Toughness, skill and discipline are the characteristics that AFL players have to demonstrate. Coaches must exude wisdom, strategy and leadership to be successful in the AFL.
But supporters need none of these virtues. Most of us aren’t particularly disciplined or tough, and we’re certainly not wise – just check out the Nuffies Facebook Page.
The two virtues that fans – and as an extension, club boards – are required to exhibit are loyalty and patience.
Ask Brett Ratten, who despite taking Carlton from 10 wins in 2008 to 15 wins in 2011 was sacked by the board following a dispiriting loss to Gold Coast in Round 22, 2012.
Maybe if the board and the fans had demonstrated some patience there would’ve been success on the horizon for that Carlton team.
Ratten went on to become a premiership-winning assistant coach at Hawthorn, while Carlton had the likes of Eddie Betts, Zach Touhy, Lachie Henderson, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Jeff Garlett and Matthew Kreuzer. Not bad.
Somewhere, in some alternate dimension, the board and the fans were patient and gave Ratten a one or two-year contract extension like Richmond did with Damien Hardwick.
In that alternate dimension, Carlton would have 17 premierships and I would finally have seen a Blues flag – the world would be a beautiful place.
But this is the real world. In reality, Ratten’s succeeding coach Mick Malthouse and his head of recruiting, Shane Rogers, massacred that list until it became the worst group of players in the competition.
At least Rogers drafted Patrick Cripps. They can never take that away from him.
However, those two years out of three in Mick Malthouse’s reign, 2014 and 2015, were dark, dark years for Carlton supporters. Horrible years. Scarring years.
The point is – it is vital that the mistake that was made with Ratten is not replicated with Bolton.
Some people might say that the plight of the Carlton Football Club in those depressing years is not too dissimilar to their situation now. But these people don’t understand what Carlton are trying to achieve and the process they are undertaking.
The process of taking a young coach and giving him a clean slate. Then, going to the draft and recruiting young players and playing them and giving them senior experience that they probably don’t deserve. A genuine rebuild.
Will it work? Who knows, we’ll find out in two or three years. But this process cannot be terminated prematurely due to media and fan hysteria as was the case with Ratten.
There isn’t genuine pressure on Brendon Bolton or the board yet – and there shouldn’t be. If Carlton finishes 18th, it’s disappointing because a winning culture should be a priority – but it’s not a disaster.
Currently, Carlton have Tom Williamson, Jarrod Pickett, Marc Murphy, Caleb Marchbank and Sam Docherty out of their best 22. If they’re 0-8 in a month, that’ll be really disheartening, but even then extreme panic will not be warranted.
Media-manufactured pressure should remain entirely irrelevant to the Carlton players, coaches, board members and fans. We must learn from the past.
I think the majority of blues supporters are learning. They recognise that they’ve got to display that essential virtue… patience.
This is a process and we must trust it.
Charlie Gill
Roar Rookie
Thanks Jack. Sorry for replying late - but you would've seen that Kerridge has been playing 1s the past three weeks and has been doing pretty well. I agree he should be out on the park and want him to stay in the side. I also agree that for winning culture, it'd be great to get some wins soon. But as said being 0-8 or 0-9 or even 0-10 would be really disappointing, it wouldn't be cause for huge panic. We were tipped to be bottom 4 this year, lost our two best players, and just look at our injury list. Of course we were going to be bad this year. Carlton are still not under any pressure because the fans understand this takes time. Bolton's job is still very secure because the fans understand patience is required. If you want an AFL coach to put pressure on, Alan Richardson is far more deserving of your scepticism. St Kilda are about two or three years further into their rebuild than Carlton. Give Weitering time. Did you see him in the VFL on the weekend? He had an insane game. Paddy McCartin, Tom Boyd and Jon Patton were all No.1 picks before Weitering. They, too, are under more pressure than Weiters. The only thing that will tell is time. If we are still no good in two years then I will be the one heaping pressure on the club. But for now there is minimal pressure due to low expectation coming into the season and the fans understanding the process.
Jack Fischer
Roar Rookie
Great article Charlie. Question - It has wondered me to why Carltons, Sam Kerridge isn't getting a game. Marc Murphy out, with a fairly young midfield group. Surely Cripps would love some experience and support with a larger body in there. To add, as Carlton continue to go on about their "future", it seems as though they are favouring their young guns like O'Brien compared to rewarding their 3rd to 4th year players like Sam Kerridge for playing good footy in the VFL. As the active topic of Carltons "future", almost seems like an excuse for the way Carlton are going at the moment. How about thinking about the present when you haven't won a game yet. It has gotten to the point where Carltons "future" is under severe pressure. Media, fans and The Carlton Football Club keep reminding us about their "Future" but really when that "future" comes the team will be under enormous pressure due to the talking up of the topic. Take Jacob Weitering, Number 1 draft pick in 2015 for Carlton. Carlton have given him an instrumental role in the game of AFL, Centre half back. Being punished game after game has lost all confidence in him. Pressure building .... Although, the only answer to these comments is time. I believe it is necessary to comment on the topic of Carlton future as it has been an excuse in the way their footy is traveling. I do agree with your comments of "Trust the process" as the only answer to this is time. But, Pressure is building immensely. In conclusion, Pressure is building within the Carlton Football Club. Coaches and players are feeling the Pressure in topic of the "future". In reality when that "future" becomes present and the Club isn't preforming as promised, then don't be surprised when the footy world gets on-top of them. - Jack
Aransan
Guest
High draft picks are often able to play many games in their first year. More mature players often play with niggling injuries, this is best avoided for young players especially if they are "sore". It can be difficult to determine whether a player is ready to step up, but if they struggle when selected they should be given chances later.
Macca
Guest
"REady to Play" is an interesting thing though, a lot of people are stating that Dow isn't ready to play but he is averaging more possessions than any of the top 5 draft picks from last year also many said Fisher was far too light to play last year but the lessons he learned last year helped drive his off season and are behind is strong start this year.
Aransan
Guest
Macca, it is also important that young players are ready when they are selected to play in the AFL. It is not just about getting games into your young players.
Macca
Guest
Good presser from Bolton today Col!!
Macca
Guest
I did read that article Col and thought it was a good one. You are right we just need to stick with the plan and let the process bare fruit. I think even as early as the second half of this year we will start to see things turn around as we get players back from injury and hopefully the likes of McKay, O'Brien & Dow start feeling comfortable at the level.
Macca
Guest
Agreed Aransan, but if the young players isn't getting a game because they are playing an almost washed up recruit it is a bit hard for them to stay in the game. ;)
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Spot on Aransan and listening to the outside noise got Ratten sacked and Malthouse appointed. It is what Carlton have done in the past and look where it has got them. I don't really worry about the ones putting the boot into Carlton on this site as I know it is mainly because they are happy to see the position the club is in. They will disappear when Carlton are rising. It is the couple of ones who constantly bang on about the same thing and make up things to support their comments but when questioned disappear.
Aransan
Guest
Col, I think the point was made that the good clubs ignore the noise and don't let it affect what they are doing. The bad clubs are affected by the noise. There are too many who want to put the boot into Carlton on this site.
Aransan
Guest
I accept your points Macca, I just wanted to stress that it is important for the young players to be in the game for as long as possible.
Macca
Guest
Aransan - In the last couple f years how many games have the blues been belted? How many games last year did the blues lose after being in front in the last quarter? This year they were level with the Tigers half way through the last quarter and against the Suns and the Pies they won 3 quarters of the game (and had more inside 50's) just lost big in the other quarter (Robbo had some figures on this last week). The biggest issue is injuries right now, the recruited Lang to help out in the midfield and he has been injured, Docherty is gone for the year, Marchbank is out, they were looking for Williamson to build on his impressive debut year down back but he has a back issue, they were hoping Byrne would become the rebounding half back and he has done his quad, Pickett looked like he was set to become that dangerously quick half forward before he broke his hand, mature players like A Silvagni & Rowe have been injured and then Murphy went down before last weeks game and now Kreuzer, Weitering & Kennedy are all out injured this week - we are missing roughly half our best 22.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Good to see O'Brien has extended his contract for another 2 years. As Macca has stated previously the young ones are buying into what the club is doing. Also just read an article on Foxsports where both Jason Dunstall and Dermott Brereton say that Carlton fans must be prepared to stay the course as their clubs rebuilds. Dunstall said "people get caught up in expecting consistent, gradual improvement - it doesn't work like that". He then gave Geelong as an example who were just about to fire Bomber Thompson before they won flags. He also compared the Blues current situation to Hawthorns in 2005, three years before they won the flag. I liked this quote the best "What I would say to Carlton supporters is there are things in place and you have to back them in, even though you don't necessarily see the benefits of it." Brereton said the Blues could take heart in in the amount of "top-end" talent at the club. I will take the opinions of 2 past champions of the game and within the industry over some of the opinions offered by some on this site.
Aransan
Guest
I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one Macca. I don't believe young players learn much playing in sides that consistently get hammered, learning especially occurs playing in sides that are competitive as possible for long as possible in games. You don't have to win but being in the game is important.
Macca
Guest
That was my point Liam - this article is well reasoned and logical which isn't a good place for all those who want to respond negatively to thrive. After a largely predictable loss impacted massively by injuries there will be plenty of negative articles where those who love to wallow in the negative can make themselves known.
Liam
Guest
Not what I was getting at. More that people don't want to be constructive when discussing Carlton. Either our fans respond to negativity, or schadenfreude from opposition fans speaks to the relative differences between this article and the last one.
Macca
Guest
Honestly I would prefer that we lose getting a game into an 18 yo than win playing a 32 yo getting 1 more year out of an old body.
Aransan
Guest
Macca, would it have helped to have had a couple of late career players from other clubs on your list to assist when experienced players are injured? Just a thought, but I guess it couldn't have been anticipated that you would have lost so many to injury. Each year there are experienced players delisted by clubs who would still be capable of playing at a good level.
Macca
Guest
It's pretty hard to argue with this article Liam. Within close to half our best 22 out this week and another loss looming expect many More negative articles next week.
Liam
Guest
Carlton fans, this proves it. Positive article, exhorting Carlton fans to be patient and to hold firm to the list strategy; 21 comments (22 with this one). Negative article - or at least, negative title - concerning whether or not Carlton or their fans are getting impatient and will place pressure on the club; 85 comments. Either we respond more to negative takes, or everyone else does.