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

[Thryleon]

The players go through the motions, because they know, as soon as it gets hard, the coach will be sacked and it wont matter what they do anyway.

If you have value, you will be shipped off for a high draft pick.

If you are a high draft pick you will get games no matter how poorly you play.

If you are a battler, you will get dropped the first sign of a form dip.

If you play poorly, the coach will cop it in the neck and the whipping boys will wear the fallout for your inability to perform your role, irrespective of how much time someone like Plowman spends covering up someone elses mistakes. 

Players develop in spite of us not because of us, and most players fail to develop because of us.

Rinse, repeat. 


THIS is the mantra of the Carlton footy club.  22 years later, THIS is what we stand for.

[Lods]

The players go through the motions, because they know, as soon as it gets hard, the coach will be sacked and it wont matter what they do anyway.

If you have value, you will be shipped off for a high draft pick.

If you are a high draft pick you will get games no matter how poorly you play.

If you are a battler, you will get dropped the first sign of a form dip.

If you play poorly, the coach will cop it in the neck and the whipping boys will wear the fallout for your inability to perform your role, irrespective of how much time someone like Plowman spends covering up someone elses mistakes. 

Players develop in spite of us not because of us, and most players fail to develop because of us.

Rinse, repeat. 


THIS is the mantra of the Carlton footy club.  22 years later, THIS is what we stand for.

So given that vicious circle....what's the answer?
Because if nothing changes...nothing changes

[Baggers]

Sorry Baggers, but they sound like quotes from Anthony Robbins. All professional sporting clubs want to win and be successful. The ones that don't simply aren't good enough, for many on field and off field reasons. Success or failure has nothing to do with standing for something. We were able to buy the best players available back in the day - wonder how ? Maybe that was the single greatest contributor to our success, rather than "standing for something".

Ouch, probably no greater insult than to liken me to Anthony Robbins.

Unlike Robbins, in my work when I work with my clients on such things as, say, excellence... we pull it apart to see what it means to them - then I stick around to help with the 'fallout' of change... very  unlike Robbins.

[Thryleon]

So given that vicious circle....what's the answer?
Because if nothing changes...nothing changes

I have formed an opinion of why nothing changes, and its not because nothing changes, its because too many changes.

I work in IT.

When we face one particular issue, the worst thing you can do, is change multiple things at once without knowing precisely what reaction you are going to have.

You need to work through the issue systematically starting with a root cause analysis.

Then you start fixing what you have perceived the issue is, starting with some of the most basic and fundamental changes and working your way down the list.

The scorched earth policy is the last resort of the IT worker *this is a wipe and reinstallation of whatever you are doing from the beginning, or a replacement of said system/device*.

We started with scorched earth and are trying to get a system online and are having people complain that its not working yet when we have barely even begun (for reference see noise re teague and ability to coach).

[Baggers]

I don't agree, Maclure is making a habit of potting the club in general and piling on the pressure.

You see guys like Matthew Lloyd target specific CheatsFC players, but they do so trying to improve the wider performance of the club, they don't pot the club in general.

Maclure barely has a surface left to add some graffiti!

Further, I have it on good authority that more than once he's scuppered / complicated trade deals by gobbing off to his mates down Sorrento way, he's unofficially known as a trout mouth and it takes very little to get him to regurgitate all he knows! He thinks he is in tight with blokes like Fox and Jess, but they laugh behind his back!

Ah, Spotted One. It is so very important to separate the message from the messenger. Shouldn't matter if Sellers pulls the wings off butterflies... if his opinions on something have a strong element of truth and many resonate with that truth, then that is all that matters. Thought I do feel for the butterflies.

[PaulP]

Ouch, probably no greater insult than to liken me to Anthony Robbins.

Unlike Robbins, in my work when I work with my clients on such things as, say, excellence... we pull it apart to see what it means to them - then I stick around to help with the 'fallout' of change... very  unlike Robbins.

Apologies for the Robbins reference. That was unnecessary. I have a real problem with buzzwords, because I think they can mean different things to different people, and left unresolved and unchecked, they cause more problems than they solve. We have no idea what happens behind the scenes. We have no idea whether Teague or anyone else demands ruthlessness, persistence, team work etc. Sure, I can look up 20 different dictionary definitions of such words, but how do they manifest themselves in actions ?

[PaulP]

The players go through the motions, because they know, as soon as it gets hard, the coach will be sacked and it wont matter what they do anyway.

If you have value, you will be shipped off for a high draft pick.

If you are a high draft pick you will get games no matter how poorly you play.

If you are a battler, you will get dropped the first sign of a form dip.

If you play poorly, the coach will cop it in the neck and the whipping boys will wear the fallout for your inability to perform your role, irrespective of how much time someone like Plowman spends covering up someone elses mistakes. 

Players develop in spite of us not because of us, and most players fail to develop because of us.

Rinse, repeat. 

THIS is the mantra of the Carlton footy club.  22 years later, THIS is what we stand for.

It's a major worry if, after 6000 players in and out, we still draft and trade players who pick and choose. SOS picked a fair few players on our list, and if he, of all people, can't recognise blokes who will play for the jumper and put in 100%, then we really should hand our licence back to the AFL, and just relive the glory days over and over. If what you say is true, we are really just wasting our time. I don't believe it's true.

[PaulP]

Culture.

And who is responsible for building, improving and maintaining culture?

As just one example, look at the Fluffy Ducks. What they stand for; their culture is unmistakable. Newbies come in and lift to the standards expected. In some respects, the very antithesis of us.

The Swans spent 72 years in AFL/VFL no man's land, were basically on their knees for ages, and only survived  because the AFL made a nice Faustian pact with them : move to Sydney or die. They have their stuff together now, but whether it's luck or design, who really knows ? It was an incredibly long road for them, and it may be for us as well. Who the hell knows what makes clubs successful ? The clubs themselves don't seem to, that's for sure.

[Lods]

I have formed an opinion of why nothing changes, and its not because nothing changes, its because too many changes.

I work in IT.

When we face one particular issue, the worst thing you can do, is change multiple things at once without knowing precisely what reaction you are going to have.

You need to work through the issue systematically starting with a root cause analysis.

Then you start fixing what you have perceived the issue is, starting with some of the most basic and fundamental changes and working your way down the list.

The scorched earth policy is the last resort of the IT worker *this is a wipe and reinstallation of whatever you are doing from the beginning, or a replacement of said system/device*.

We started with scorched earth and are trying to get a system online and are having people complain that its not working yet when we have barely even begun (for reference see noise re teague and ability to coach).

I've always argued that we should never have gone down the 'rebuild' track.
Stupid, stupid idea that was never guaranteed to be successful.
We're virtually back to where we were at the start of 2015, before we started this journey.
But that's history now and we're committed to this path.
Probably shouldn't call it a rebuild anymore though.


The problem is we see clubs like Brisbane who just a few years ago were in a similar bottom position to where we found ourselves and have quickly bought themselves back to a more than competitive level.

IT may give us a good example of process.
But it lacks one key element and that's the emotional factor.
Folks aren't upset  at just this season.
They're upset at the last 20 years.

Why are some more impatient?
Well folks around my age can't afford another 20 years....we're likely to not be around.
Maybe that's an emotional response....but emotion is the heart of this game.

[ElwoodBlues1]

It's a major worry if, after 6000 players in and out, we still draft and trade players who pick and choose. SOS picked a fair few players on our list, and if he, of all people, can't recognise blokes who will play for the jumper and put in 100%, then we really should hand our licence back to the AFL, and just relive the glory days over and over. If what you say is true, we are really just wasting our time. I don't believe it's true.

Cottrell is getting a game because he puts in, couldn't get a kick at U18 level, think that tells  a story about some of our other higher fancied draftees.
Robbins is a sleazy salesman, his books are a waste of money and are over hyped like his cheesy smile and personality.