News Setanta back at training

[Aphrodite]

Welcome back Carlos, now behave

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25068308-19742,00.html

SETANTA O'hAilpin has trained at Visy Park for the first time since his astonishing assault on teammate Cameron Cloke. The Irish ruckman participated in a closed training session with Carlton's senior side, just 11 days after he punched and kicked Cloke in an intra-club practice match.

O'hAilpin had been banned from all activities with the Carlton team - he was training with VFL affiliate the Northern Bullants - until he had seen sports psychologist Michael Martin and regained the respect of his teammates.

He was absent from the club's family day on Sunday a the Blues have told O'hAilpin that, like Sydney's Barry Hall, he must regain the trust of the players and prove he can control his temper.

Martin is widely respected in the sports industry through his work at the Australian Institute of Sport and NSW Institute of Sport.

The AFL suspended O'hAilpin for four weeks, which can be served through the NAB Cup as long as Carlton stays alive in the pre-season competition. Carlton plays the Kangaroos this Friday night at Telstra Dome.

On Sunday, Carlton coach Brett Ratten said he was keen to get O'hAilpin back with the team as soon as possible.

"I would like to get him back into the group and with the group," he said.

"We spoke about it as a team. It's pretty big for Setanta to be taken away (from Carlton). He's copped his penalty. We will get him back and work with him and get him through these issues.

"We need to move forward. He has copped his medicine. He is very regretful and wants to move on as soon as possible."

 

[Aphrodite]

Also from the CFC website :-

http://carltonfc.com.au/season2008/newsarticle/tabid/4311/default.aspx?newsid=72223

The Carlton Football Club has lifted the suspension on Setanta O’hAilpin and he returned to training at Visy Park earlier today.

“Setanta was invited to return to the club and resume training with his team-mates following further discussions with the coaching staff and the playing group and a clearance from our Sports Psychologist,” said Carlton CEO Greg Swann.

O’hAilpin addressed the playing group prior to the training session at Visy Park this afternoon and he was welcomed back by everyone at the club. He will continue to undertake ongoing counseling from the Club’s Psychologist.

“There has been much said about what was an unacceptable incident and the matter has been dealt with by the AFL in regards to a suspension from playing,” added Swann.

O’hAilpin has been training with the Northern Bullants while he has been suspended from Carlton.

Carlton’s next training session will be at Visy Park at 9:30am on Thursday.

 

[I LOVE THE CFC]

Carlton are the closed session kings at the moment.....what is cooking down at Princes Park???

I don't have any comment on Setanta......NO COMMENT!!!

 

[krayfesh]

I love speedy resolutions.

 

[Aphrodite]

Carlton are the closed session kings at the moment.....what is cooking down at Princes Park???

Must be the new game plan

I don't have any comment on Setanta......NO COMMENT!!!

I would love to hear your comment

 

[Sam The Doc]

the bloke has history,soft carlton

 

[AlecDuncan]

Good news. Let's get back to business.

 

[I LOVE THE CFC]

Must be the new game plan



I would love to hear your comment

It will cost ya $$$

 

[Aphrodite]

It will cost ya $$$

I can afford it

 

[Beloved]

Awesome to have Setanta back. :thumbsu

What's done is done. We're moving forward.

 

[blues_gibbzy]

Our Psychologist(spelling??) is very good obviously?

 

[Beloved]

Hmm, I just had a thought...

Does anybody else think that maybe the club wasn't allowing Irish to go to the Family Day, not as a punishment, but to hide him from any media/questions that the public may offer?

I think that the club was more doing Setanta a favour. =S

 

[THE AISSASSIN]

What you want him to train like a bloody wimp?.....keep going hard Irish and stand up for yourself.

Apparantly there has been a bit if niggle between Cloke and Irish and he just lost a little control, it wasnt a total brain snap out of completely nothing with no provocation.

Train as hard as you play like Hammil was famous for, and Robbo seems to be doing.......its the best way.

 

[Dramoth]

They might have been instructing Irish on how to smash Lloyd properly... and not to use the girl slaps he hit Cloke with.

But seriously, he is going to be talking to the shrink for a while longer I think...

 

[Shambolic]

Great news.

He crossed a line, but aggression is one of the things we need, one of the things we have and one of the things we need to harness.

Still think he's good enough to play >50% of games due to match-ups. Tall forwards will kill us but Setanta is useful enough.

Just hope he doesnt lose a shoe in future.

 

[gbatman]

Good to hear. Can we play 4 NAB cup games? Be good to have him avaliable to play on Richo

 

[40yearBLUE]

11 days. That's some powerful witchcraft that Martin has potions for. Not long enough for mine. There have been comments such as these things have been happening for 100 years etc, but the game is not the same. We dont accept mindless violence in our game anymore and whilst I accept he will stay with the club, 11 days is not long enough for mine. The message this sends is there really arent any real consequences, miss a few pre season games, cop a bit of grief in the daily's and have 2 weeks off and all is forgiven. Not good enough Blues, I am a bit disappointed today. I have been a strong advocate on this board for backing he club, and I do, but I would have been happier if Carlos spent another 2 or 3 weeks in therapy. But there you go, fast food, fast cars and fast cures.

 

[Beloved]

11 days. That's some powerful witchcraft that Martin has potions for. Not long enough for mine. There have been comments such as these things have been happening for 100 years etc, but the game is not the same. We dont accept mindless violence in our game anymore and whilst I accept he will stay with the club, 11 days is not long enough for mine. The message this sends is there really arent any real consequences, miss a few pre season games, cop a bit of grief in the daily's and have 2 weeks off and all is forgiven. Not good enough Blues, I am a bit disappointed today. I have been a strong advocate on this board for backing he club, and I do, but I would have been happier if Carlos spent another 2 or 3 weeks in therapy. But there you go, fast food, fast cars and fast cures.

Mention this to the playing group and I'm sure that they'll disagree with you.

 

[THE AISSASSIN]

11 days. That's some powerful witchcraft that Martin has potions for. Not long enough for mine. There have been comments such as these things have been happening for 100 years etc, but the game is not the same. We dont accept mindless violence in our game anymore and whilst I accept he will stay with the club, 11 days is not long enough for mine. The message this sends is there really arent any real consequences, miss a few pre season games, cop a bit of grief in the daily's and have 2 weeks off and all is forgiven. Not good enough Blues, I am a bit disappointed today. I have been a strong advocate on this board for backing he club, and I do, but I would have been happier if Carlos spent another 2 or 3 weeks in therapy. But there you go, fast food, fast cars and fast cures.

You might need to know the whole story about what has been going on between the 2 players and not look at the incident as isolated.

 

[40yearBLUE]

You might need to know the whole story about what has been going on between the 2 players and not look at the incident as isolated.

I am sorry but there are no mitigating circumstances in mindless violence. We don't accept "he hit me first" as a defense at the tribunal and nor should we. Nor do we accept it in our criminal courts. The act was wrong, all at the club admitted it was wrong but the penalty does not match the rhetoric. Ratts said it was a low act. Is 11 days being ostracized from the club really the penalty for "a low act"? (My disappointment is with the club imposed penalty and I feel it should have more closely reflected what the AFL imposed and community standards in general.)

Anyway, I have made my disappointment known, I fully support the clubs right to apply the sanctions it sees fit and once they have done that, I respect the decision and I move on. If anything my voicing of my disappointment at the appropriateness of the sanction, in light of my posts on supporting the clubs selection committee show I dont have "blind faith" and that whilst I support the club and the players, I dont think we should suspend our morals or judgment just because of loyalty to the club.

And EBIAC, I am sure you are right but I am not sure that having the approval of other, mostly young people that might not yet understand that such behavior does not reflect community standards any more is a good or positive thing. Club culture is one of the last cultures to be dragged into the 21st century.

There is much to support about club culture, team spirit, mateship, achievement, but there are also pitfalls in them. But lets not go there, we have so much to look forward to and this is just a minor hiccup. Perhaps Setanta is truly remorseful (I have no reason to doubt that he is) and it really was just a momentary lapse of reason and he is on the way to redemption. Who knows, more good than bad may come of it, he may grasp the final chance he has been given and shine, and be a shining example to others that find they have erred. I hope so.

 

[Warsaw]

Good to hear. Can we play 4 NAB cup games? Be good to have him avaliable to play on Richo

Waitey had the better of Richo for 3 quarters, while Richo was on the park last year. He'll get the job not Setanta.

 

[blue gunslinger]

Good news. Let's get back to business.

I agree
Carlos has much to prove
Good to see the wablues own Cam Cloke still handle the media so well!

 

[blue gunslinger]

You might need to know the whole story about what has been going on between the 2 players and not look at the incident as isolated.

Big A if I missed that or if you know something I do not please pm me
We came up with some good stories and I hope they are way off the mark!

 

[Aphrodite]

Carlton teammates open arms for Setanta O'hAilpin


http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25071249-19742,00.html

A SHOW of support from Setanta O'hAilpin's teammates has ensured his seamless return to Carlton, 11 days after he floored teammate Cameron Cloke. The Irishman was yesterday welcomed back to Visy Park and apologised to the players before he took part in a two-hour training session.

O'hAilpin was cleared by sports psychologist Michael Martin on Monday and, after talks with the coaching staff, returned to the club.

Though the psychological clearance was critical, so was the encouragement from his teammates.

They felt he could win back their trust, despite kicking and punching Cloke during an intraclub game.

At Sunday's family day coach Brett Ratten revealed their input was crucial to O'hAilpin's indefinite suspension being overturned.

"They took it into their own hands, which I thought was fantastic," Ratten said.

"We spoke about keeping someone away and what it does to their self esteem and their own mental state.

"I think it's better for Setanta to come back and be a part of the group."

Carlton chief executive Greg Swann said yesterday O'hAilpin will continue to have counselling with a psychologist.

"There has been much said about what was an unacceptable incident and the matter has been dealt with by the AFL in regards to a suspension," Swann said.

That four-match tribunal ban means O'hAilpin can return to the VFL the week after the NAB Cup grand final, but that would require the Blues to win the competition.

More realistic is a return within the first four rounds, with O'hAilpin still returning to full fitness after calf problems last season.

"We will just see where his fitness is," Ratten said of a potential return in Round 1.

"He missed a lot of footy last year, so we will be mindful of making sure his progression is right."

Carlton trains tomorrow at Visy Park before its NAB Cup opener against North Melbourne on Friday night at Telstra Dome.

While O'hAilpin is considerably down the ruck pecking order, Cloke is expected to be used as a leading forward against the Kangaroos.

 

[blue gunslinger]

Go Cam!