The life of a Carlton supporter.

[kruddler]

So its round 23, 2022.
Its 3/4 time and you need only to draw to make finals and you have a 4 goal lead and all the momentum against arch rivals Collingwood. Life couldn't be better.
No team has even been in the 8 all year except the final round and things won't change now.

Carlton: Hold my Beer

6 scoring shots a piece in the last quarter including a rushed behind each.
Carlton 0.5
Collingwood 5.0
We lose by a point against Collingwood.
You miss finals by a mere 0.6%
Your dream of finals is gone.

**6 months later**

A year on and a lot more optimism. We will be better for it. We have a fit-ish list, definitely in comparison to last year. Media pumping us up as top 4 potential. Finals certainties.

After R4 - Undefeated, sitting 2nd, a monty for top 4 spot. Life is good.

After R13 - Lost 8 from our last 9, including 6 in a row. Only win was against a WAFL side. Sitting 15th destined to stay in bottom 4. Talk about sacking the coach. Deja vu.

After R20 - Won 6 in a row for first time since 2000, including 5 in a row by 50+ points. Every team that has done that in the past wins the flag. Sitting 7th, 5th favourite for the flag.

After R24 - ? ? ?

Apparently our membership figures are going through the roof. I don't see how, because surely we are losing plenty of members due to stress induced heart attacks.

Who'd be a Carlton supporter?

Hopefully there is a happy ending to this season.
It would make a good movie one day.

[Lods]

Nice Post Kruddler   ;D

The funny thing is that even if we went down in a screaming heap for the last four games, we'd back up at the start of next year with the attitude..."This year for sure!"

The thing about this side is it's loaded with talent, it's almost complete.
There still may be a question about our depth, but we seem to be coping OK at the moment.
Another key position defender may just be the missing piece if we can keep some of our perpetually inured fit and well
...and you can never have too many midfielders, as long as there is a point of difference.
Add in some natural development from some of the young players like Motlop, Hollands etc and we'll have a seriously good side to enjoy for the next few years.

Maybe life won't be so bad as a Carlton supporter. ;D

[Gointocarlton]

Nice Post Kruddler   ;D

The funny thing is that even if we went down in a screaming heap for the last four games, we'd back up at the start of next year with the attitude..."This year for sure!"

The thing about this side is it's loaded with talent, it's almost complete.
There still may be a question about our depth, but we seem to be coping OK at the moment.
Another key position defender may just be the missing piece if we can keep some of our perpetually inured fit and well
...and you can never have too many midfielders, as long as there is a point of difference.
Add in some natural development from some of the young players like Motlop, Hollands etc and we'll have a seriously good side to enjoy for the next few years.

Maybe life won't be so bad as a Carlton supporter. ;D

The last 6 weeks has proven the fate/destiny of the Club is the hands or the players or should I say their minds. They are switched on and motivated to not let each other down, can they maintain it or is talk cheap?

[Lods]

The last 6 weeks has proven the fate/destiny of the Club is the hands or the players or should I say their minds. They are switched on and motivated to not let each other down, can they maintain it or is talk cheap?

It's interesting, that during that down period many folks were making the point that the team seemed to be playing as individuals and the cohesion, support and understanding just wasn't there...

Now, just about everytime you hear a Carlton player speak the talk is of 'team', sacrifice and working for one another...and that's showing up in the way they play.

[kruddler]

One Carlton supporter was pointing out we weren't actually going that bad and it was a relatively simple fix of kicking more accurately at goal.

[Lods]

One Carlton supporter was pointing out we weren't actually going that bad and it was a relatively simple fix of kicking more accurately at goal.

And a lot of that probably went to cohesion, understanding...perhaps even a bit of selfishness. (long shots at goals when players were in better positions closer in)
Our forward line was a shambles.
You would have to look at each individual shot on goal to get a true picture.

But it wasn't just at goal and in the forward line.
The errors and turnovers were happening all over the ground.
It's chalk and cheese, the disposal at the moment compared to the bad period.

[ElwoodBlues1]

The older the supporter growing up in the glory years the more critical and greater expectations, premierships and success were a given something you didnt have to fight for. You just knew it was a matter of time and a small amount of patience but being a supporter over the last couple of decades has tested that to the max and being a cellar dweller for so long has been a new experience  with more false dawns and messiahs than wins so you never get too comfortable.
With finals on the horizon hopefully we go into a cycle of success and stay there like the old days......

[Gointocarlton]

The older the supporter growing up in the glory years the more critical and greater expectations, premierships and success were a given something you didnt have to fight for. You just knew it was a matter of time and a small amount of patience but being a supporter over the last couple of decades has tested that to the max and being a cellar dweller for so long has been a new experience  with more false dawns and messiahs than wins so you never get too comfortable.
With finals on the horizon hopefully we go into a cycle of success and stay there like the old days......

I was listening to Sellers the other day on radio, whilst it was a different era with different constraints, those teams were filled with players that were so ruthless it wasn't funny. Sellers spoke of how in teams he was involved with as well as teams before him, the players didn't tolerate mediocrity and refused to play with blokes who wouldn't put their head in a hole when it was was needed or didn't posses the skills needed to play the brand they wanted to play etc. He said how the players largely ran the show and determined who remained on the list and who didn't. As I said, it was a different era with a different methology but the concept of players owning and driving standards, giving each other the brutal feedback that is sometimes needed, is what we are seeing now with our team I reckon. Back To The Future?

[tonyo]

It's great to be winning games.

What is even more enjoyable is the way they are going about it - we are an exciting team to watch when in full flight - reminds me more of the old days of the premiership quarter and mosquito fleets.....

[townsendcalling]

I think that there is still an underlying question in the back of most Carlton peoples' minds... "Can we be trusted yet?"

Port was great, Collingwood exceptional but sometimes I think we are most vulnerable against our peers, and we come up against a couple of those in the next four weeks.  St Kilda, Gold Coast and GWS are all around us and teams that we should beat, given out recent form......but can we be trusted yet???