Caroline Wilson

[Philhawk]

Carlton chiefs in a headlock of their own making
Caroline WIlson
November 1, 2006




HAVING endured the humiliating farce that was Denis Pagan's near-sacking in September, pretty much everything the Carlton Football Club has delivered since has proved a triumph of spin over substance.

Which is hardly surprising, given that president Graham Smorgon took the sensible step of hiring public relations experts in an attempt to present a better face to an incredulous public.

No amount of spin can cover up Brendan Fevola's ejection from the Australian team in Ireland. Certainly not the muddled statement delivered by the Blues late yesterday — a statement that failed to grasp even the details presented by the AFL, which made it clear that Fevola had left Ireland in disgrace and that the fallout could prove significant.

Fevola, of course, was the man put forward by Pagan — who should be commended for the work he successfully put into Fevola during 2006 — as a possible captain of the Blues. The face, according to chief executive Michael Malouf, of Carlton.

It is not Carlton's fault that Fevola has a problem with alcohol. However, it is significant that his fall from grace has come at a time when the club is trying to cover up so much that is still wrong with the football club.



advertisement

advertisement

Fevola is not the only one returning home from overseas. Vice-president John Valmorbida, who was not at the board meeting last week that allegedly endorsed Malouf's continuing tenure as chief executive, also returns, knowing that Smorgon wants him out. The two have fallen out over the direction of the club. Valmorbida, like Bruce Mathieson, is expected to resign on December 18. Both men cannot grasp why the Blues' administration still has no acceptable business plan for the future.

Nor why Carlton, for all its recent assistant coaching appointments, still has no senior figure running its football operation or player development area — an area Fevola surely could use, not to mention the young list supposedly being groomed. The AFL is asking the same questions.

Another board member, Lauraine Diggins, is also being pressured to quit. Diggins is believed to have asked some serious questions regarding the Blues' business plan, its football department structure and the performance of Malouf. She, too, could pay the price for those questions. Should she and Valmorbida choose to stay and fight for their concerns, the situation could get interesting.

And not everything Smorgon and co have done publicly as a result of that PR advice has been convincing. The back-page newspaper photograph published last month of Smorgon — alongside the still insecure Pagan, embattled chief executive Malouf and suddenly brittle club stalwart Stephen Kernahan standing united as one — had to be seen to be believed.

The return to the club of former captain Brett Ratten as a full-time assistant coach seemed to be a step in the right direction. Craig Bradley's appointment as a part-time assistant seemed a little old-fashioned and the retention of Barry Mitchell a downright insult to Pagan, given that Mitchell tried only weeks earlier to take his job.

Pagan had been forced already to sacrifice his most trusted lieutenants and suddenly the impression that the 1995 premiership team was assembling a power base around the coach appeared more like a reality.

In truth, what Smorgon has done since the board moved to sack Pagan has been more significant for what it hasn't done than for what it has. The club has appointed a new fitness and conditioning man but still has shown no signs of boosting its recruiting stocks, player development or football operation despite its problems in contracting players.

The board remains divided, the chances of Pagan seeing out his contract seem remote and Brendan Fevola still has a drinking problem. Spin won't stop the downward spiral.

For starters, I dont really see how Fevola's misdemeanour relates to any fault on the part of the Carlton Board. A wise person once told me 'if you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all'.

Why is it that Caro Wilson loves digging the foot in when a team is most vulnerable? I obviously dont know all the details, but I think that the CFC is definitely heading in the right direction with the likes of Bradley and Ratten getting on board (not to mention the strong stance they took with Thornton). It's all relatively baby-steps, but you cant expect miracles overnight. I'd like to see Caro Wilson actually write a nice article about a club for once.

 

[Blues_Man]

The woman has the intelligence of a gnat with a head like a beaten favourite...she has a vendetta against the Carlton football club and will embrace any opportunity to sink the slipper in with some snide journalism ....good on Sticks for giving the ugly old hag a bit of her own back .

Fev needs a kick up the arse for providing her ammunition

 

[Philhawk]

The woman has the intelligence of a gnat with a head like a beaten favourite...

Agreed

she has a vendetta against the Carlton football club and will embrace any opportunity to sink the slipper in with some snide journalism ....good on Sticks for giving the ugly old hag a bit of her own back .

What did Sticks say, Blues Man?

I'm just beginning to wonder what Caroline Wilson is going to write in her next article now. Perhaps she'll blame the rising oil prices on the Carlton Board?

 

[sauce_head]

Nobody likes her. It amazes me she still has a gig. She must give great gobble docs under the table (so her head can not be seen) to some high up people to stay in the media.

 

[thecarpetsnake]

For starters, I dont really see how Fevola's misdemeanour relates to any fault on the part of the Carlton Board. A wise person once told me 'if you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all'.

I'm no Caro fan, but of course Fevola's misdemeanour relates to the Carlton board. They are ultimately the ones who sign off on his employment at the club and they are the ones who allowed him to go on the trip. The buck has to stop with someone.

And as for what a wise person told you, there would be no media at all if that happened in the real world...

 

[bluesfan]

I'm no Caro fan, but of course Fevola's misdemeanour relates to the Carlton board. They are ultimately the ones who sign off on his employment at the club and they are the ones who allowed him to go on the trip. The buck has to stop with someone.

And as for what a wise person told you, there would be no media at all if that happened in the real world...

Got to agree with you on that one, carpetsnake. The board has done Carlton no favours whatsoever in the past month or so. First it was the Denis Pagan/Barry Mitchell thing and now this!! I mean, one night the board were all against Pagan and the next they were all for Pagan...it's just a bloody joke!
Yes, Fev did the wrong thing but like you said carpetsnake, the buck has to stop somewhere and I reckon it's the board's fault. They decide who can go over to Ireland and represent their country over there. Like many, I am obviously very disappointed with Fev but just a warning to him. If Fev carries this into the 2007 season then he can kiss his AFL career at the CFC goodbye. I know he is our best chance of getting off the bottom and win games but if he creates a bad culture around the footy club, then get him out. I mean, I don't care if he's Chris Judd or Ben Cousins, the same would still apply. Doesn't matter how good they are, if they set a bad culture at the footy club which is also setting a bad example, then get rid of them. That's something that our footy club just doesn't need, I cannot stress this enough.
Thats my verdict.

 

[Blah Blah Blue]

Irrespective of what we may or may not think of her If you actually read the article she echoes the thoughts of many CFC supporters. The board is still far less than convincing, we don't have a 'Neil Balme' type of football manager / confidant, how Barry Mitchell is staying is somewhat baffling albeit he is a bit of an 'innocent victim'. Irrespective he should not still be at the club.
Our on field is starting to look so positive but our off field cohesion and Player management issues could de-rail all this.
Unless we get our act together 100% off field then the Bret Thornton / Jordan Russell issues during trade time will be repeated in the future.


Regarding Fev - this is just icing on the cake! There is no justification for his actions and all the goodwill he re-established within the football world has basically vanished overnight.
All the rhetoric about 'not everyone is a role model', 'who cares, it's only International rules', 'off season' etc etc misses the point. The point is basic common sense and respect. Respect for himself, team mates, the Irish and Australia. He just let so many people down.
I 'love' him, this will blow over and he will nuckle down and will have a good 2007, but this must be the last major issue he causes.

 

[Kooley]

it's better to be hated as a journalist than liked.

 

[DIG]

I'm no Caro fan, but of course Fevola's misdemeanour relates to the Carlton board. They are ultimately the ones who sign off on his employment at the club and they are the ones who allowed him to go on the trip. The buck has to stop with someone.

And as for what a wise person told you, there would be no media at all if that happened in the real world...

What was the board supposed to do? Step in and say "no, no - we know you selected Fev, but we think he'll get drunk and beat someone up so we're not letting him go" ??

 

[AlecDuncan]

HAVING endured the humiliating farce that was Denis Pagan's near-sacking in September, pretty much everything the Carlton Football Club has delivered since has proved a triumph of spin over substance.

My irony meter was pegging at that statement. Everything that followed was spin over substance.

 

[HBF]

Whilst Fevola's actions over in Ireland are at best disappointing, I don't see she can make a link between him and the board. The guy is an adult and a father, and surely he doesn't need to be molly-coddled (sp?) for 12 months of the year.

As Phil said, we are moving in the right direction, and it will slowly come together for us.

As for Caro, maybe is she concerned herself with her own team and stopped her vendeta against ours, the world, well at least the footballing world, would be a much happier place.

 

[TheHeatleyStand]

Whilst Fevola's actions over in Ireland are at best disappointing, I don't see she can make a link between him and the board. The guy is an adult and a father, and surely he doesn't need to be molly-coddled (sp?) for 12 months of the year.

As Phil said, we are moving in the right direction, and it will slowly come together for us.

As for Caro, maybe is she concerned herself with her own team and stopped her vendeta against ours, the world, well at least the footballing world, would be a much happier place.

So Mathieson and Valmorbida believeing we have no businessplan is a step in the right direction is it???

Just wait for the fun and games... coming to an AGM near you early next year...
then you can say were heading in the right direction.

Smorgon
Malouf
Pagan

OUT!

 

[mediumsizered]

What was the board supposed to do? Step in and say "no, no - we know you selected Fev, but we think he'll get drunk and beat someone up so we're not letting him go" ??

Thanks for putting some perspective on this, Dig. How can it be the board's fault that Fevola has got himself in strife on the other side of the world. Fevola is his own person & is fully responsible for his own actions. If the Carlton board are going to be held accountable by the Caros of this world for Fev's actions in the off season, where is the accountability by the Collingwood board for the actions of Tarrant, Johnson, Morrison, Cloke etc? Or are certain sections of the media a bit scared to take on the Channel 9 chief? Ulterior motives perhaps?

FWIW, why did the officialdom over there with the Australian team even allow the players out on the 'turps' when they are supposed to be staying fit for the next encounter? If this doesn't prove that these trips are nothing more than junkets, I don't know what does. What Fev did was stupid, irresponsible and deserving of punishment, but he did it when he was not representing the Carlton Football Club in any official capacity. Maybe Caro should speak to Sheeds, Gerard Healy or even AD about this one.

 

[mediumsizered]

So Mathieson and Valmorbida believeing we have no businessplan is a step in the right direction is it???

Just wait for the fun and games... coming to an AGM near you early next year...
then you can say were heading in the right direction.

Smorgon
Malouf
Pagan

OUT!

If there is change at the AGM in March, does that mean Pagan gets sacked on the eve of the football season? That is forward planning, sacking your coach just as the season is getting underway & trying to find another one. All that will result in is the quick appointment of a coach without a proper selection process. Is that how we should pick our coach? I have no dramas with the members choosing to change the board, but it would be amateurish, at best, to replace your coach on the verge of the season starting. If that takes place it will just lead to more turmoil.

 

[frankc]

I'm not sure why Pagan hangs around. Mabye he wouldn't get a job elsewhere.

Pagan's reputation as a coach has taken a severe pounding ever since he moved to Carlton. He was initially seen as a bad boy for ousting Brittian, but now he must wish he never took the position.

From an outsiders viewpoint, it appears there too many egos at Carlton. In some respects its almost like they need what Eddie Macquire did when he virtually took over Collingwood.

I remember thinking back in 2000 when Carlton played Essendon in round 20 that Carlton alwys seemed to be up there. It is almost unthinkable what has happened since.

Must be very difficult as a Carlton supporter to see the disintegartion.

 

[corporal]

At least Caroline Wilson tells it how she see's it unlike all of these ex football journo's who are to afraid to rock the boat. She is disliked because she doesn't tow the line.

I can understand Carlton supporters disliking her atm as you are just sticking up for your club however from what I have read most of her reporting seems to be pretty much on the mark.

Good luck for the draft, Carlton seems to be slowly building up its stocks of quality youngsters so hopefully success is not to far away.

 

[mediumsizered]

I'm not sure why Pagan hangs around. Mabye he wouldn't get a job elsewhere.

Pagan's reputation as a coach has taken a severe pounding ever since he moved to Carlton. He was initially seen as a bad boy for ousting Brittian, but now he must wish he never took the position.

From an outsiders viewpoint, it appears there too many egos at Carlton. In some respects its almost like they need what Eddie Macquire did when he virtually took over Collingwood.

I remember thinking back in 2000 when Carlton played Essendon in round 20 that Carlton alwys seemed to be up there. It is almost unthinkable what has happened since.

Must be very difficult as a Carlton supporter to see the disintegartion.

Pagan had nothing to do with the ousting of Brittain. That was totally a committee decision. Pagan was appointed by Elliott to try & save his presidency and once Pagan was appointed the committee removed Brittain. What Pagan didn't realise was that the club was about to lose its first & second round draft picks for the 2002 & 2003 drafts. This added to the poor recruiting from 1997-2001 meant that he was inheriting a team that had won a wooden spoon with no immediate prospects of greatly improving the list. If anything Pagan should feel that he was deceived by those that originally appointed him. The playing list he has worked with over the last 4 years has been very ordinary at best. As we are seeing with both Essendon & Brisbane once your list starts to come apart, even the Sheedys & Matthews' of this world struggle to keep their teams near the top end of the ladder.

 

[TheHeatleyStand]

If there is change at the AGM in March, does that mean Pagan gets sacked on the eve of the football season? That is forward planning, sacking your coach just as the season is getting underway & trying to find another one. All that will result in is the quick appointment of a coach without a proper selection process. Is that how we should pick our coach? I have no dramas with the members choosing to change the board, but it would be amateurish, at best, to replace your coach on the verge of the season starting. If that takes place it will just lead to more turmoil.

Its the short term turmoil Carlton had to have

 

[BlueBelle]

I'm no Caro fan, but of course Fevola's misdemeanour relates to the Carlton board. They are ultimately the ones who sign off on his employment at the club and they are the ones who allowed him to go on the trip. The buck has to stop with someone.

And as for what a wise person told you, there would be no media at all if that happened in the real world...

I disagree. Brendan Fevola is responsbile for his own behaviour. It has nothing to do with the Carlton Board. They should definately give him a slap on the wrist and tell him that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated anymore but, ultimately, the buck stops with Fev regarding his behaviour. He is old enough to accept responsibility for his actions. The Board has no control over how he behaves.

 

[The Dice Man]

I told yas so.

Remember the kernahan 'Were Carlton, **** the rest' comment?

Back then I told you they will be waiting for an opportunity just like this.

Caroline thanks Brendon, with love.

 

[Weaver]

The urge to defend the club and kick Wilson is understandable, but the English comprehension skills are a worry. Where does she say Fev getting sent home is the Board's fault?

She is making the point that the feel-good vibe at Carlton might be built on spin and not on substance. That annointing Fev a future captain despite his publicised problems was an example of that. That the reaction of the board (via its PR appointments) was a poor example of spin.

She then goes on to provide evidence of the tension within the board about their concerns about how the club is being run.

All Wilson has said is that the reaction to Fev's mischief is another example of a club struggling for direction. Never suggested that the board had any responsability for his actions.

 

[Goldust]

it's better to be hated as a journalist than liked.

A BIT like football clubs themselves, you can be hated, but also respected. I hate Carlton, but respect their rich history and success. Sure they have fallen on hard times, but their history is a successful one.

Caroline Wilson - hated by most, respected by none!!!


A disgrace to the profession!!!

Fevola is representing the AFl, if anoyone other than he is to blame for this, it is the AFL. They employ him in this instance, not Carlton!

 

[Salaryman]

Whilst Fevola's actions over in Ireland are at best disappointing, I don't see she can make a link between him and the board. The guy is an adult and a father, and surely he doesn't need to be molly-coddled (sp?) for 12 months of the year.

As Phil said, we are moving in the right direction, and it will slowly come together for us.

As for Caro, maybe is she concerned herself with her own team and stopped her vendeta against ours, the world, well at least the footballing world, would be a much happier place.

Sorry HBF but this attitude is not going to fix the problem. I am going to be much hated by many people for saying this, but despite Caro making a few dodgy assertions, the crux of what she is saying is correct. We have a responsibility for player development and welfare. Fev has a characterlogical issue that needs to be addressed. If we don't help him do this he will suffer as a footballer and a human and we will be negligent. We desperately need some wise and football savvy people at the club. We need to look to the Sawns, Crows and Eagles as a model for building a successful football club iin the modern era. We are doing that on-field...time to do it off-field as well.

 

[Salaryman]

The urge to defend the club and kick Wilson is understandable, but the English comprehension skills are a worry. Where does she say Fev getting sent home is the Board's fault?

She is making the point that the feel-good vibe at Carlton might be built on spin and not on substance. That annointing Fev a future captain despite his publicised problems was an example of that. That the reaction of the board (via its PR appointments) was a poor example of spin.

She then goes on to provide evidence of the tension within the board about their concerns about how the club is being run.

All Wilson has said is that the reaction to Fev's mischief is another example of a club struggling for direction. Never suggested that the board had any responsability for his actions.

Well said Weaver, i agree 100%. The statement the board put out was weak, apologist and pathetic.

A clear statement needs to be made,

a) Fev IS representing the club, to claim otherwise is deceitful or asserting that public perception is unimportant,

b) that this behaviour is completely UNACCEPTABLE,

c) The club is concerned with player welfare and development and will do everythinig in its power to assist Fevola in addressing his characterlogical flaws, and

d) these actions reflect the professionalism that Carlton aspire to on and off the football field.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Well ... how surprising. Where does Caro get her information from pray tell? There are certainly enough internet posters spraying exactly this type of thing all over the boards. Either she is reading this stuff or even worse, some of these agenda driven folks are given it to her directly, to ensure the storm continues to stir. A few would have been getting worried that the board were scoring some points of late and their challenges were not as certain as they once were. Note Caro's claim of spin in relation to positives. She could be quoting a few of our loudest forum dwellers here.

Make no mistake, this is all politics and very little to do with loyalty to the club and a desire to protect the club. As I have said previously, support those that can do the job, whoever they might be. While the adage about breaking a few eggs to make an omelette might ring true and the sneaky leakers might feel that creating this circus will eventually lead us to the promised land, I wonder if they stop to wonder how much damage they are doing to a club that can ill afford it right now. I wonder if when all is said and done, whether that omelette is going to be as palatable as they believe.

Let the upcoming elections be fought out respectfully and on the issues, not on the back of a dirty media campaign. Shame.

Edit: Note, the above is in reference to the Diggins/Valbormida/board issues, not the Fevola issue. The club should take some action in that regard and I believe they will. You don't condemn in the first few days, you wait until the hysteria dies down and then show some strength.