The moment had arrived. Regardless of how we all felt, it was always going to happen. Another coach turned victim, kicked out to the kerb in the midst of a failed season at the Carlton Football Club. Does it feel familiar to any of us? It should, but we're to remember that it's not by any means déjà vu. It's instead a systematic approach. A fixed way of thinking by a mismanaged team long overdue for it's next flag tilt. Pardon me for the seemingly negative tone, but I am a young man of mixed emotions right now. I was indeed somebody that came around very late in wanting a change at the helm. But I also not long ago understood that this moment was potentially a no-win situation. One that is on the back of numerous large problems, all of which extend beyond a man in Brendan Bolton's position. A day like this for the sporting world and blue bloods everywhere is without a doubt, tough to overcome. Yet it still probably was a decision that had to be made. We're now having to hope that the board know there's more to do than giving a coach their marching orders.
I won't pretend that I haven't stood against Bolts lately, because I certainly have. But it's important to know that I did so with a lot of thought. I very much respect Brendan Bolton for the person he is. A man of high morality and a source of great inspiration. His efforts along with his unwavering positive outlook in the toughest of times, were things to be admired. However, I came to realise earlier this year that the job was too big for somebody with his qualifications. From the outside, Bolts didn't have the ferocity and strength to make the club look serious enough in their reconstruction process. And judging by the weekly performances, his words couldn't resonate with the playing group. Not to mention the unclear messages echoed by him both on and off the field. Never did I believe I would be able to sense something such as this. I was to support the coach and trust the process, but the same displeasing results combined with Bolton's approach to the matters were telling me otherwise.
The sacking though still hurts me to some extent, as it is another painful reminder of the state the team is currently in. It hurts even more to know that the action is an all-too-familiar one taken by the club since the infamous salary cap scandal. For some further proof of this, allow me to share with you something I find very interesting. On this coming weekend, Ed Curnow in his ninth year of AFL will be playing under his fifth coach in David Teague (with every chance of having a sixth by next season). That surely has to be some sort of record here. Carlton are going through coaches faster than shoes. It's absurd, but then again it shouldn't surprise me. This is a club once seen as something extremely formidable by the rest of the league. Now it's a source of comedy, making last place a permanent home and persisting with choices of an unpleasant cycle. What is it they say about insanity? Doing the same thing all the time and expecting a different result.
Carlton have long been the most poorly managed club in the competition. They're a business that have been known to not practice what they preach. They're a business all about 'then' and never about 'now'. I mean it's even in the membership slogan: 'Honour the Past'. They were doing this long and hard before using it as a means to gain members. Never have I seen a club so obsessed with their past achievements as this one. It's like that's enough to satisfy everybody. Who cares about adding to the success? Who cares about bringing in a new generation of supporters? Am I doing it correctly? It's the one part the blues refused putting aside when cleaning up their act a few years ago. When it comes to the archives, the Carlton Football Club are pigs in the mud. Their reluctance in letting go the glory days to create new ones, is what sees the team breaking all the wrong records right now. Anymore of this attitude, then they are bound to go bankrupt and join their finest work in history.
Sounds ridiculous and it very likely won't ever reach this point, but that's not saying it can't. The blues have already coughed up hundreds and thousands of dollars due to poor crowds, no prime time matches and free membership deals. So steps from now on should be taken with greater caution. A nice first step would be for Carlton to completely shelve their nostalgia and eradicate whatever arrogance that is left. This means no playing favourites. No looking towards the past and assuming the answers will be found there. No more 'Robert Walls' solutions or searching for other celebrated Carlton names. They already have a couple under the pump. One of them is the GM list manager Stephen Silvagni. The pressure put on his work at the club is reasonable, though I personally do see him having done a relatively better job when compared to his predecessors. Chris Judd is another name that can be thrown up, who is still a board member as of now. This has to stop. It's time to now sign quality in a proper manner. It involves searching high and low, comparing and measuring everybody's credentials. It's understanding which people out of all, are experienced enough and best suited to drive the current plan.
If there is any history to be looked at, it's this century so far. To see what decisions didn't work and try learning from them. Blindly sacking senior coaches alone does little to nothing for a team's chances at improving. The proof is in the pudding for the blues, as just about every one of these was on the back of problems beyond one man. Wayne Brittain faced the demoralising sanctions and went down with a broken club to make unpleasant history. Denis Pagan had followed with nearly nothing to work with and nothing coming through. Brett Ratten tested the patience of an inflated and unhealthy blues board. Mick Malthouse orchestrated a few dodgy decisions with inept managers whilst battling with an ageing list. And Bolts with kids and gap-fillers starved of guidance, was pinned against the wall with what could've arguably been the biggest ever responsibility handed down to a rookie coach. Since 2016, I have believed the changes in Carlton's approaches have been significant enough in most areas. They have openly proven the importance of synergy and common goals. I still maintain this belief, though the strength of it can now heavily depend on how the club works around its most recent move.
In a blog primarily consisting of my visions and passions, there is no escaping the need to explore the biggest question of them all at the moment. Is there hope for the club going forward? Does the Carlton Football Club have a bright future ahead of them? Well I can't answer that very well, nor can anybody else. The truth is none of us have foresight. But what can I say with plenty of confidence is that there will be brighter times moving forward. Whether they are the heavenly lights of premiership success is a different story. All teams have their good and bad periods. This just happens to be one of the very few horrible ones for the navy blues. Everything though eventually comes to an end at some point. The matter of 'when' also remains to be seen, especially now with a change of senior coach. This is a move that leaves a lot more to be determined. I cop a lot of criticism for sounding pessimistic, but I consider myself to be a realist. Anything is a possibility while nothing is guaranteed.
One thing is for certain though, and that is that both the Carlton board and the CEO Cain Liddle have made a huge decision. The replacing of Brendan Bolton will not immediately see differences on the field, but it definitely leaves much of what lies ahead foggier. The club surely must know they cannot simply stop it at here, especially considering where they sit compared to the rest of the competition. In order to mean business, they're to conduct more reviews and notify all that their jobs aren't safe. Explore other options and seek who looks more advanced. In the meantime, they also have to ensure that player welfare is maintained and players don't break or look for an escape route. There is also no forgetting the members and supporters. It is going to be an incredibly challenging period that will put all to the test. But it can be done effectively and lead to desirable results. There's only one mission for Carlton now, and that is to break the cycle. Defy the odds and put an end to the never-ending story of haste and misery.
Travis "TJ" James
No comments:
Post a Comment