It is with great sadness that I write this, a lifelong Blues supporter born in 1968 I was blessed to have 8 premierships occur in my lifetime but since the heady days of 1995 and the surprising GF appearance in 1999 there has been little joy.
We endured the early 2000’s where Denis pagan walked into a job and then subsequently had the stuffing knocked out of any chance he had to build a list. With those draft picks stripped we saw Brendan Goddard and Daniel Wells go to clubs other than where they should.
I stuck fat through those years that we were nearly brought to our knees by the fines and draft penalties and there was some light beginning to shine when we made finals again from 2009 – 2011 on the back of true Carlton passion instilled by Brett Ratten, a club great. If we’d followed the “Acres of Diamonds” principal we would have retained Brett Ratten as coach but with a year to go on his contract we thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence and appointed Mick Malthouse. The Carlton passion was gone.
But what is the Carlton passion? It comes from the development of young footballers from the first steps into our hallowed walls, providing them opportunity to play in the Carlton Jumper and sing the Carlton song. So young footballers taking their first steps into AFL do it at Princes Park, with a locker with names of Carlton greats and 16 premiership cups in the trophy cabinet.
Unfortunately that’s not the case, these young footballer don the jumper of a team called the Northern Blues (nee Bullants) and sing their song. They cannot fall in love with the jumper and develop a passion for the navy Blues because they do not get to play for them. Youth selections aren’t high on Mick’s priority list. Then, there’s recruiting.
In Mick Malthouse’s tenure do we then see the recruitment of young players who can come in and develop Carlton passion. We’ve had a history where we tend not to do this and we suffer for it.
We have some beauties in Cripps, Buckley, Menzel and Graham but then we bring in Bulldogs, Giants, Lions, Swans. But we need to bring in Blues. How can someone who has spent their formative years at another club develop a passion for the jumper when they’ve spent years in another.
We need to do two things:
1. Field a VFL team so those that are playing in the reserves are playing for Carlton and singing the Carlton song. The appointment of a Carlton great (i.e. Bret Ratten) with true Carlton history and passion to coach this team would go a long way to instilling the history in these new recruits.
2. Recruit Blues. Whilst we can top up with trades, make recruiting young men and getting them games in a Carlton jumper, seniors or reserves a priority.
This way we develop Carlton players, true Blues, men who will bleed for the old dark navy blue and bring us back to the former heights we once attained.
We are the navy Blues, or at least we used to be!
