dannyboy wrote:
Forget all this other, crap today I want to talk about time. Time and patience. Two things we have avoided like the plague at carlton since, since the 80's drove the Navy Blues into a frenzy and we forgot a lot about ourselves.
today at the coach's luncheon the lads and I (those other cheap writers) sat with come illustrious supporters who stated in quick succession
Doesn't matter if we get the eartly picks we'll probably pick Vance again and Russell is a dud and why did we overlook Meyers.
It seems to be these statements just about sum up Carlton. They point to the weakness of this great club under the present system. That weakness is our inability to accept the passage of time.
In the old days a Bruce Doull could play his two or more seasons in the VFL getting his body and mind ready because we had other great players playing.
Now we would ask Bruce to walk into the club, don his jumper and take over CHB. And if he failed we'd bemoan his selection, call for his head and search for the next great white hope.
Sometimes there is a disturbing similarity between us and the English Cricket Team.
Russell is not a dud - he is a kid making his way - the same way Martin Pike made his way and, as Pikey said the other night, in today's enviroment he'd be gone - a four time premiership player, Fitzroy's last B&F, gone. why?
Time.
The kids are not granted time.
Look at the flak from some poor old (and I use the word deliberately) Simmo has copped - why? Not an instant success. Didn't step up to the plate in his first year and hit several home runs - therefore a dud.
Simmo's shining now and everyone is relaxed about him - he's fine yet if he had have been sacked at the end of last year not many would have worried. He'd had enough time.
But he hadn't of course. Just as Russell has not. Nor Walker for that matter. These kids are not men, not yet. They are kids - same as Carrots did nothing for so long because he was a kid - in the end he just needed time.
Many here want to behead Livo - why - he's had enough time. He's what? 23? Too old. Bradley started at Carlton at what age - 23? Sticks - 23? When they started! And yet here we are bemoaning failures left right and centre with blokes under the age of 23.
We must give these kids time. As many of them as we possibly can. If we make a choice we'll probably get as many wrong as right because they are kids and kids develop - no one, not the best coach, nor anyone, can see into the future and get it 100% right.
As a club we need to ease up. We need to accept the crap that comes with a young list and let them develop. 3 years before we make any judgements. 50 games before we expect anything. 75 before we can begin to get a sense of the player.
Difficult because we have so many kids but this is where we are at. It's not a time to turn the list over like a lucky dip barrel. It's a time for patience. For giving those chosen enough time to blossom.
Muphy has been the butt of many of my jokes but its not about Murphy - never has been. It's the worry that if we pick this kid up he will be expected to perform straight away.Tthe kid, like Hodge, might take 3 or more years. Will not mean he is a dud or whatever, just that he's a kid, doing what all kids must do - grow.
I was rapt for Simmo on Sunday - he played very well. Pleased to see AB to, the boy is growing. Carrots again, rapt. And Fish. What have these blokes got in common - there all under 24 (gee I hope I'm right there) kids turning into men, kids becoming footballers. In the end its not talent we lack, its time.
Lets give these kids time.
Hopefully, with time, this thread will just disappear as it is an outstanding example of someone trying to sound oh so clever who really has no clue at all.
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