The Blues’ 11.8 (74) to 9.14 (68) elimination final win at the MCG helped expunge memories of the past decade Friday was 10 years to the day since Carlton last won a final. September 8, 2013 was one of those footy days that sticks in your marrow. On a perfect spring afternoon, in front of the loudest, most engaged crowd, Carlton ran all over the top of an emerging but rickety Richmond. I’ve never seen a more desolate supporter base than the yellow and blacks that afternoon.The Blues had been parachuted into the finals because of the Essendon scandal. But they had Chris Judd. The most even-tempered of footballers, he had been angered, of all things, by Richmond’s drum ensemble,...
The social connection that comes from AFL fandom can help demonstrate the value of sport beyond participationCome the third Sunday of winter, Carlton had won a mere four games. Having missed finals the previous year by a single kick deep in the shade of time-on, the Blues were additional proof of history repeating itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.The previous Sunday, Carlton were the footballing equivalent of chewing black rubber in a listless six-goal loss against arch rivals Essendon. The only time the Blues struck sparks that dark night was as they scraped against pre-season expectations. Continue reading...
Only the ‘hairy hand of God’ can stop Carlton riding this winter wave of hot form all the way to finalsWith scores level, light rain falling, and the sporting nation’s collective tachycardia finally easing post-Matildas, Patrick Cripps licked and rubbed his palms, surveyed his centre square kingdom and went to work. In the space of 45 seconds, he twice pushed off Christian Petracca, twice found Paddy Dow by hand and twice set up Carlton goals. A few minutes later, he eschewed the deep dump, lowered his eyes and feathered a ball to Charlie Curnow, who converted from long range.Cripps has played better quarters. He’s played quarters where he’s put the entire team on his back. He’s played quarters where he’s...
They backed him, then sacked him. But could Gold Coast Suns have kept faith in coach Stuart Dew, as Carlton did Michael Voss to reap the rewards?Coach sackings are rarely edifying affairs but every now and then – Collingwood and Nathan Buckley spring to mind – they’re handled with a modicum of class and decency. Yet they’re almost always acrimonious. Stuart Dew’s sacking felt particularly grubby. It was a dog’s breakfast, really. He was made to look like a mug. They backed him, then sacked him.The press release announcing his departure was farcical, even by footy departure standards. It made him sound like he’d just passed away. Footy coaches aren’t building orphanages or splitting atoms, but they’re entitled to some...
Blues coach was a magnificent footballer but after an abysmal season-and-a-half the reality is he hasn’t made it work at the clubHere’s Carlton chief executive, Brian Cook, last night: “Michael Voss will be with us until at least the end of next year.” Here’s the president, Luke Sayers: “The boys love Vossy … Vossy is a phenomenal human.” Here’s sportswriter Peter Ryan: “The Age spoke to six people inside and outside the club who are familiar with the environment surrounding the Blues’ current predicament, and none thought that moving on the coach was an option even worth considering.” Here’s pundit David King: “It’s not anywhere near the crisis some are making it out to be – most issues simply require...