RD 7 : Blues V Giants (Pre-Match Pre-Amble)

[BluePhantom]

What someone stand up and show leadership... give me a break  :

[Thryleon]

When I was a young bloke, I would come home hoarse from yelling at the footy.

Yesterday, I, together with my wife and my oldest son and our nearly 5 year old grandson, went to the game. It was his first ever game.
I came home, voice completely intact.

I did not raise a whimper throughout the whole game. My grandson sat on his seat like a 25 year old, cheering Carlton Goals. Then, when it looked like we were stuffed with about 10 minutes to go, he looked up at me and said, "I don't want to watch any more, can we go home"?

We actually stayed until the end.

In my more than 60 years of supporting this Club, I have never felt more dispirited about the prospects of any success in the near future, as I did yesterday, and today.

Yes, we have had a tough run since the salary cap breaches, fines and penalties. But I knew when that happened that it would take years to, dare I say it, "rebuild".


What we have now, is a President, passionate about the Club, but with no idea how to run it, supported, and I use the term loosely, by a Board that is divided within itself, and has got no clue how to get us out of this malaise.

What sort of message does a President think the players receive, when they are told after round two, "we are rebuilding"?

How many players are training through the week, and playing games, mentally shot because they have got no idea, whether they are contracted or not, if they have a future at this Club?

How can the Club plan for any future, if the players, the Club, the management and most importantly the supporters, have got no idea, who will coach the Club and who the coaching staff will be?

Under the conditions that I have detailed above, Why should Henderson or Kruezer re-sign with the Club? I wouldn't if I was them.

What I saw yesterday, disgusted me.

I happened to be sitting with like-minded Carlton  supporters, none of whom I knew.

They kept calling Gibbs, "the Princess". A name well deserved.
They said, that Murphy isn't a captains shoelace. Another term well deserved. ONE POSSESSION IN THE LAST QUARTER, AND GIBBS TWO!!
WE all admired Tom Bells work ethic. We admired Sam Docherty, and Touheys efforts, and YES, even though we all believe that Sam Rowe is a spud, in fact one bl;oke kept yelling out "go spud", we admired some of his efforts and remarked how he had improved over the last two weeks.

We loved Levi's efforts and commitment, and agreed that Liam Jones just doesn't have it.

We all agreed, that Clem Smith and  Bokehorst are out of their depth, and applauded the fact that the idiot who thought Bokehoerst was a great selection at pick 19, is gone.

We were very disappointed with Dylan Buckley, and Mark Whiley. Walker, was an absolute disgrace to the Jumper.

BUT WE LOVED, CRIPPS.

Most of all, we could not understand why Mick perseveres with a game plan, which insists that the players bring the ball around the boundary line, rather than take the game on and go up the centre of the ground.

At the end of the game, we noted that only 20,000 had bothered to turn up and that there were tumbleweeds blowing in the section where Carlton members would normally sit. 

I can't bring myself to go to another game. So I will sit at home and watch on Fox Footy.

I have never felt so bereft of hope about MY club, at anytime over the last 60 years, as I do now.

I await with great anticipation, the President,  the Board, the CEO,  SOMEONE, ANYONE in authority at the club, to call a press conference or send a letter to members giving us a clear unambiguous direction in which the Club is heading.

I have a feeling, it will be a long, long, wait. ??? ??? ???

Mate this is spot on.

We have not seemed secure in any facet of the club for the last 8 years.

It's no wonder our players are playing so visibly lost.  They know that things are not going well, and at any moment some power broker will turn the club upside due to the situation we find ourselves in.

[cookie2]

@Bignic

Like you, I took my 6 year old grandson along yesterday. He enjoyed the sausage roll, chips and drink I bought for him and he had a few laughs at the expense of a particularly loud mouthed Lions supporter and his wife. He also enjoyed the tram ride back to Flinders St. That was about it.  :

[bignic]

Hi Cookie,

With a bit of luck, our grandchildren will quickly forget that woeful experience.

Watching them closely, it is apparent that their skills, ALL OF THEM, are woeful.

I lost count of how many times they either kicked to the opposition when not under pressure, hand balled to the opposition when not under pressure, and displayed a total lack of ability to stick a tackle.

When they did attempt to tackle, they invariably grabbed their opponent around the neck, even though the player they grabbed was standing upright. I know most players in the the competition do it, but I just get the feeling we are the worst.

The player has got a whole body of his opponent to grab onto, but they always go head high.

Walker and Curnow are long time offenders. Carazzo is a beauty at it. Others, lack the intelligence not to fall into the back of an opponent, and think that it's a sign of extra physical effort when they do,, rather than them giving away a cheap free kick.

A head high from Walker on Christensen when he had all of Christensen's body to grab onto, cost us a goal in the last quarter. It was the act oif a non-thinking Richard Cranium.

The tackling is just one aspect where our tackle coach has failed miserably.

I agree with The Sheik on another thread.

We need a total clean out, and we need to bring in personnel who have the ability to teach our list, how to tackle, kick to position, handball to position, kick straight, and do all those things that we expect footballers whose wage WE pay, to do well.

[Brettie]

At what?
He was serviceable... for a 2nd year player maybe but for a B&F player of his caliber we demand so much more  :o

100% spot on. You look at his stats & you could say 23 isn't bad, but all I remember is a helluva lot of indiscriminate 'round-the-corner' hoofs forward & very little possessions of substance.

[DontgoJuddy]

100% spot on. You look at his stats & you could say 23 isn't bad, but all I remember is a helluva lot of indiscriminate 'round-the-corner' hoofs forward & very little possessions of substance.

Gibbs and Walker, at 183 games experience a piece, disgraced the jumper yesterday more than I have ever seen a Carlton player do before.

[bignic]

Gibbs and Walker, at 183 games experience a piece, disgraced the jumper yesterday more than I have ever seen a Carlton player do before.

I spoke to a lot of supporters who were there, both during, and after the game going home, and I don't believe I have ever encountered in all the years I have followed Carlton as I did yesterday, such bitterness towards a player who ostensibly is blessed with all the skills of the game, as I did  towards Gibbs.

[Thryleon]

I think the part that sums up why Gibbs game fell over was late in the 3/4 or maybe early in the 4th, we won a clearance, and Gibbs ended up with the footy at the coal face, and ignored two targets in front of him trying to handball over his shoulder, and straight to a Lion who cleared and goalled.

Game was on the line, and we need blokes to stand up, and a no look handball turnover in the centre of the ground from a ruck contest gives them back to back scoring opportunities.

Not good enough.

Bryce is better than that though.

I think the pressure is causing the players to make stupid decisions on the back of trying to lift the side.  Being inspirational doesnt mean playing speculative and spectacular footy, its about doing the 1% and backing up your teamates.

The most inspirational piece of play last season was ironically Dennis Armfield, and Jeffy Garlett who both sprinted about 50 metres, to shepherd an opponent away from Yarran who was bearing down on goals against West Coast.

THAT is what we need, not look away handballs.

[ItsOurTime]

.

Bryce is better than that though.

He is, he's taking the piss ATM. Just grabbing and kicking Robinson style or making bizarre decisions.

[JonHenry]

I think the part that sums up why Gibbs game fell over was late in the 3/4 or maybe early in the 4th, we won a clearance, and Gibbs ended up with the footy at the coal face, and ignored two targets in front of him trying to handball over his shoulder, and straight to a Lion who cleared and goalled.

Game was on the line, and we need blokes to stand up, and a no look handball turnover in the centre of the ground from a ruck contest gives them back to back scoring opportunities.

Not good enough.

Bryce is better than that though.

I think the pressure is causing the players to make stupid decisions on the back of trying to lift the side.  Being inspirational doesnt mean playing speculative and spectacular footy, its about doing the 1% and backing up your teamates.

The most inspirational piece of play last season was ironically Dennis Armfield, and Jeffy Garlett who both sprinted about 50 metres, to shepherd an opponent away from Yarran who was bearing down on goals against West Coast.

THAT is what we need, not look away handballs.

I think one of the worst things I have seen this year was Gibbs decision not to shepherd for Cripps.
It was selfish, lazy and showed a complete lack of leadership.
He should have been dropped after it.
Pathetic