Autopsy Rd 11 Carlton vs Essendon - So what did you get up to this weekend?

[murphster]

Each week we get worse.

We are BEYOND pathetic.

Coaches position is now untenable.

Brad Scott come on down.

This rebuild should have happened when Rattan was coach before Malthouse gutted our club of all our good senior players for his own ego. To late now it’s all over we are officially back to 2002 with a bunch of kids surrounded by hacks. If I was a young player at Carlton I would be looking to get out before they destroy my talent like Melbourne did to so many, we are even making Cripps worse now. I can’t stay positive anymore its to draining defending this pathetic club.

 

[murphster]

Yep... but after what happened in 2012 we would have to beg Ratten to come back.

I so wish we would, I couldn’t have sent anymore emails to the club at the time begging them not to sack Rattan, especially not for Malthouse, spelt out exactly what would happen and surprise surprise it did but worse. Please Carlton move mountains to get Rattan back I beg you.

 

[murphster]

Not an excuse but it is the main reason

Sorry Soap but I give up I can’t keep defending this crap, wish I could but I am seriously depressed and am actually thinking about ending it. Hang in there and keep up the good fight. See ya

 

[ferrisb]

Watched it with a bunch of Essendon fans. They were just laughing at our complete lack of system and cohesion.

You tell your friends they are as crap as us but without the future talent

Watched with an Essendon buddy who was thoroughly unimpressed by their performance today and this year.

He figured we are further from the top 8 but closer to a premiership (as our young talent matures).

Nothing can compensate for feeling so miserable about Carlton right now, but some bomber misery never hurts.

 

[Blues_1864]

When they moved him there I thought it was going to be the worst experiment in afl footy.

He played well but I put it down to Ben Reid being the perfect match up for him.

He's now backed it up with another two very good performances.

I don't know whether to eat my hat or prepare for the apocalypse. Either way, happy to say bravo to the big Boult.

He has survived 10 years in the Carlton forward line... he probably feels anything would be easy after that. Maybe it helps that the field gets wider in the direction he's kicking; maybe he's been claustrophobic in out F50 all these years, and no-one noticed...

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

Shout out to the defenders today. Stood up in difficult circumstances.

Great post Robbo...I was there today as well...our midfield was largely non existent, and the ball was just getting pumped into their forward half without a hell of a lot of pressure.

The backline as a whole held up really well...Weiters was just enormous (is he really only 21?), Marchy threw himself at everything, as did Newman, although his disposal was awful at times. Stocker is showing why we wanted to get him, and should transition into the midfield over time. Plow just continues to frustrate the **** out of me.

Overall, we're a team badly lacking in self confidence. I heard the boys on 3AW before the game saying that it appears that the players are playing scared of showing any flair, and taking the safe option so they don't get highlighted in the Monday review for stuffing up. The times during the year that we play without the shackles, are when we look like world beaters, hence why our best and worst are poles apart.

We can only assume it's a coaching issue, that they are playing to instructions...although once again, our disposal was appalling....which probably also gets back to how our young players are being developed.

There has to be a circuit breaker, and it has to be sooner rather than later...our powerbrokers will already have the wheels in motion after today. My tip is that Bolts will 'stand down' over the next few weeks similar to Scott...in order to provide 'clear air' into the club, or some similar BS. In other words, go out with dignity before you are sakced. As much as most of us have supported Bolts, it's a no brainer really.

Let's face it, even at the start of the year, he admitted he had to develop better relationships with players, inviting them over for weekly barbecues. There's something not right there.

 

[GenYBlue]

Sorry Soap but I give up I can’t keep defending this crap, wish I could but I am seriously depressed and am actually thinking about ending it. Hang in there and keep up the good fight. See ya

Ending it?

I know we're all pretty flat right now and we have every right to be, but it's just footy at the end of the day.

Hope everything else is okay for you.

 

[BluesForever24]

Hmm my weekend, I went to the game and had great seats. Only a bit of rain hit us. My Essendon mates couldn’t have been nicer. they felt bad for me. There’s no rivalry these days with anyone. Blokes just feel sorry for you.
I’m hoping the young players keep developing. Was a very tough game to watch. Bad skills both sides. Im definitely pro Bolton... but can’t see him coaching us another season.
Hoping next season is the next step for our once great club.

 

[Wickzki]

Watched with an Essendon buddy who was thoroughly unimpressed by their performance today and this year.

He figured we are further from the top 8 but closer to a premiership (as our young talent matures).

Nothing can compensate for feeling so miserable about Carlton right now, but some bomber misery never hurts.

That mirrors my coherent thoughts.

They've rushed their rebuild to make finals but haven't considered the long term ramifications of building to a five to eight team. As SOS has said it's easy to build a bottom of the eight team but much harder to build a premiership team.

In many ways they remind me of us once we got back on our feet post-salary cap saga. They'll end up too reliant on too few and lack the depth of their list to beat serious teams if a couple of players get hurt or go missing. Unlike us they seem to be having a few more hits at the draft than what we did which is their only advantage. Their outcome will be the same.

I still believe that we have a lot of talent that need to both physically develop and learn to play to a cohesive and modern tactical game plan. Our issues are a combination of poor coaching and being physically outmatched (I'm sorry but the assistants have got to go and Bolton is no longer motivating the players / they're coming into games defeated and/or flat so he is gone). IF we get that into them then we can realize our potential. If not, then more of the same will occur. In saying that I do subscribe to the theory that it will either happen very, very quickly or not at all (similar to how it did at the Dogs though they had more vets than we do).

The Carlton Football Club has realistically three months to sell its future to Patrick Cripps and other young soon to be out of contract players at AFL level.

 

[Wickzki]

Yep... but after what happened in 2012 we would have to beg Ratten to come back.

Frankly, I'm ready to get down on both knees and beg.

I thought it was a horse shit decision that we let him go in the first place and have stood by it ever since.

What Ratts needed was better infrastructure and list management around him.

The ONLY reason Ratten was fired was because he failed to make finals in the team that had an historically bad injury run and the club hasn't been the same since he left.

He's gone and gotten some tremendous experience, has been widely recognized and noted for his efforts and successes since then and is a better coach for it.

The team of people who fired him are now (completely?) gone and the club has a history of re-hiring formerly sacked coaches (David Parkin).

Bring Ratts back.

 

[Gethelred]

And the talent we have let go which has genrrally flourished in other clubs includes Betts, Touhy, Gibbs(?), Henderson, Waite, Garlett, Jacobs.....does the club really know what its doing?

Lazy post.

How many of those players have actually performed better outside a Carlton jumper? And how many of those players were traded during the Bolton/SOS regime? I count 2 at most; Betts and Jacobs, and both of them traded before SOS arrived.

The only part I disagree with is how many likes you got compared to my original post.
You should give them to me ya mongrel like stealer!

When your post is quoted by the chosen one, ask not for whom the bell tolls...

 

[Gethelred]

Oh joy
The cheating ball tamperers are back
We can watch them with pride ...

Would like this twice...

 

[Gethelred]

My 7 year old has shown so much interest in watching the footy with me this year. And bless his heart he loves the Blues, although he doesn’t really know any players names except Murph. I didnt even tell him the game was on today but he caught me watching on my phone and was so excited to come over and see the score. He just walked away with his head down and didn’t say anything. That was only in the second quarter hahaha. I had thought of taking him on a special trip to Melbourne to see us play at the G against Adelaide, but I really feel it will do more damage than good at this stage.

Take him along.

You don't know the impact such a thing has on a kid. He'll be a blue if he sees Harry McKay, Charlie Curnow, Crippa live; if we pinch a win, he'll be as we all are.

It isn't the end of the world yet, mate. It's hard, it's impossible, but I still have faith in the navy blue.

 

[Gethelred]

What if we've all been too gullible?

What if we've been sticking fat with the positive guy talking green shoots, when in actual fact he can't coach for ****?

What a waste of time for all involved.

Not the only one who has done things, and not the only person who can be blamed here.

 

[Gethelred]

I was at the game today. I had to endure the cold change that came through before half time.

I watched a team bereft of confidence. The ‘outside noise’ has smashed down the walls and we’re seeing a team that’s not willing to take a risk to get a result.

Good luck if you think sacking the coach is the solution. I think these players are struck with fear at the thought of the coach getting the arse.

This is the list that is the foundation of future success. Blink and it’s all gone.

I wish I had your faith. I was there at the start of yesterday; now, I'm questioning if the sun will rise tomorrow.

 

[Gethelred]

Or simply some of the players you've lauded for three years just aren't as good as you have been telling us. Rinse and repeat though, right?

Here's an idea; don't be a dick.

 

[Gethelred]

Exactly right, it's easy to criticise the the GWS intake en masse, but nobody looks at the alternative. We took Plowman, Phillips, Sumner and Lamb for pick 28. Sure, we could have held pick 28, but whether we'd have picked up a player than has been better than Plowman over the last 3.5 years is debatable. And then, how do you fill the other 3 list spots? National Draft picks after 60, 70, 80? How many rookies do you upgrade? Or do you keep the likes of Tutt and Whiley on the list and hope they "come good"? It's a huge stretch to say we'd have been better off! But this is probably not the thread for it.

Genuine ripper of a post, if only because it actually considers the reality of the situation.

Would whoever was taken at pick 28 be superior to Plowman and Phillips?

 

[Gethelred]

SPS is a bust. Is anonymous way to often despite the love in for him on here.

You are shitting me.

Never going to be a 30 touch a game player. Needs 20 touches a game to be worthwhile.

What we need from Samo is not consistency. What we need from him is daring, flair, x-factor. What he has is in irrevocably short supply when you are at the top of the ladder, and is surplus when you are at the bottom; it will not win you a game when you are at the bottom, when you need someone to be productive week in and out, but when you need more than 100%, more even than a Cripps can offer.

Sammo has that in abundance. He is more than fine. Do not allow a poor day or him not living up to your standards of his play to weaken his value. I value your intellect, your ability to see the game; you've come up with revelations aplenty in the past. Don't miss long term value with the pain of immediacy.

 

[Gethelred]

If they sack Bolton, then Judd, SOS, LoGiudice all have to go with him.

No.

I find it interesting that I agree with both statements here.

 

[Gethelred]

You don’t have to blame him, but you have to hold him accountable.

There’s a worrying and concessional school of thought emerging around Cripps. If we all quietly decide it’s ok for the captain to give up, then what are our expectations for the rest of the list?

Here here.

 

[Gethelred]

When they moved him there I thought it was going to be the worst experiment in afl footy.

He played well but I put it down to Ben Reid being the perfect match up for him.

He's now backed it up with another two very good performances.

I don't know whether to eat my hat or prepare for the apocalypse. Either way, happy to say bravo to the big Boult.

Where's TheCoach16 ?

I said it wouldn't work 2 years ago; here's me eating my words.

 

[Gethelred]

I really wish they’d play Jack in the backline. Instead of Plowman now. For gods sake he is a backman. A backman. Play him in the ******* backline. WAKE UP

I really wish they'd play him, for a complete match, in the middle.

He is too smart to be a pure forward, and too desperate to be a backman. He's a midfielder, he's just lacked the tank to do it in a modern context.

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

Frankly, I'm ready to get down on both knees and beg.

I thought it was a horse **** decision that we let him go in the first place and have stood by it ever since.

What Ratts needed was better infrastructure and list management around him.

The ONLY reason Ratten was fired was because he failed to make finals in the team that had an historically bad injury run and the club hasn't been the same since he left.

He's gone and gotten some tremendous experience, has been widely recognized and noted for his efforts and successes since then and is a better coach for it.

The team of people who fired him are now (completely?) gone and the club has a history of re-hiring formerly sacked coaches (David Parkin).

Bring Ratts back.

100% Wickzki....would love to see him back. He even admitted he was too young to be a senior coach at that time...after a period at the Dawks under Clarkson, and a little more maturity, would be a perfect fit.
I also reckon our young group would just love him...he's very personable and supportive, without the fluff that sometimes comes with it. He'd really connect with our players without the need for barbecues....

 

[Azzurro]

Thank god.

Sad to admit it because the truth hurts... But man oh man, I am still crying from the hysterical laughter caused by your avatar pic.

Hands down the funniest image I've seen in years.

And thou shalt mercilessly apply Roundup upon thy greenest of shoots.

 

[GoBlues!]

Our two best midfield players Cripps and Fisher scoring only 4 and 0 votes respectively in above poll.

Sort of expect it from other players like SPS, Kennedy and Lang, but not Crippa and Fisher - **** that's how bad we're going at the moment.