Post Game Passion: AFL 2019 Rd 9: Carlton vs. GWS

[Thryleon]

Paul, exactly what has Bolton done at any stage in his senior coaching career that you consider meritorious? My thoughts?

1. Fast tracked the development of numerous kids? I think Dow, Charlie Curnow, SPS, LOB - backwards.
2. Got the best out of some recycled types? Fas and Lang dwelling in the 2s
3. Got the best out of his senior players or reinvented them? Ed C as a small forward - SURELY YOU'RE TAKING THE PISS?
4. Made some match winning game day moves? Must have been asleep - missed it!

I'd go as far as FOUR big nos.

I'd go further and say a bunch of banana charged monkeys making random (clueless) decisions would have led to more wins....

The ONLY reason you wouldn't sack him - and most of his assistants - is that:

1. There is no obvious replacement; and
2. Too much egg on the faces of MLG, Judd etc.

For every positive you're going to find a negative and vice versa depending on which stance you would like to take.

1.  Fast tracked Zac Fisher and the others are in second year ruts ala weitering who is playing his best footy now.  Actually this is the first time that 5 draftees from one draft crop are all looking like making the grade. 

2.  Matthew Wright played his best footy with us.  All the GWS players we have gotten are better with us than they were there.

3.  All of them have played better footy under Bolton than under malthouse. Including some that have left us and are playing elsewhere.

4. On game day, its difficult to point to any changes made that swings  the tide one way or the other and the general consensus in afl circles is that swinging things on game day is limited to pre prepared plans.  Bolton's coaching had us in winning positions for most of this season bar two matches.  That wasnt true of malthouse or rattens final years with us.  We dished up the north Melbourne equivalent in most matches.