Questions

[Vivian]

A nice measured set of questions lods.

Some of the teeth gnashing is indicative of a club that has been in the weeds for a long time. I get it, and for those that are younger the lack of success has made supporting carlton a masochistic pastime.

Bolton, along with the rest of the club are now implementing a plan that is only 1 and a half years in. There are a few aspects to the approach, but it is essentially an exercise in change management.  Change in the club culture and mindset on and off the field is happening. It primarily happens by changing the people. This is happening, with massive list turnover and new off field staff over the past two years.  Sustaining this requires a core of motivated and aligned senior staff. This is clearly happening. The message may be boring, but it is consistent and not deviating.

Losses like friday will, in the scheme of things be blips. Some have argued that they hurt young players. If we have players that go to water after such a loss, then i would suggest they are not the players we want at the club. We are seeking to build a tough, resiliant and motivated team. We had one friday night game this year in a hostile place against a likely finals team. Seems a good opportunity to test some youngsters. If we had taken palmer and kerridge and co we might have lost by 50. And learnt less about some players.

Many of the current carlton club actions are not keeping with past practice. Thank goodness for that.

[JonHenry]

I think we are going along nicely considering where we were at 2 years ago.
If we had held on to a few players that people keep fretting about we would be in for another 10 years of mediocrity.

My only change in hindsight would have been to get the Gibbs deal done with the view if bringing in a senior hard as nails (Barlow) mid and a younger 21 year old mid with body strength and kicking ability.

The other change would have been the captaincy.

Outside of that, stay the course.

[Gointocarlton]

A nice measured set of questions lods.

Some of the teeth gnashing is indicative of a club that has been in the weeds for a long time. I get it, and for those that are younger the lack of success has made supporting carlton a masochistic pastime.

Bolton, along with the rest of the club are now implementing a plan that is only 1 and a half years in. There are a few aspects to the approach, but it is essentially an exercise in change management.  Change in the club culture and mindset on and off the field is happening. It primarily happens by changing the people. This is happening, with massive list turnover and new off field staff over the past two years.  Sustaining this requires a core of motivated and aligned senior staff. This is clearly happening. The message may be boring, but it is consistent and not deviating.

Losses like friday will, in the scheme of things be blips. Some have argued that they hurt young players. If we have players that go to water after such a loss, then i would suggest they are not the players we want at the club. We are seeking to build a tough, resiliant and motivated team. We had one friday night game this year in a hostile place against a likely finals team. Seems a good opportunity to test some youngsters. If we had taken palmer and kerridge and co we might have lost by 50. And learnt less about some players.

Many of the current carlton club actions are not keeping with past practice. Thank goodness for that.

Applause emoticon x 1,000

[Thryleon]

Not playing Palmer and Smedts every week is almost beyond a joke. Both come from successful clubs. both older, experienced and hard bodied....

Palmer played in a PF last year FFS.

I think Bolts gets too caught up in his own BS to be honest - and let's be frank there is a lot of BS/spin in his mantra.

You know you could apply this exact same post to any of our coaches and multiple other coaches across the AFL particularly the criticism of the coach, and the only thing that changes is called an agenda.

They're all full of rhetoric, BS statements, and part of the process is figuring out that these characters are pretty much all the same.

Despite what they think they won't tell you why things happen, you have to have faith in the decision making.

[cookie2]

A nice measured set of questions lods.

Some of the teeth gnashing is indicative of a club that has been in the weeds for a long time. I get it, and for those that are younger the lack of success has made supporting carlton a masochistic pastime.

Bolton, along with the rest of the club are now implementing a plan that is only 1 and a half years in. There are a few aspects to the approach, but it is essentially an exercise in change management.  Change in the club culture and mindset on and off the field is happening. It primarily happens by changing the people. This is happening, with massive list turnover and new off field staff over the past two years.  Sustaining this requires a core of motivated and aligned senior staff. This is clearly happening. The message may be boring, but it is consistent and not deviating.

Losses like friday will, in the scheme of things be blips. Some have argued that they hurt young players. If we have players that go to water after such a loss, then i would suggest they are not the players we want at the club. We are seeking to build a tough, resiliant and motivated team. We had one friday night game this year in a hostile place against a likely finals team. Seems a good opportunity to test some youngsters. If we had taken palmer and kerridge and co we might have lost by 50. And learnt less about some players.

Many of the current carlton club actions are not keeping with past practice. Thank goodness for that.

Very good post Vivian. I would just add that we are now set on our current course and there will be no turning off from it. We really have to make this work now and I'm confident that we will.

[Amers]

We're playing the kids.... on mass, I wasn't expecting that.
It won't help the win/loss column but it could be good for the club going forward, hopefully it accelerates some of 1st and 2nd year guys progress and development.

I'd be spewing if I was Smedts and Palmer, come to a new club, are probably doing enough to deserve a game but are being overlooked, simply to get games into some of the younger guys.

As a part of this plan, I would hope internally that we have a huge crack at the VFL flag/premiership with our 2nds team.

I can accept this approach for 1 season as a part of the bigger picture and rebuild. Next year will be a totally different story, there will be no excuses.

This year, I will keep a keen eye out for as many green shoots as possible, along with pressure and effort consistently over 4 qtrs from all 22 players that run out each week for the Navy Blues.

[LP]

We're playing the kids.... on mass, I wasn't expecting that.

It won't help the win/loss column but it could be good for the club going forward, hopefully it accelerates some of 1st and 2nd year guys progress and development.

There is a very good reason an army doesn't train the troops on the battlefield, and we don't have the opportunity to recruit anywhere near as many replacements as the military can!

This accelerated learning rubbish is a myth, it doesn't happen that way and the proof is clear for all to see in the historical records. Even GWS recruited some hacks and past heroes to teach the kids off and on the field and they had a whole higher level of kid to do it with! SO few can actually come in and show progress, and those that do risk being busted up like Weitering now appears to be!

I'd be spewing if I was Smedts and Palmer, come to a new club, are probably doing enough to deserve a game but are being overlooked, simply to get games into some of the younger guys.

If you think the morale of Smedts and Palmer is being damaged, think about the older guys who thought they were being brought into to assist!

As a part of this plan, I would hope internally that we have a huge crack at the VFL flag/premiership with our 2nds team.

I can accept this approach for 1 season as a part of the bigger picture and rebuild. Next year will be a totally different story, there will be no excuses.

Certainly going to be interesting 24 months, if BB gets that far one thing is proven beyond doubt, Carlton has changed!

This year, I will keep a keen eye out for as many green shoots as possible, along with pressure and effort consistently over 4 qtrs from all 22 players that run out each week for the Navy Blues.

I'd be happy just to see the 4 Qtr pressure, I don't need the glitzy showbags and 10s highlights as I've already seen plenty of that from the likes of Garlett and Yarran! I want AFL footballers first, I was hoping to see some 4 Qtr AFL football from the likes of Palmer and Smedts!

[Professer E]

Smedts and Palmer in small doses only, they aren't going to get us anywhere other than giving others a chop out when required for the next year or so.

[LP]

Smedts and Palmer in small doses only, they aren't going to get us anywhere other than giving others a chop out when required for the next year or so.

Which makes Amers statement about their headspace even more relevant!

[Thryleon]

If anyone thinks that Friday was a good learning experience for anyone then they need their heads examined.

Getting games into players is one way to learn, but it's infinitely more beneficial when players have some actual guidance and you can't get that when you're are dominated and spend the night chasing tail without the footy.

Had they learned something about playing defensive football I would have said no worries but port took the foot off the pedal after they went up by an unassailable margin.  They didn't put the foot on the throat till half time, and still accounted for us easily.

All the kids learned was how hard it is to be play against bigger bodies when you butcher the football.

Perhaps that's a lesson that needed learning and the kids who might think the older blokes are "past" it and that they should be getting a game ahead of might have a greater appreciation for the guidance they're given.

That goes for our fans too.  All the Rowe Thomas white palava can go flying out the window.