Football Department Review

[LP]

Could be that Russell was promised all manner of more responsibility to coax him away from the Dawks? Could be the review discovers that he should refocus on what he's best at and take his fingers out of other pies (which may be distracting/watering down his undoubted expertise & skills).

Yes quite possibly, that comment from Leigh Matthews in the coach discussion video you linked makes the statement, paraphrasing he said "Let's admit it we are all control freaks!", from time to time they may need rescuing from themselves! I dare say in hindsight both Ratten and BB needed that, but our club was too weak and it didn't come in time if at all!

[Baggers]

Yes quite possibly, that comment from Leigh Matthews in the coach discussion video you linked makes the statement, paraphrasing he said "Let's admit it we are all control freaks!", from time to time they may need rescuing from themselves! I dare say in hindsight both Ratten and BB needed that, but our club was too weak and it didn't come in time if at all!

Both the Tiggers and Pussycats made such adjustments to their senior coaches areas of responsibilities (after an independent review) and we know the results of having them focus on their role... only. You are so right, and so was Lethal, when commenting on the very nature of senior coaches... they are control freaks and need to be protected from themselves.

[ElwoodBlues1]

I do not believe the role Russell is in at Carlton is the same as the role he held at the Dawks, based on what we saw in the AFL documentary he's moved into more of a supervisory / managerial role with us from more of a hands on at the Dawks.

I'm not even sure the role he finished in at the Dawks was the same role he held during their period of success.

I'm just saying the players who were mentioned were either partly to blame for their injuries or who have had long running fitness issues.
Even Martin's game average per season over the journey is poor, then you have the club recruiting the likes of Williams who was a known poor endurance performer with ongoing achillies issues and Russell is copping the blame for all of it...I'm just calling unfair given his record at premiership clubs. I remember the Geelong recruiter who we signed but only stayed a few months said we were unprofessional and archaic in our recruiting and technical neanderthals in our methods and its fair to say fitness hasnt been our strong point either and Russell is starting a long way back compared to other high performance gurus at other successful clubs.

[jeza]

There are rumours around that those players are being rushed back at Teague's insistence, because he desperately needs wins, going against Russell's advice.

Even if that's true (not that I'd want to question the impeccable track record of BF) but it's still on Russell. It's his responsibility to manage the players fitness - and not allow anyone else to influence his decisions on what is best for the players.

And yes McGovern has been massively mismanaged since he got to the club. To anyone who's been paying the slightest bit of attention that is fairly obvious.

But Gov is just one example - of many but who cares about trying to argue the point. Carlton's injury list has been as bad as anyone in the league since Russell arrived - that's just fact. And we can't run out games. Right now the injury list is sitting at 15 which is as bad as anyone yet again! Not saying they're ALL Russells fault - but if he left and we appointed a hyperactive Cocker Spaniel to the position I doubt we'd have worse than 15 injuries at this point. So hardly a devastating blow if he left.

[DJC]

Yes I agree, it would be no different to the bust up between Ratten and Cordy.

But I'm still not sure his role is the same at Carlton as it was at the Dawks.

We have added leadership to his portfolio and I'm not sure that he has any particular expertise in that area.

Russell is very good at getting players to peak condition but that doesn't help when team selection is based on salary and profile before fitness and form.

[northernblue]

Even if that's true (not that I'd want to question the impeccable track record of BF) but it's still on Russell. It's his responsibility to manage the players fitness - and not allow anyone else to influence his decisions on what is best for the players.

And yes McGovern has been massively mismanaged since he got to the club. To anyone who's been paying the slightest bit of attention that is fairly obvious.

But Gov is just one example - of many but who cares about trying to argue the point. Carlton's injury list has been as bad as anyone in the league since Russell arrived - that's just fact. And we can't run out games. Right now the injury list is sitting at 15 which is as bad as anyone yet again! Not saying they're ALL Russells fault - but if he left and we appointed a hyperactive Cocker Spaniel to the position I doubt we'd have worse than 15 injuries at this point. So hardly a devastating blow if he left.

Don’t get those chickens and eggs all scrambled.

If someone is injured, they are not either not playing or playing under duress… do you think that might influence your perception of their ability to run out games ?
Most people to my mind would agree that your better players are usually also your fitter players, they also tend to be faster, stronger and have better endurance.
So if you have best 22 players who are injured it stands to reason that their replacements will often be (comparatively) possessing less of these attributes.

Continuity also plays a part, if Weiters, Walsh or Plowman miss a game or two they I’m confident could come straight back to senior footy, but guys who have been battling injury’s/suspensions are going to struggle imho. And on queue, Fisher is back in the seniors this week, to me, this is an issue and I’d expect Russell is saying, “Yeah, he’s no longer injured” and the MC are sticking them straight into the team…
Did I hear that the Vfl team has a bye this week ? Grrr.

[Thryleon]

Can I offer a point of difference?

The review itself might simply be to try and get the Baggers faithful to buy back in.  One thing I have noticed, is the sentiment has flipped in those who were prior scathing of the Bolton sacking, and how they are now calling a witch hunt for Teague.  Likewise, the fans that were most vocal about removing Teague have now calmed down considering it a fait accompli that he has gone, when the reality is, it gives the club time to take a lot of emotion and oxygen out of the anti teague situation, particularly in the light of whats going on at Hawthorn.

Perhaps this was just shrewd business by the club and this will simply yield positive results.  Barker moving on now is something that needed to happen anyway, as its simply just time. 

[PaulP]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-new...3ef6cc78e6

I really wonder how much research goes into those Fox Footy shows. Our defensive improvement since the bye has been marked. We have one terrible quarter, and it's on like Donkey Kong.

Under Bolton, we had too much structure. Under Teague, we don't have any. Blah.

[tonyo]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-new...3ef6cc78e6

I really wonder how much research goes into those Fox Footy shows. Our defensive improvement since the bye has been marked. We have one terrible quarter, and it's on like Donkey Kong.

Under Bolton, we had too much structure. Under Teague, we don't have any. Blah.

It's easy for commentators to seem wise when they are using the retroscope.

But the third quarter on Saturday wasn't just bad from a scoring point of view.  It was out lowest point for at least three years, and it really did look like the players almost gave up.  6 measly tackles in one quarter is hardly the stuff of competitive football.

That's the big worry - that many on our list just don't care enough to want to improve.

[PaulP]

It's easy for commentators to seem wise when they are using the retroscope.

But the third quarter on Saturday wasn't just bad from a scoring point of view.  It was out lowest point for at least three years, and it really did look like the players almost gave up.  6 measly tackles in one quarter is hardly the stuff of competitive football.

That's the big worry - that many on our list just don't care enough to want to improve.

We can zero in on one bad quarter (and it absolutely was bad), or we can take a broader view and see improvement (admittedly from a low base) in defence and structures since the bye.  We need to factor in injuries, pressure from media, fans, the club itself (hey Review, I'm looking at you), which as Malthouse said, absolutely affects your ability to coach. I've never really been a fan of the idea that players are there for the pay check only, don't care etc. The most successful clubs over the last 20 years have good recruiting, good development, and most of all internal fortitude to create unity and stability and withstand nonsense and noise from outside.  With very few exceptions, they grow from within. Every current coach except Ratten is a first timer. Hardwick, Simpson, Clarkson, all of them have never coached anywhere else. They've been at the clubs for ages and weathered the nonsense.

Forget the pre season predictions. They were nonsense. The best way forward is to do what the successful clubs do. Be genuinely unified from Board to Boot Studder, provide support and resources as required, keep imports to the bare minimum, no coaching changes every 30 seconds, and erect a sh1t deflecting umbrella around the footy department and give it a chance to grow and evolve - not point a gun at its head every other month. Watch things improve.

Players are all like all of us - creatures of habit, and creatures of history. They feel the discomfort and angst of those above them, and it affects their play. It is very easy for the losses to mount and become habitual. It's a very hard habit to break. Any giving up IMO comes from despair, not from self entitlement or selfishness or lack of interest.

And the Board needs a complete clean out.