Carlton bashing resumed this week with new of the departure of CEO Cain Liddle, meaning this season has seen the departure of a president, coach, four board members, and three assistant coaches.
The Blues are once again in crisis, we’re told.
In upheaval? Yep. Not doing business how they should? Well, it’s been harsh.
Crisis? I’m not so sure.
This turmoil might be the next step in a cultural change that has long been called for.
Consider the state club was in circa 2000 – that was an actual crisis. A complete failure in drafting and list management was exasperated by a series of poor financial investments. They had no players and no money – before they were hit for breaching the salary cap.
To get back to being a powerhouse, they had to get the club right, then the team.
After over a decade of middling (and denial), Mark LoGiudice became president in 2014 and promised to focus on getting the club part right. Liddle was running Richmond’s commercial operations when he moved in 2017 and he delivered what it said on the tin.
The team still idled on the field, but they leave the club with no debt, nearly 70,000 members and soon to be improved training facilities.
First part, tick.
Incoming president Luke Sayers has planted his flag on changing direction to focus the football operations and getting Carlton back in the top eight – the logical next step.
Conducting a review mid-season has given him the information he needs to implement change and an entire off-season to do what they need to. Sayers set a goal, gathered information and is now implementing a plan.
Perhaps John Barker was the canary in the coalmine – the long-serving (perhaps too comfortable?) assistant coach knew what was coming and left before the review started. Coach David Teague also knew it was coming, but decided to start swinging at the board, the players, and the media.
(Photo by Jono Searle/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
With the departure of Liddle, a commercially focussed CEO, the staff bloodletting is complete.
Sayers needs to ensure the people who are at the club next season have the ability and shared vision to achieve his goals – more football-experienced people to build on the commercial gains.
There will be bumps, fails and surprises along the way. Will he succeed? Well, who knows, but he has given himself the best chance to implement his vision.
The changes at Carlton will feel familiar to anyone in a public organisation when a new boss comes in. Loyal staff will jump, old managers will be pushed, staff will feel the heat to perform to expectations they don’t understand.
It’s been quick and brutal, but this isn’t a crisis – this is a calculated step for a club finding its way back from the brink.
reftasas
Roar Rookie
Progress off field Not on field
Rob
Guest
At least we appear to be moving forward instead of the inertia we have seen for years. Too many people at Carlton have “ blown their own trumpet ???? “ without being able to deliver the most important thing, on field success. Hopefully The Cooke will bang a few more heads & get all tofollow the path he sets and HOPEFULLY the board will let him get on with the job. Now for a good coach. Go Blueboys!
Donmac
Roar Rookie
The appointment of Brian Cook is a big positive for the Blues and lets face it they desperately need some good news at the moment. As a result of Cook coming in I believe that they will now have a real earnest attempt at getting Scott out of Geelong to become their Coach, what's more I similarly believe that that is a realistic possibility despite him still having another year on his contract.
Kane
Roar Rookie
Brian Cook has signed so they're obviously doing something right. This will hardly be spoken about in the media though as it doesn't suit their narrative
Diesel-747
Roar Rookie
:boxing:
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You make no argument now. Now you are deflecting into mistaken semantics.
Ed
Guest
They are not known as the BLUES just because of their colour. They have always been a mixed group with strong views.No doubt a good clean out from time to time does everyone good.Probably need a another George Harris type figure to take over,but they are a rare breed.A bit less corporate feel would reignite the membership passion.The corporates sucked the life out of the Club,but they are on the right tract and they needed to straighten up the Finances before the next step in getting the old Carlton spirit up and running.Disregard the Media rubbish this could happen sooner than expected.Ed
Macca
Roar Rookie
No I am arguing the opinion you have is incorrect because multiple second round and third round picks are not better than 6 or likely to be offered. "We want" putting aside the difference between wants and needs the use of the word "we" contradicts your assertion "it is my opinion, not necessarily Freo’s." unless you are using the royal we! In contradictions - "We want those draft picks" "The only trade we want is Jordan Clark’s" so you want to trade for picks the picks but the only trade you only want Clark?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
We want those draft picks to replace those delisted. That's how teams regenerate. The only trade we want is Jordan Clark's clean handling and pace but only if he wants to leave Geelong. That's not urgent. If you think I said " multiple times" he was staying, let's see the quotes. You quote everybody's posts so you'd have no trouble finding them...except if they don't exist. My story is unchanged. You asked me if #6 could be bettered. I answered and you are arguing that the opinion I have is not really what I think. By the way, it is my opinion, not necessarily Freo's.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Don - given you can't keep a story straight for two consecutive posts I don't think you are in a position to categorically state what you said. You said multiple times he was staying. "The kids to draft don’t cover Cerra. Chapman, Young, Henry, Western do that." My point is if you have a large number of kids coming through why do you NEED 5 draft picks? Again if you really NEED 5 draft picks take 6, bundle it up with 8 and trade down, you would easily get 5 second and third round picks
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You'd be struggling to find a post where I was adamant he wasn't going. I shared what his mates, Darcy and Serong said but we were talking for quite some time about trade possibilities. The kids to draft don't cover Cerra. Chapman, Young, Henry, Western do that. The next draftees, mostly tall forwards but also mids, are the next wave. This drafting, developing and benefitting is what Freo is doing so well. Carlton should try it.
Macca
Roar Rookie
A& B don’t contradict each other, they are from 2 different perspectives with different considerations. You have the draft kids to cover Cerra but you want to take at least 5 kids in the draft? You sound very certain of what will happen for a bloke who was adamant Cerra wasn’t leaving not so long ago, but Freo will do well out of it, not by taking a bunch of second round picks but grabbing pick 6.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Your a and b contradict each other. We only have 2 picks. We want at least 5 of those in the draft plus access to Benning and Motlop in the NGA. Picks are what we need. We already have the draft kids over the past few years to cover Cerra. It doesn't have to make sense to you. It does to me because I know who we have and who we have access to. Freo will do well out of this
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Haha yeah that sounds right. We at Carlton are not responsible for the problems we have.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Don I do admire your optimism but what you are saying makes very little sense. a) Freo aren’t going to give away a former top 5 pick for a fistful of second and third round picks – they will want a first rounder b) Even if they were willing to do so I find it unlikely any team would give up 4 picks for 1 player c) if you want a handful of second round picks I am sure the Blues could trade 6 for a few of them, or Freo could do it themselves d) Cerra isn’t going to nominate the Hawks and it is unlikely he will go with the Tigers I wouldn’t mind betting the Blues would part ways with both 6 and 25 for Cerra, but would likely want a pick back in return. “What I said indicates what other clubs can organize to get the deal done. It says it exactly.” Only if you assume a bunch of second round picks are better than a trade involving pick 6 – which very few people would.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
No 2 second rounders and a third rounder, then a future second rounder. That would be enough but Freo will do better than that. Hawthorn's load of picks are very attractive. The Tiges are looking pretty good as well. Your #6 AND #24 would get it done. What I said indicates what other clubs can organize to get the deal done. It says it exactly.
Macca
Roar Rookie
So you want 2 2021 second rounders and a 2022 second rounder and a 2022 3rd rounder rather than pick 6? And none of what you said addresses "The trade period, especially the exchange of draft picks (this year and future) can change that scenario (Carlton having the best trade position) quite significantly."
Macca
Roar Rookie
Since the AFL hit the Blues with unprecedented (and unreplicated) sanctions for their salary cap breaches there has been a conspiracy theory amongst some Blues supporters that the AFL have a vendetta against the Blues - for example the theory has it that the Blues had Coniglio across the line a couple of years back before the AFL stepped in to keep him at GWS - with Scott signing to work for the AFL rather than coach the Blues today the theory will go into overdrive once again, if Clarko signs to Coach the Suns for the 2023 year (supposedly at the behest of the AFL which also intervened to stop Clarko signing with the Blues for the 2022 year) some people are going to lose their sh* t
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
That's Van Rooyen (bloody predictive texting).
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
There are some terrific kids in WA; tall forwards Van Rooney, Williams, Amiss, Benning, Bazzo as a tall back and midst like Johnson, Erasmus, Warner and Sheldrick and smaller forward like Motlop. Quite a few of them will go in the first 30 but there will be many still there up to 60 and 70. Freo will take either Van Rooyen or Johnson with their #8 pick but they will be hoping a trade for Cerra will furnish, say 2 second round, a future 2nd and a 3rd round. Three good picks this year would get some real quality.