Carlton has lost its heart and its fight as pressure mounts on Brendon Bolton to develop young team
CARLTON fans have endured a lot since the Blues last won a premiership, including big penalties for breaching the salary cap, and while they’ve put up with plenty of losses, the members won’t accept performances that show no fight and no direction.
Carlton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Carlton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
CARLTON fans have endured so much since their last premiership in 1995 they can quantify all kinds of failure.
The soul-destroying kind when you lose potential draft picks Brendon Goddard and Daniel Wells through salary cap cheating the night before the draft.
The membership-melting variety when you attempt a quick fix and end up overlooking stars in deals that net players like Kristian Jaksch and Blaine Boekhorst.
HORROR LOSS: BLUES SMASHED BY KANGAROOS IN HOBART
REACTION: BLUES FANS LASH CLUB AFTER WINLESS START TO 2018
BRENDON BOLTON: THIS IS ‘NOT WHAT WE STAND FOR’
MARK ROBINSON: BLUES CALLING FOR PATIENCE BUT IT DOESN’T WASH WITH FANS
And the kind of failure that all clubs go through when they attempt a rebuild that stockpiles a million kids and watches them slowly develop.
They have signed up for that last kind of failure, aware a club saying it will do what it says it will — rebuild methodically — will absorb lots of pain.
But what those supporters will not cop is a lack of heart or fight.
And that is why so many Blues fans are up in arms today after the mother of all beltings against another rebuilding team in North Melbourne.
Honourable losses are par for the course for younger teams — look at the Dogs’ fighting loss to Sydney only hours earlier.
In so many ways the loss had calamitous elements — Josh Dunkley’s dropped mark, a handful of skill errors.
But they saw enough from Tim English and Ed Richards and the younger core to realise there are better times ahead.
When your side is getting thrashed you want signs of resistance, and instead Carlton meekly accepted its fate.
Green shoots?
North Melbourne came out with a whipper snipper and mowed them into mulch on Saturday night.
No.3 draft pick Paddy Dow was impressive in the JLT Series but is yet to fire so far in four games — yet to win more than 15 possessions.
Sam Petrevski-Seton looked a star last year and had 24 possessions against Gold Coast but has been so-so in three other games.
Jacob Weitering continues to battle away, his 11-possession game again raising questions about his development.
Second-round pick David Cuningham had three handpasses and seven kicks, Charlie Curnow battled for 11 possessions with poor delivery.
At times most of them have shown huge signs of potential, but apart from Curnow this year the pickings have been slim.
Carlton fans want to see tall forward Harry McKay, but Brendon Bolton has cited selection integrity and wants to play him when he is ready.
Yet the club’s No.10 draft pick, Lochie O’Brien, hadn’t thrilled in the VFL and yet he debuted on Saturday night with solid results.
Hopefully McKay impresses in the VFL and gets his chance next week against West Coast.
Skill errors? Don’t get us started, with Bolton repeatedly showing his exasperation in the Carlton box on Saturday night.
What Carlton had last year was system, an overly defensive one but at least an identifiable game plan.
Now as they battle with zone defence they have given up scores of 121, 101, 100 and 116.
“They’ve lost what they stood for,” Matthew Lloyd said on Channel 9 today.
“Last year he taught defence beautifully, now he’s tried to add the layer (of attack) which he needed to ... they’re in no man’s land at the moment.
So no fight, no development of exciting kids, game plan all over the shop, injuries now piling up with Marc Murphy battling plantar fascia.
Everyone expects growing pains when a young team moves on 42 players in three years and brings in a heap of young kids.
Yet if performances like Saturday night’s 86-point loss everyone comes under pressure from the coach down to the last player on the list.
LIVE stream the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership on FOX SPORTS. Every match of every round LIVE in HD, with no ad-breaks siren-to-siren! Get your 2-week free trial now >
Predictions, best 23: Can Carlton stay fit enough to contend?
After a disappointing end to 2024, can Carlton sort their fitness issues to contend in 2025? JOSH BARNES names their best side, breakout star, player under pressure and much more.
The SOS that could revive Blue’s career
An ACL tear wrecked Jack Silvagni’s 2024 campaign – and when he returns, the Carlton side will look different. So, where does he fit in? Get the latest from Blues training.