This was no general meeting, but that didn’t stop things from getting heated among the assembled members of the Carlton Football Club.
Things started well enough. President Mark LoGiudice started with an introduction that covered the highs and lows of the 2018 season, from winning just two games to a new record number of signed-up members. He said the strength of the club was down to a new era of positivism and a culture that encompasses the best things about footy: inclusion, respect and integrity.
Brendon Bolton and Sam Docherty were there, and mention was made of Marc Murphy, who approached him after the season’s end and said the team needed to own the future with a change in leadership, an anecdote met with thunderous applause.
New players for the men’s and women’s side were introduced, but then came the general questions from attendees, which got predictably heated.
There is a faction in the membership who basically read a statement that they had read last year saying that the board need to resign, together with Bruce Mathieson and Jeanne Pratt because they have led Carlton to where they are now, with two wooden spoons and not even close to being in premiership contention.
Their statement was met with a lot of boos and angry feedback. Those in the splinter faction said that they spoke on behalf of the members, yet I don’t remember giving them permission to speak on my behalf.
(AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
What I don’t think they understand is that we are finally in a position to bring this club back to success. There are those who just don’t see that as they have their own agenda – they are too steeped in the successes of the past that have long passed us by.
The new motto for the club is, ‘Honor the past and own the future’. These supporters are not doing either. Rather than honouring the past, they’re treating it as if the past should and must define us. Nor are they owning the future, because to own the future means to understand the modern game and environment and to adapt and change to leave your mark on it.
They don’t understand that we as a club and its supporters must and do to honour the past and those who made the club great, but it must not define us now. Much water – a lot of it very dirty water – has gone under the bridge in the history of this great club, and we let it pass and concentrate on what’s ahead.
The club has the capacity, the personnel, the players and the coaches to return to the top. One of the best questions asked was whether, given the horrendous decisions made in the past with our coaches, Bolton was at risk of being flicked. It was a question met with huge applause, though obviously not from members of the splinter faction.
The reply was that each person’s role is based on performance, which will alone determine any decisions. They know that the road to the top will be a long one and said that no-one is going to be flicked out so casually as it was in the past.
The times have changed for the club. When once we were a splintered club, today we are a largely unified one standing in solidarity of purpose. We want to win games and a premiership – but more than that, we want to create a culture both on and off the field that ensures that this purpose delivers.
We don’t need those in the faction, who just want to push their own agenda and not look at what is in the best interests of the club as a whole. We will always honour the past, but to own the future we need to be where are today – on the right track to becoming a top team again.
We need to be a team that keeps looking to the possibilities ahead, not over our shoulders at what’s behind us. The past is something we must honour and respect, but it mustn’t define what is happening at the club today.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
The players you mentioned, Mullett, O’Shea, Shaw and Palmer were recruits that cost us very little in draft picks and were only recruited for depth not as first picked players. Unfortunately due to injuries they played more games than the club anticipated and their performances showed that they were never going to be long term players. I would say that Tom Bugg has been recruited to takeover the role that Jed Lamb had and in my opinion is a much better player. Garlett, Robinson and Fevola were let go because of their off-field behaviour having been given prior chances. Fevola was a big loss but given his off field behaviour the club had no option but to let him go. His time at Brisbane showed that he hadn’t learnt to control his behaviour. Robinson and Garlett at Carlton were probably in our bottom 6 but unlike Fevola went to new clubs and improved. Menzel was a lazy player and Yarran wanted out. We did well out of the trades and neither player is currently in the AFL system. Menzel did nothing at Adelaide and was delisted and Yarran’s off field problems have been well documented. Gowers and Holman did not show much during their time at Carlton so were delisted. Gowers spent a year in the VFL and Holman 2 years in the SANFL before both were rookie listed by their current clubs. Gowers has shown he could be a handy player at the Bulldogs whilst Holman is just an average player at the Suns. For me I don’t worry anymore about what happened at the club prior to them announcing a full rebuild 3 years ago as the current playing list has about 10 players that were at the club before then. It is what the club has done since then that needs to be scrutinised and whilst the club has gone through hard times on the field the players that have been brought in the past 3 years are showing that Blues supporters should be optimistic about the future.
CdeB
Guest
My point being they aren’t but none really got enough games to have a chance - so either weak choices in the first place, or odd not to allow them to develop... it’s about decision-making....a bit like when we used to move coaches on after one mediocre season.
Zed16
Guest
Great article Debby and i can think of two sayings that apply to our club. 1. The light is always darkest before the dawn. 2. The fable of the tortoise and the hare. How many times in the last 20 years have we tried to be the hare and failed each time? If i look over season 2018; - We were never able to field the same 22 in any week, - in many matches we lost 2 players through injury before half time and this is a big impact on a young side, - Of the key 4 only Cripps manged to play the season. Murphy, Docherty and Krueser had significant periods out of the team which also had an impact. These are not excuses but factors we need to consider when often more than half the team we fielded was under 22. Many of the young brigade showed improvement and why they have been selected by the club and i look forward to watching their continued improvement. Patience is the key and i for one believe 2019 will certainly be brighter and if we can sustain the top 22 for longer periods on field the team will show improvement.
Blue
Guest
Why should Bruce Matheson or Jean Pratt be on the board? Neither are football people, and one is nothing more than the partner of a rich criminal who gifted us cash. Personally I think embracing the future means no more Elliots, no more Pratts. The football department is something else altogether, we should all get around them
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Debby. your last sentence says it all for me. All the young players wear quick to extend their contracts and 2 of our best in Cripps and Charlie extended long term. They don’t do that unless they see that the direction the club is going is the correct one. Every club in the competition would throw big money at those 2 to get them. Every player has faith in the Coach and yes he hasn’t got a great record but he hasn’t had the luxury of a settled team. We are just about there and we will start to see if Bolts can take this team to the top.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Enjoyable article. There will always be people who want a quick fix and get sick of waiting. For me, I got very disillusioned around 2016 and basically told myself I wasn't going to keep getting emotionally involved in the Lions or paying money to watch them. while the AFL were letting us wither on the vine and weren't giving us assistance that we needed in terms of personnel and finance. I took the view it was their product, the AFL had ruined it in QLD by indirectly screwing us through neglect and indifference. With what has occurred over the last two seasons I'm back involved - had a 3 game membership this year, will be back next year as it now seems like things are back to being a fair fight each week, rather than just rocking up to watch the Lions lose. Carlton have endured a torrid time of it - probably worse than the Bombers, really, when you consider what has happened. They will be back eventually, and you'll be amazed how many fans will come crawling out of the woodwork when they do. Assuming you don't take another 15 years. They may not still be around by then.
Macca
Roar Rookie
I didn't say you did, I was responding to the poster directly above. I actually agree with your sentiments
Debby Palti
Roar Rookie
Sorry, you may have got the wrong article as I never said that.
Debby Palti
Roar Rookie
There is also the fact that winning becomes a hunger, a need to get. Richmond and even Collingwood were down in the dumps and they proved that sheer will and determination will get them to where they wanted to be and the same with WB. But I don't want the club to be the WB of the footy world where one year you win the Premiership, and the next, you are floundering. We need to build a club that is sustainable and consistent and this takes time. We have a list that is young and strong and will only get better with more games under their belt. I don't agree that unless we start winning they will only learn to lose as the need to win is a great motivator. And given who we have now at the club, and also who re-signed, players are seeing and believe in what is happening at the club. GO BLUES!
Macca
Roar Rookie
"I am not sure whether Mullett and O’Shea and Shaw and Rhys Palmer and Billy Smedts should still be at the club… maybe not. " What are you talking about, these players are no longer at the club (Palmer and Smedts left at the end of 2017) and have been replaced by the likes of Dow, O'Brien, Walsh, Stocker, Setterfield & Kennedy.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Fans are entitled to get impatient for results. In the lean Nathan Buckley years of 2014-2017, some fans got very impatient, angry, frustrated. Some like myself could see what was building, could see the reasons it wasn't happening quickly. Injuries for one can give a report card that isn't truly refelctive of the gains being made. Looking at the comments some Pie fans (and even more scathing comments made by non Pie fans) made this time last year when I wrote an article predicting the Pies rise is an interesting exercise after we got within a kick of going the whole way. Doesn't mean it always works though, but sometimes you have to stick with the course you have set. https://www.theroar.com.au/2017/12/01/debunking-myths-around-nathan-buckley-pies-actually-headed/
CdeB
Guest
I largely agree but I also disagree a little. It's hard to be too critical of supporters who don't find it easy to trust our club's management. Trusting Carlton hierarchies has not always been a sound strategy (even without the Malthouse appointment). The current management team is proving more resilient and strategic than previous groups have been, and I am certainly willing to give them another year, but they're not proven yet. The list looks good and seems to be improving, but we are still taking players, giving them one or two years to prove themselves, and then moving them on when they don't win Brownlows. I am not sure whether Mullett and O'Shea and Shaw and Rhys Palmer and Billy Smedts should still be at the club... maybe not. And why did Billy Gowers spend two years on our list without a game? Nick Holman? Maybe there are things about them the club knows that I don't know. Not every player works in every club, but it seems like either it was (with hindsight) a mistake to bring them in, or it was a mistake not to give them enough time to fit in and develop as Blueboys. I still remember and worry about the system that saw Eddie and Jeffy Garlett and Mitch Robinson leave, and Troy Menzel and Chris Yarran (and even Fev) traded but in such a bad state that we won the trade despite their immense talent. Do we have a tough nut to replace Jed Lamb? Other clubs' systems (Hawthorn, Richmond, Geelong and even C'wood) seem to be able to help talented but troubled young men turn things around. Ours clearly didn't, and I see no evidence it does yet....fingers crossed. Finally, I worry that winning is a confidence thing and it's something you learn. Our blokes are learning to battle but they still haven't learned to win yet. Our list looks strong but unless they start winning they will only learn to lose (and the good players will leave). Please don't misunderstand - I am patient. I keep (and will keep) renewing my membership with pride and I am definitely still at the 'wait and see' stage. Last year was cruelled by significant injuries. I've written it off and am happy to have Walsh as the consolation prize. But Carlton does not have the youngest list this year (Brisbane is younger and on last year's form they are ahead of us) and Essendon and Brisbane are only fractionally better than us on experience. I am definitely not expecting a premiership (yet), but unless there is real improvement, measured in terms of games won, not just valiant effort, this year, it might be time to rethink the rethink... just saying... And if (please no) that proves to be the case, I think it's club management I will want to hold accountable. We undoubtedly have the talent. If they fail (and I'd say winning less that 7 games - unless we lose Cripps/Docherty for half the season - is failure) that suggests we don't have the system. For which management (not footy players in their early 20s) are responsible...