Carlton coach Brendon Bolton looking to add attacking element as Blues’ reset continues
BRENDON Bolton’s “reset” is only two seasons in but he can see the green shoots. The Carlton coach tells GLENN McFARLANE about the next phase, Patrick Cripps, Bryce Gibbs and more.
BRENDON Bolton is always on the move.
The Sunday Herald Sun shadowed the Carlton coach throughout a three-hour session on a camp on the Sunshine Coast on Friday, as he moved from drill to drill, from player to player, with an investment in every exercise.
He likes to involve himself in as many activities as possible — part teaching, part observing, part directing.
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He won’t cover the 12km his players will, but by the end of the session, he will have tirelessly engaged with every player, every coach, almost every inch of the ground.
“There are two layers of excitement,” Bolton said. “One, I am extremely grateful and appreciative of the position I hold, and two, I get to do this with a bunch of young kids and some older players such as ‘Murph’ (Marc Murphy), ‘Simmo’ (Kade Simpson) and ‘Kreuze’ (Matthew Kreuzer).
“Fundamentally, we have a lot of players in their first-to-third years and some 200-plus gamers. If the first-to-third year players listen carefully to the stories and experiences of not only our coaches, but our leaders, they can fast track their development.”
Fast-tracking at Carlton used to be a euphemism for whatever quick fix dreamt up to get this once-mighty team back to former glories.
That was never going to happen on Bolton’s watch. This “reset” has only been two seasons in the making, but the coach has solidified its foundations.
“Year one was all about unity ... it was important that our members and supporters, the families of the players and our staff felt connected,” he said.
“Year two was about sticking to the road map, and not deviating. We wanted to be defined by pressure; to be hard to play against. We think we have achieved some of those steps.
“We think we can add some offensive layers in year three, even though we won’t sacrifice the non-negotiables.”
Thirteen wins have come in Bolton’s two seasons — seven in 2016 and six last year — but he insists the team was in more games for longer durations last year, and is confident those lessons will be built upon in 2018.
The Blues haven’t kicked 100 points in 33 consecutive games — since Round 11, 2016. Bolton expects that to change next year, though he won’t put a figure on the level of improvement.
What he is more definitive about is his players’ capacity to build the “synergy and chemistry” that successful teams exude.
That means the days of the Carlton revolving door are over. More than 40 players have been turned over since he joined the club, but stability, not seismic change, is the pathway ahead.
“You can’t build the list you want in one year; it takes time,” Bolton said. “We believe we have the nucleus now ... we don’t need seismic change.
“What the players have to do is learn the nuances of the way they all play.”
There is always a big-picture backdrop, but often it is the little things that make Bolton smile.
There’s the moment he emphasises the importance of getting into an opponent’s face in a drill. He barks: “Put your hands up if you haven’t brushed your teeth?” Within seconds, the reason becomes apparent: “I want them (the defending player) to smell your Colgate ... get in their faces.”
There’s the presence of Sam Docherty, providing guidance, despite last month’s knee reconstruction. Bolton marvels at how he was back at the club at 8am the day after his injury to urge the group on in their 2km time-trial.
There’s an instance he stops mid-drill and explains to Jed Lamb how he could do something more efficiently. Lamb nails it at his next attempt.
There’s a meeting where Murphy implores his younger teammates to challenge him if they believe he isn’t working as hard as he should. Hours later, the 30-year-old smashes out a session as if he was 10 years’ younger.
Bolton wants his players defined by a mix of grit and gratitude. Grit relates to being hard to play against — which won’t necessarily be measured solely by wins and losses.
He sees gratitude as just as important: “It is easy for an AFL footballer to soften their resolve and lose gratitude, if they are not careful. Everything is provided for them ... they have got all the support mechanisms under the sun.”
“Those who think with gratitude regularly, it triggers a part of the brain to be determined. And we have all got a lot to be grateful for.”
The 38-year-old knows it better than most. Having grown up at Pipers River, in north-eastern Tasmanian, Bolton played top level football in his own state, but never had the chance to chase his playing dream to the mainland.
Next year marks 15 years since he first coached a senior team, North Hobart (to a flag in his first season), but he hasn’t forgotten his coaching pathway to Melbourne, initially to Hawthorn as an assistant coach and now as Carlton senior coach.
“I’m so grateful for my opportunities, going from a teacher and a part-time coach to now a professional coach,” he said.
Bolton has implemented a system where he walks a lap of the Princes Park precinct with his coaching staff, monitoring their thoughts and wellbeing.
He is pleased with the Blues’ rejigged coaching structure, with an emphasis on development, and with John Barker taking on a new head of strategy and high performance role. He has been delighted to welcome respected assistants Cameron Bruce and David Teague to the club, as well as recruiting Brent Stanton and Jason Davenport to development roles.
Bolton’s mind is always immersed in football, but his downtime comes at home with wife, Louisa, son Ned, six, and daughter, Rosie, three-and-a-half.
“That’s the best thing, when you come home after a day at work and Ned is jumping around and telling you about his day at school,” he said. “You’re not really thinking about work or footy as much when Ned and Rosie don’t really care about it.”
He wants his players better connected with staff and supporters. As a result, a different group of players have lunch with staff members each week. He has also invited some staff members to get a closer on-ground look at preseason sessions.
It is all about engagement, which extends to the club’s members and supporters.
“We know footy clubs take people on an emotional rollercoaster and that’s what is so great about our game,” he said. “Our members and supporters can see we have stuck to a plan, and we haven’t deviated. We’ve gone to three drafts; we’ve invested in the kids; we’re harder to play against now; and we’re growing sequentially year by year.”
BRENDON BOLTON ON ...
MARC MURPHY’S LEADERSHIP
“He is our best and fairest winner and that’s pleasing, because the captain has to set the agenda. ‘Murph’ has had strong growth in his leadership. Importantly, he knows at some stage he will transition, so he is working incredibly hard to grow (the leadership of) others around him.”
BRYCE GIBBS’ DEPARTURE
“I want to thank Bryce for his services. He has gone to the well for our footy club. I hope he always considers himself a Carlton person. But for family reasons, and he has a young one (child) now, his support is over in Adelaide. I can understand what that is like. He requested a trade for a second year in a row. We made a decision to help Bryce and his family, but more importantly, it was made in the long-term interests of the (Carlton) footy club.”
GREATER SCORING OPPORTUNITIES
“We have to keep coaching the processes as to how you can move the ball (forward) more effectively, and we will keep adding those layers. But we still want to be a hard footy side to play against and we want to be defensively sound, so that’s not going to go away all of a sudden.”
HIS FOOTY/LIFE BALANCE
“Nature is a way in which you regenerate. I feel my most relaxed when I am out of the city. I go to the north-east corner of Tassie, to a little place called Mt William National Park, with its pure white sand. I have done that for most years over Christmas and we are going to do that again. We will roll out the swags and get the tents out. I love diving for crayfish or going fishing.”
PATRICK CRIPPS
“It’s the first time he has really been able to do a pre-season. He plays the game the right way, the hard way, and he doesn’t take any short cuts. We forget he is still a young man and if you look at him, you don’t think that, because of the size he is. “
HAVING A ROLLING CONTRACT
“I don’t talk about those situations publicly, but what I can say is that we are all invested on a journey. The pleasing thing about our board is that Mark (LoGuidice), Cain (Liddle) and myself are in open dialogue all the time and when there is open dialogue, you are more comfortable.”
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“Paddy is humble, and he is a hard worker. From the vision I saw, he turns up every week and he has real burst out of the stoppages. Each year you are going to see a player grow who we think can fit right in the middle of the oval.”
Originally published as Carlton coach Brendon Bolton looking to add attacking element as Blues’ reset continues
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