhere will give a brief impassioned yell, but then the team whose year is still alive will quickly quiet them, and they will stay quiet. The people in the crowd watching will be the quietest ones of all.
This isn’t a problem that has to be eradicated by a revolutionary fixture. Meaninglessness doesn’t have to be unenjoyable. There are moments in every match – an effortlessly smooth running banana goal from Harry McKay, an immaculately struck set shot from Jack Silvagni – that justify the price of admission.
The real price of these games, though, these dog days, is the helplessness, but it’s a feeling that can be stored as context, a context that makes the meaningful moments in the future all the more rewarding.
Sport needs balance to be at its most magical. The 2016 grand final was made more special by the fact that the 2015 grand final was not special. While you’re sitting at home alone on a Saturday night in a quiet room, the hum of the fridge somehow louder than usual, watching Matthew Wright pinpoint opposition players, it can be easy to lose perspective.
But Matthew Wright in late July is the fee that one has to pay for Marcus Bontempelli in late September, a fee that makes the latter so much sweeter because, irrationally or not, it makes Bontempelli feel so much more earned.
So don’t take away our pain, Gillon McLachlan. Let us have Geelong 123, Carlton 58. Because even if we don’t want it, we might just need it.
Macca
Guest
"No one thought, including me, they would even win a game" How many games did people think the blues would win in the last 2 years? "Carlton on the other hand are being very well coached by Bolton and the players are giving their absolute all each week but are still consistently coming off second best. You can’t just excuse youth for being a factor either" We are playing 6 teenagers and 3 20 year olds. 2 of them are playing as key defenders and 3 of them are playing as marking forwards - if you don't acknowledge that youth is a factor in losing you aren't living in reality. Look at the players under 50 games for both sides from Saturdays loss and tell me there isn't a massive body size/maturity difference. "but football fans won’t happily walk into a football ground, watch their team lose by 10 goals and then say afterwards to their mate “don’t worry, this will all be worth it”. Short sighted people maybe. And how many times this year have Carlton supporters had to walk away from a 10 goal loss? " but they see things how MattyB does and are probably fed up with the whole club" Seeing tings how mattyb does isn't a good thing. " take a leaf out of the bulldogs book, they were down near the bottom in 2014, but they didn’t rebuild, they build a strong committed list of players all around the same age and only took 2 years to achieve the ultimate…" We are dong what the bulldogs did. And I'll ask again what recruiting mistakes have we made since SOS took over?
Travis
Roar Pro
But Essendon in 2016 practically had all their players out with hardly any experience whatsoever. No one thought, including me, they would even win a game so they clearly exceeded expectations there, they also beat us and this week they will probably flog us to show you and most Carlton fans how far the gap is between the 2 team. Carlton on the other hand are being very well coached by Bolton and the players are giving their absolute all each week but are still consistently coming off second best. You can't just excuse youth for being a factor either, all clubs have young players and you don't hear them complaining about feeling fatigued once we hit the second half of the year. Something either isn't right at the top or its yet another recruiting problem. Macca- I see where your coming from, but football fans won't happily walk into a football ground, watch their team lose by 10 goals and then say afterwards to their mate "don't worry, this will all be worth it". You can't just guarantee things in life and with the competition evening up more each year, it is very hard to see which teams we are going to go in front of next year. Looking at our last 4 games: (ESS, WCE, HAW, SYD) and seeing Brisbane play both Gold Cost and North at home, I think it is almost certain we'll win the wooden spoon. I'm not sure how you'll interpenetrate that, perhaps you'll think its a good thing, but I'm pretty sure I've got a winning TAB ticket coming... The thing I find most strange though; For a club that has won the most premierships, was once a big 4 powerhouse and arguably one of the most reconsidered clubs in Australia. How come we consistently struggle to attract 50,000 members each year? Essendon, Hawthorn, Richmond all have 70K, Geelong have well gone past us and many other interstate clubs are in the high 50's early 60's. There are many more Carlton fans out there, probably close to 75K, but they see things how MattyB does and are probably fed up with the whole club. We could probably take a leaf out of the bulldogs book, they were down near the bottom in 2014, but they didn't rebuild, they build a strong committed list of players all around the same age and only took 2 years to achieve the ultimate...
David C
Guest
They will have to beat Brisbane at the Gabba first. Won't be as easy as you think.
Peter the Scribe
Guest
One name Cat....Mitch Clark
Gecko
Guest
Imagine Bucks being able to aim for a top 12 finish and stay in the job for many years to come.
Macca
Guest
Geelongs list management has been good and I have said numerous times they a great club to trade with because they know what they want and they will pay for it but St Kilda were never the quality of Geelong and therefore much more likely to drop off.
Cat
Roar Guru
But through shrewd list management and planning Geelong put themselves in a position to only need to top up. Geelong and St Kilda were both in similar situations, Geelong won flags and St Kilda didn't but both had young lists that got old after playing in multiple grand finals. Saints decided to rip theirs apart for a 5 year rebuild. Geelong planned ahead with blooding kids while being successful and saw off older players gradually and topped up where needed. Saints are still in the wilderness while Geelong continues to give themselves chances at more flags.
Macca
Guest
Mattyb - a Few questions - in the last 2 years how many games did you predict the blues would win? Did you or did you not call for the blues to do a proper rebuild and go to the draft rather than their traditional importing of experienced players? What exactly would you do differently with the list and team selection at Carlton?
Macca
Guest
Exactly Peter.
Macca
Guest
Travis - I always listen to Mattyb, that's how I know "he knows nothing about football." "Mattyb like most footy fans looks at the ladder, that is the only estimate on how a club is going" And that is why he completely misses the point. He is only looking at right now and right now we are playing 8-9 players a week that have one or less full preseasons, we are playing 6 or 7 teenagers - that doesn't win you many games here and now but it does benefit you long term - which is exactly what the blues should be doing and exactly what Mattyb himself called on them to do not so long ago. "Our recruiting has been really poor for the last 10 years" SInce Silvagni came on board in 2015 what poor recruiting decisions have been made? "Clear the place out, give the supporters something to be excited about on field in 2018" If you think we haven't "cleared out the place in the last 2 years you haven't been paying attention and if you haven't found anything to be excited about on the field this year I doubt you ever will. "Essendon have done grow the membership with winning games the number 1 priority" - in 2015 Essendon won 6 games and the blues won 4, in 2016 Essendon won 3 games and the blues won 7, so far this year Essendon has won 9 games to the blues 5 - so in the last 61 games its 18 to 16 while Essendon currently has the fifth oldest list to the blues 5th youngest, the 4th most experienced to the blues 2nd least, and the 5th highest number of players over 30 to the blues second least.
Peter the Scribe
Guest
Mattyb your Doggies are a ripping club, surely the second team for most pies fans....for me? I love the doggies and crows and don' t mind the saints either...just ripper clubs...I also tend to think Bevo may be the new Clarkson. There's some stories to tell for the doggies still this year and they will be right back contending in 2018 too.
Peter the Scribe
Guest
bobburra.....fair enough comment....we will just have to wait I suppose but in the meantime we can talk ourselves up if we feel it is the case surely?
Peter the Scribe
Guest
tinytigerfan....most despised? Gee I hope so. The Pies heritage is all about being the most hated club in the land. It's exactly how we like it. If we aren't hated we are irrelevant, like your shameful club from 1982-2016, 34 years of being largely irrelevant to the competition. Your hate helps keep us in the media, generating click bait for Mark "Click Bait" Robinson. being hated is in our DNA. But I know you won' t understand DNA son, by your comments you are about in grade 5 so go ask your teacher what DNA is? (and go tidy your room!)
Peter the Scribe
Guest
true tiger fan or is it tiny tiger fan? The grown ups in here are talking son and your mum wants your room tidied up.
Peter the Scribe
Guest
mattyb.....Doggies are already back based on the demolition job on a handy Bombers side....surely a scary thought for the top half of the eight....
Peter the Scribe
Guest
Macca I would say both Curnow and Moore are players to be genuinely excited about for the next 7-10 years in the AFL.
Alchemist
Guest
Would that be the same eagles that won the spoon in 2010?
Mattyb
Guest
Boburra, I must also say in reflection you've missed many of my sometimes painful summarisations of doggie games. I've also included first hand and often indepth discussion about reserves games,a much better summarisation than third or fouth hand stats calling that we sometimes see. I call on those who follow the minor leagues to offer first hand opinions on what they see,it would be a great addition to this website. I've called Dale as a gun,discussed McLeans new role,called Young as very in form,said Webb and Williams dominate at that level but need to step up. I've analised how English and Collims do ok at that level but what they need to improve on. I've said how there's a bit of Daicos in Greene even though his stats are poor but conversion great. Love the Dogs. Wait until you see Lipinski?
Mattyb
Guest
Good to see you back Travis and I'm sure you'll be accused of being me my those more interested in thier own opinions and cherry picking ahead of the club itself. We've been hearing the same stories on here for years now,excuse after excuse, I said the wheels were going to fall off,the recruiting overall has been strange with all the rejects and bargains which I said would be needed to be moved on. Carlton need change at the top,I think an outside influence is what's needed but the born to rulers keep idiolising the current people that continue to take this once mighty club nowhere. The proof is in the pudding,they are fighting it out for yet another wooden spoon,the fifth in the AFL era. If Carlton were once happy to call other clubs tragic,some so called supporters need to wake up and smell what this tragic club has truly become. How can people argue all is well while fighting it out for yet another wooden spoon? It beggars belief.
Mattyb
Guest
That's correct AD I'm a doggies fan,love the dogs. In my opinion the greatest team ever because they give me joy. They also have previously given me heartache. I'm cool if people don't like the dogs,we've never really been a bottom side though,we have just been more a team that promised but often don't deliver. Then last year happened,a miracle in my eyes,I still struggle to believe it has actually happened. I was a bit of a mess for six months. My girls actually told my wife I wasn't allowed to watch the GF when they had a sleep over one night because they said they were going to be embarrassed because I would literally cry. Love my doggies,go doggies...but if people don't like them it's not really any skin off my nose and I say fair enough.