Carlton showed lack of killer instinct chairing off Bryce Gibbs

It was celebrated as a unique and heartwarming gesture by many footy fans on Sunday, but two commentators are now calling it out.

Bryce Gibbs and Kade Simpson. Picture: Michael Klein

It was a matter of time before someone took issue with retiring Adelaide Crows star Bryce Gibbs being carried off by two Carlton players in his final game.

And Caroline Wilson and Kane Cornes were at short odds to be the ones to do it.

The Footy Classified duo said the sight of beaten Blues Kade Simpson and Marc Murphy — whose finals hopes had just disappeared in a 16-point defeat to the bottom-placed Crows — lifting Gibbs on their shoulders didn’t sit well with them.

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“I’m sorry, call me old-fashioned but I found it extraordinary to see two Carlton footballers — albeit two of his closest mates — carry Bryce Gibbs off the ground,” Wilson said.

Bryce Gibbs is chaired off by Kade Simpson and Marc Murphy. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

A clip of Carlton coach David Teague was then played on Footy Classified. “It was weird, I get it. There was a little part of me that thought ‘I’m not sure about this’ to be honest,” Teague said.

“It’s a hard moment. You’ve just lost a game of footy but you want to respect someone that’s been a great player of the game. Next time I’d just like to do it after a win.”

The panel continued the discussion.

Matthew Lloyd: “What do you want them to do though? It might have been pre-planned before the game.”

Wilson: “I’m not going to arrest anyone (but) I just thought it looked really odd.”

Lloyd: “I see Bryce Gibbs as a Carlton person.

Craig Hutchison: “He’s got no affinity with the Adelaide Football Club.”

Wilson: “He went there on a pretty big contract!”

Hutchison: “You’d be disingenuous chairing him off if you were an Adelaide player.”

Cornes: “They can stand there like all the clubs do, clap him off, guard of honour. This is a player that wanted to leave. If you’ve really got killer instinct and you’re disappointed about missing the finals and rebuilding for the 20th straight year, you don’t chair off a player who wanted to leave your club and chase a premiership only two or three years prior.”

Hutchison: “So are you saying this speaks to the mentality of the Carlton Football Club?”

Cornes: “Absolutely. And even David Teague’s comment … I would have loved him to say ‘I didn’t like it and I spoke to my players (and told them) we won’t be doing that again’. He is noncommittal with (his stance). There’s a problem with trying to be friends with the playing group. He’s got terrific attributes, he can be an attacking coach that we’re craving for, but at the moment he’s too nice on this playing group and he lacks the killer instinct of an Alastair Clarkson, a Chris Scott or a Chris Fagan and the best coaches.”

Kade Simpson and Bryce Gibbs swap guernseys. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Adelaide Crows coach Matthew Nicks didn’t have a problem with the move, saying: “I am not sure if I have seen it before but it was fitting for a great career.”

Gibbs was mobbed after the final siren by players from both sides with plenty of Blues players wrapping their arms around their former teammate.

“They’re my best mates, some of these guys were in my wedding party,” Gibbs said.

“The bonds and the friendships I created with these guys are going to last for a lifetime. To share the last game was pretty special.”