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Kouta is no doubt a Carlton legend. We all have a soft spot for him, and probably have a shrine for him somewhere in our home, office, or at least in our heart. I have Kouta's 1999 preliminary final mark framed on the wall.
Leigh Matthews has it on record that he would like 22 Koutas in his team. Kouta has also been described as the modern footballer in size and athletism, and there's no doubt in my mind that he shaped the selections in many of the drafts, since 1995.
Who will ever forget his one handed pick ups in the centre square during the victorious 1995 Grand Final. That one handed pick up became his trade mark. Five years ago his peers voted him as the most valuable player in 2000....and the list of his achievements endless.
No doubt in recent times too he has been brilliant too. In 2005, just last year, chalking up the most clearences in the AFL as well as winning the Carlton FC B & F for a second time. But I am deeply concerned with Kouta at the moment.
I say proudly that I'm a Kouta fan, but I am very concerned for Kouta's welfare, reputation and how he will be remembered by this club. I'm hurting for him in his current predicament.
Numerous posters have called for the handover of the captaincy, his early retirement, his retirement at the end of the year, whilst others claim he is playing injured, and as a result he is half the contributor he once was. Pagan has hinted that he is carrying an injury, and has stated that nobody knows what he's going through.
I thought that his game against the Eagles was "serviceable", as have been many of his games this year, but not near the expectation I have of the great man. He seems to get to the right spots on the ground, but he's not the dominant force he has been, and his second and third efforts have disappeared from his game. Unbeknown to me why this is the case.
His handballs may reach his intended targets, but they are sloppy at times, certainly not hit hard and direct as you would expect from elite talent in the modern game. Hisis kick passing usually does not hit the target His shots for goal are not reliable as they once were. He is not winning the clearances as you would expect from someone with his upper body strength. He has not taken contested marks, and when he was in a position to exploit a mismatch against Collingwood, the players did not look for him. What's the story? Is he not using his voice, is he being ignored, or is it the players' faults?
More alarming is his style of capataincy. Today's post from The Prez highlighted footage of him from a camera in the dressing rooms (Fox Footy coverage) portraying a dismal image of him sitting on his own in the dressing rooms after the eagles game. The same happened after the Adelaide game. There was no sign of typical traits you relate to captaincy. No liaising with the team, no pats on the back for his young charges after a commendable effort, in fact, it has been quite extraordinary throughout this year to see Whitnall and to a lesser extent Stevens take on the leadership role of a captain addressing the troops during and after the game, as well as addressing the media post match and during the week. This sets off alarm bells for all of us.
Whilst we are all aware of the serious knee injuries he's endured representing the Navy Blue jumper in the past, but he has come back from those injuries and won the abovementioned awards, without his brilliant leap. Some posters have suggested that he hasn't got full use of his shoulder movement, making it impossible to win clearances, let alone mark overhead. Other posters have highlighted his inability to jog to the next contest, let alone commit to a second and third effort, looking very uninspiring in doing so. Frankly he is lacking something, and a lot, and it is having a detrimental effect on his leadership and reputation, and no doubt on the team.
If he is injured, he should not be playing. Why is Buckley, Hird and Voss protected and preserved and not expected to achieve the same feats as they once did when they were younger? Why isn't this the case with Kouta? Sure the game goes past them at some stage, as it does with all who play, but these guys have experience and an x factor, and it's only prudent to get the best out of them in the twight years, and not to grind them for their pound of flesh, with no positive outcome for the club.
To me he has earned the contract he is on, and if it's worth $1M in his final year, good luck to him; it's a contract, and we don't need to discuss that. This is the last year of the contract, and if his contract implies a weekly pay of $45,000 whether he plays or not, does this justify playing a bloke who is underdone, or playing injured? Surely not. Is it he who is making the decision to play, when he should be rested, to give something in return to the club for this huge sum of money? Who is running the team selections Kouta or the Coach? It should not be his choice, and if he is playing injured someone should do the right thing by him and the club, and rest him.
I don't care what he's being paid in the next 11 games, but I do care about his welfare, his persona, the legend and his reputation. I wouldn't expect him to retire early (now), as I wouldn't walk away from that sort of money, especially given it will be the last footy payments he receives. What I do want is answers. I don't want him played injured, as that is no good to him, the club, or a younger guy who could fill the position with better results (for the team and for their development).
Tell us what the problem is. If injured then rest him. We need answers and a decision that he will or will not play on after this year. I would rather know that he will not go on (and the signs are blatantly there for all to see and comment), and announce that he will not play on next year, rather than having to hear all this conjecture and criticism of the great man.
With an announcement of his retirement, we will all know that this will be the last opportunity we see of him and we will cherish the games he plays. The team will draw inspiration from his retirement, especially the kids, moreso than what they are getting from him right now. By saving him to play when he is fit, the likelihood of having a positive impact for the team, is far greater than what I'm seeing at the moment. Then finally in round 22, we can all farewell him, as he deserves, and he can retire with honour and his head held up as a legend of the Navy Blue jumper. It will be closure on a positive note, for himself, the club and his supporters throughout the football community.
Don't bag him. Seek to understand as to what is really going on with Kouta. We all know something isn't right atm.
You're a legend Kouta.
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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue
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