Rd 10: Post Game Paradise!: Carlton vs Geelong

[DJC]

Not a short memory at all Krud.
Mick took a team that was premiership favorite at one stage the year before.
A team that had Betts, Waite, Garlett, Yarran and Walker firing under Yarran and turned them into a completely noncompetitive unit. A team Mick claimed was ready to challenge, the board claimed was ready to challenge and to be honest a list most people thought was firing until a horrible injury run.

Under Pagan our list was pretty awful for a long time and things we were dreadful, particularly towards the end, I am more than aware of that and don't need reminding as if to suggest I am overlooking that period at all, I doubt any Carlton supporter over 25 could possible ever forget that period.

Now I am not into all the debates that I have no doubt happen on this site about Mick and whether he was the problem or not, so I don't know people's opinions.

But I have mine.

Through the last 20 years we have had a number of people have absolutely horrible impacts on Carlton.
John Elliot
Ian Collins
Dennis Pagan

Are just a few (Sticks and a few of his tight knit cronies also were more bad than good unfortunately)

But number one to me and by a very long margin... Is our previous coach.
He ruined what was a very competitive list, ruined the chance to challenge in Judd's final years, seen good players turn absolutely awful. He had zero idea how to play a game plan to the strengths of our team and oversaw the departure of our entire forward line.

Bolton (imo) is absolutely categorically the reason for this turnaround. The player ARE buying into his message and this team is playing much better than I have seen in a long time and better than it EVER played under Malthouse, including the Richmond final.

Watching the team for the first time since the days of Ratts, it felt like we had extra players on the ground, we got more players to all the contests, something I have rued forever when we are on the receiving end of that. Now you don't have to think this is down to Bolton and no down all the assistants play their part, but I am 100% sure that if this team was led by Malthouse right now we would be at best 1 win from the first 10 (which is about where most pundits would have had us at the start of the season) and that is based on the exposed form from the last few years.

As for SOS, I don't have any doubt he has been doing his job and a few of the young guys he has brought in have done well. But it is the re-invigoration of the older players (we still have an old list on average age) that really sees us 5-5, though yes I do think SOS has done a great job

Nailed it MIO.  Fifteen of the blokes who took the field on Sunday were running around last year and all of them are playing better footy than they have for a while.  Bolton has made a huge difference, not only to the playing group but to the club as a whole.

I could go on a rant about the simplistic view that it was always the players' fault but I'd rather just celebrate the fact that we have a coach who knows what he is doing, is getting the best out of our list, and will not be satisfied until our best is even better.