'Worst side ever': Blues great condemns former club

Carlton club legend Brendon Fevola has given the sorry Blues a massive kick while they’re down, describing the current side as the worst team in the history of the AFL.

The Blues extended their woeful run in the AFL this season after a 72-point walloping at the hands of Hawthorn on Sunday at Etihad Stadium.

The loss was Carlton’s 16th of a dismal campaign, with only the solitary win coming against Essendon in May.

The Blues have begged their supporters to stay loyal as the club navigates through what it has described as a rebuilding phase.

But Fevola – a two-time Coleman medallist during his time at the Blues – says the quality at his former club is beyond embarrassing.

“It’s the worst side ever to play AFL footy,” Fevola said on his Melbourne breakfast radio programme.

“It literally is the worst side ever to play football. In the whole history, ever.

“I played in a pretty crap side, but they are crapper.

“We (Carlton) get rid of all the good players and just keep the crap ones.”

Carlton did find a supporter in Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson, who went in to bat for besieged Blues coach and former colleague, Brendon Bolton.

Bolton worked under Clarkson as an assistant at Hawthorn before taking over as senior coach at Carlton and he is under pressure as the Blues head to their second wooden spoon in four years.

While the Hawks were undermanned, losing star onballer Jaeger O’Meara to a pre-game hip injury, Carlton’s injury woes are worse and they deepened further on Sunday.

After losing Dale Thomas (knee) as a late withdrawal, they were two men down for the second half.

Bolton is nervous about the knee injury to Liam Jones and fears Zac Fisher might have a leg fracture.

But Clarkson says the Blues must hold their nerve.

He compared Carlton’s plight to his brutal first season in charge at Hawthorn in 2005.

Three years later, they won the premiership.

Clarkson and Bolton caught up on Friday night and the four-time Hawthorn premiership coach said the Blues will recover.

“They’re on the right track as a footy club,” Clarkson said.

“It’s just really, really hard yards.

“It’s easy to dig the boots in – I can recall 2005 as a very, very similar position.

“What you need to be is really strong internally, in the terms of the direction they’re going.”

After only kicking one goal in the first half, Carlton battled back to win the third term before Hawthorn kicked clear again.

It looked similar to their awful round-13 disaster against Fremantle, but Bolton said Carlton worked hard enough in the first quarter.

He bemoaned their lack of composure early and said having two men injured eventually cost them.

Bolton also noted they have had 17 players go through their injury-ravaged back line.

Told of Clarkson’s public support, Bolton said: “Clarko’s lived it … he’s seen it all.”

With AAP