Post Game Analysis: AFL 2021 Rd 5: Carlton vs Port Adelaide

[Professer E]

The media pile-on is getting boring.

[hitman]

I look at out flag teams of the 80's and 95. Whilst footy is no doubt different there is one tangible imo - the desire to play for each other.
Until we can find a coach and coaching group that get our players to play for each other we will never rise from the ashes. Those teams in the past when they went off the plan of playing for each other they could get beat by anyone - and often did (St Kilda in 95 for example). But they had the maturity to recognise and fix that, and were able to take a good old fashioned bake by the coach.
Recruiting 2 outside runners in the 2 top 10 draft picks doesn't help, but we cant change the playing stocks this year. There is no system or willingness to be hard for their mates. This will spread and inject confidence, rather than this crap of being bruise free then missing easy shots which spreads frustration and is confidence sapping. For players and supporters!

[Baggers]

I have absolutely no doubt that the comments/criticisms from Sellers are borne out of two things and two things only:

1. His love of the club.
2. An experience, and understanding, of what is required for success at the highest level AND how to sustain that.
I bet most former players from our club pre, say, around 2002 would be thinking very similar to what Sellers has expressed. Likewise former coaches and Presidents.

Very few former players, pre 2002, right back to 1897, would have experienced such an extended period of abject failure from our club.

This is now THE most unsuccessful period in our club’s history in terms of on-field performance.

If Sellers wonders what we stand for, humbly, may I suggest – NICE. We are a very NICE club. We even make it a committed goal to please the AFL with playing pretty, bruise free, footy as well.

Have you ever had a chat with our President? I have, coupla times. And I found him to be a genuinely NICE person, really nice. He really is a warm, chatty and very likeable bloke. So approachable.

The TT. Another NICE person. Very even tempered too. Really likeable as well.

Our players are also really nice. So nice that when Pitto was in a scuffle with Port opponents on Saturday night not one of his team mates came to help out – we’ll have none of that vulgar aggression or ruthlessness… thank you very much, because we’re nice. Psychologically, we may just be the nicest and most submissive club in the AFL.

When Sellers, Sticks, Diesel, Rhys, Dommy, Vinny, Big Nick, Wallsy, Barass etc. were running around in Navy blue, there was no NICE, only a not-negotiable expectation to win – everything. You see something very similar with those pesky successful clubs of the past 20 years - uncompromising players, senior coaches and Presidents.

I suspect Sellers understands what it takes to succeed, what you have to stand for to succeed, and he is only trying to remind his beloved BlueBaggers of just that.

If there’s a Premiership Cup for 'nice'… give it to us now, we’re streets ahead of the rest.

[capcom]

Sellers can state what he believes is right.  He earned it.  Just love to hear what Swan McKay thinks.  It would be savage.

[PaulP]

Sellers can state what he believes is right.  He earned it.  Just love to hear what Swan McKay thinks.  It would be savage.

He can, but it's also worthwhile trying to look at possible motivations for his opinions. He works in media, and part of that media work is for Murdoch. It should come as little surprise to those who study the workings of the media even on a basic level, that :
a. nobody does muck and negativity like Rupert, because as we know even on these forums, bad news is good for business. And when the news isn't quite bad enough, amplify and turn it into a major drama
b. the quest for followers, viewers, ratings, advertising dollars and the like mean that those in the media will find the easiest path to achieve these, and that path is basically giving the viewers and supporters their own opinions right back at 'em. Maclure probably hangs around forums like this, and would certainly bump into plenty of Blues supporters who are more than happy to air their grievances.

IMO, he is an out-of-touch, old school dinosaur, and very reactionary to boot. he did a little assistant coaching gig with the Bad News Bears, but really has not had any access to the inner workings of football clubs for decades.

[kruddler]

Been saying it for a long time,  aside from the support staff around the current coach,  what's been the common thread throughout the last two decades of mediocrity?  The group behind the mahogany door.

So if nothing had changed behind those doors, why are we financially in a better position than ever? Why are each of our off field goals being met?

Don't confuse causation and correlation.

Perhaps in the past it has been board, perhaps now it's lack of assistants and assistance for the senior coach.

Perhaps we are exactly where we are with the talent we have.

[ElwoodBlues1]

He can, but it's also worthwhile trying to look at possible motivations for his opinions. He works in media, and part of that media work is for Murdoch. It should come as little surprise to those who study the workings of the media even on a basic level, that :
a. nobody does muck and negativity like Rupert, because as we know even on these forums, bad news is good for business. And when the news isn't quite bad enough, amplify and turn it into a major drama
b. the quest for followers, viewers, ratings, advertising dollars and the like mean that those in the media will find the easiest path to achieve these, and that path is basically giving the viewers and supporters their own opinions right back at 'em. Maclure probably hangs around forums like this, and would certainly bump into plenty of Blues supporters who are more than happy to air their grievances.

IMO, he is an out-of-touch, old school dinosaur, and very reactionary to boot. he did a little assistant coaching gig with the Bad News Bears, but really has not had any access to the inner workings of football clubs for decades.

What ever his motivations are is he right or wrong when he says 20 years of failure and not standing for anything..?

[PaulP]

What ever his motivations are is he right or wrong when he says 20 years of failure and not standing for anything..?

He's right about the last 20 years, but "not standing for anything" is one of those loose phrases that really doesn't mean anything. Think about it. What does Hawthorn "stand for" ? Geelong ? Richmond ? Our club wants to win and has good intentions, but being unable to achieve that consistently does not mean we "stand for nothing."

I've never been a Maclure fan. I think he's a moron, just shoots his gob off with zero accountability. 

[kruddler]

What ever his motivations are is he right or wrong when he says 20 years of failure and not standing for anything..?

What has what happened before Sam Walsh was even born got to do with where we are at right now as a football club.

People are frustrated. I am too. But don't let logic escape your thinking.

Realistically we are in the same position as a St kilda or an essendon. A team that has not had success recently (or for a while) who has a new coach on board and is working through it as best they can.

Now both those teams have put in worse performances than us this year. But because the media pumped us up we are imploding.
That seems to be ignoring our injury list and ignoring our performance against Richmond....and our 2 wins.

Now, I can tell you how the next week will go...
We'll turn up to play against the lions, go ok for most of it, have a down period where they kick away and despite some good signs we will ultimately lose by 3 or 4 goals.....and you know what, that is ok because they are a better side than us.

Further to that...
An older player will have a shocker.
An out of form player will play their best game of the year.
A young player will show promising signs and we'll pump him up prematurely.
The coach will get chastised for some words.
Some people will be ready to burn their memberships.
The media will turn the heat up on the club....again.

Bookmark this and tell me how I did.

[ElwoodBlues1]

He's right about the last 20 years, but "not standing for anything" is one of those loose phrases that really doesn't mean anything. Think about it. What does Hawthorn "stand for" ? Geelong ? Richmond ? Our club wants to win and has good intentions, but being unable to achieve that consistently does not mean we "stand for nothing."

I've never been a Maclure fan. I think he's a moron, just shoots his gob off with zero accountability. 

Maclure played in an era when other teams respected Carlton and how we played the game. You were expected to rebound next week and win if you lost... No excuses.
The brand of football wasnt allowed to be the bruise free rubbish we offer up to day.
Losing and being happy with honorable losses was for loser teams like Stkilda and other teams who were our bitches.
Their is no respect for us now, we are a pencilled in possible win for every other team.
We are seen as weak physically and play a passive brand that can embarrass when highlighted. All that is just totally against everything Maclure identifies with a successful Carlton. Sure the game has changed but not to the extent when you give up your identity so easily as a leading club like we have and that would burn Maclure.