Hi all,
I just wanted to have a discussion about the practise of tanking and the long-term impacts that it might have on clubs who indulge it.
Given the recent history of Carlton / Melbourne, I think it deserves conversation and analysis - and more than just the usual take, which essentially boils down to "It's bad because it compromises the integrity of the competition."
The above is true, obviously, but I think tanking has a far-greater implication on those who partake, and we're seeing it manifest in the longterm cultural institutions in Carlton and Melbourne.
Imagine being an AFL player. You've been the best player in every league you've played in. You were the best player in your local leagues, you were the best player in school divisions, you were the best player at state level, and now you've been granted passage into the highest level possible - to take part in the pantheon of players like Ablett, Lockett, Matthews, Silvagni, Carey etc. Not only have you always been one of the best, but you've also been one of the most motivated. You don't become an AFL player unless it's most of your life, and those who don't make it their one call in life usually don't stay on the top of the mountain for very long.
Now imagine the combination of those two factors - the sheer talent and excellence, partnered with a level of intent very rarely seen in society. Then you get drafted into a club like Carlton, and you become part of an institution that throws games deliberately. You see players being rested when there's nothing wrong with them. You see fitness levels not being maximised because winning isn't a goal. You see coaches making tactical decisions that everyone in the playing group knows is wrong. You see mediocrity everywhere you look - sanctioned mediocrity. You see the one single point of every game you've played in being cast aside and supplanted by another intention: Losing. And what does that breed, in the long term?
Carlton fans have spent the last decade finding out. Cultural toxicity. Lack of discipline. Failure to adhere to guidelines and team ethos. Lack of spine, endeavour, heart and soul. You have to win at all costs, and if you're not winning, you have to do everything to try.
Tanking is a tactic that only the stupidest, most short-sighted people in footy would employ. Hutchy floated the idea on Footy Classified the other night and I was aghast. Losing games goes against the grain of every players' natural will. It has no place in the game. It destroys clubs for decades.
Thoughts?
I just wanted to have a discussion about the practise of tanking and the long-term impacts that it might have on clubs who indulge it.
Given the recent history of Carlton / Melbourne, I think it deserves conversation and analysis - and more than just the usual take, which essentially boils down to "It's bad because it compromises the integrity of the competition."
The above is true, obviously, but I think tanking has a far-greater implication on those who partake, and we're seeing it manifest in the longterm cultural institutions in Carlton and Melbourne.
Imagine being an AFL player. You've been the best player in every league you've played in. You were the best player in your local leagues, you were the best player in school divisions, you were the best player at state level, and now you've been granted passage into the highest level possible - to take part in the pantheon of players like Ablett, Lockett, Matthews, Silvagni, Carey etc. Not only have you always been one of the best, but you've also been one of the most motivated. You don't become an AFL player unless it's most of your life, and those who don't make it their one call in life usually don't stay on the top of the mountain for very long.
Now imagine the combination of those two factors - the sheer talent and excellence, partnered with a level of intent very rarely seen in society. Then you get drafted into a club like Carlton, and you become part of an institution that throws games deliberately. You see players being rested when there's nothing wrong with them. You see fitness levels not being maximised because winning isn't a goal. You see coaches making tactical decisions that everyone in the playing group knows is wrong. You see mediocrity everywhere you look - sanctioned mediocrity. You see the one single point of every game you've played in being cast aside and supplanted by another intention: Losing. And what does that breed, in the long term?
Carlton fans have spent the last decade finding out. Cultural toxicity. Lack of discipline. Failure to adhere to guidelines and team ethos. Lack of spine, endeavour, heart and soul. You have to win at all costs, and if you're not winning, you have to do everything to try.
Tanking is a tactic that only the stupidest, most short-sighted people in footy would employ. Hutchy floated the idea on Footy Classified the other night and I was aghast. Losing games goes against the grain of every players' natural will. It has no place in the game. It destroys clubs for decades.
Thoughts?
