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FOR CARLTON supporters, we are entering a nightmare scenario in this, the supposed season of celebration of the club's 150th birthday.

Winless after four games for the first time since 1989, the white-hot glare of the football world is fixed firmly on Visy Park.

A shout-out to Carlton supporters to vent on Twitter following Saturday's 23-point loss to Melbourne sparked a deluge of responses and it would seem there are four main areas that have left them dazed, confused and a little angry.

And in keeping with the Jewish festival of Passover, which begins on Monday night and of which a big part is the asking of the Four Questions, I have turned those tweets into 'Four Questions About Carlton'. (Jewish Carlton fans, of which there are many thousands, will no doubt debate these after the formalities over dinner on Monday night).

1. Did the Blues err in naming Marc Murphy captain ahead of Kade Simpson?
Sometimes your best player should be left to be just that, your best player. In 2012 Murphy went past Chris Judd as the No.1 at Carlton, but he thrived without the extra mantle of leadership. From the outside, it looks that Simpson is the spiritual leader of this side – particularly with Chris Judd on the sidelines – and whose game would likely not suffer without the burden of the captaincy. Carlton needed Murphy to work through his hard tag from Nathan Jones on Saturday and he couldn’t get it done. It has been the story of the last season and a bit.

2. Is Mick Malthouse the right man for the job?
In 30 years of coaching he has never started a season 0-4, but he's a coaching great (if you're not sure, he'll tell you his record) and can turn the club around. But it will take longer than the length of his contract (which is up at the end of next year) for it to happen and the club needs to know that he's up to the challenge. If not, the Blues need to change their thinking and not throw their chequebook at the biggest available name. They need to identify the next Chris Scott or Alastair Clarkson.

3. Did Malthouse pick the wrong week to make a statement and drop Jarrad Waite and Jeff Garlett?
Yes. After 11 years, we know what sort of player Waite is and I'm not sure a stint in the VFL will change him. Melbourne's defence wasn’t the scariest going around and I would have backed him into rebound against the Demons. And Garlett provides the X-factor the stodgy Blues desperately lack. I'd have them both back in a flash this week.

4. Was letting Eddie Betts walk the latest in a series of poor list management decisions?
The departure of Betts, the decision to let go Jeremy Laidler and Nick Duigan, while offering pension-card eligible Heath Scotland a place on the rookie list was strange and sent mixed messages. Every list change at Carlton from here should be guided by long-term thinking and that should start with allowing Bryce Gibbs to walk to the club of his choice at season's end as a free agent. The Blues could do with the extra first round draft pick.

Swans in a slump – and Buddy's not helping

The 2012 grand finalists are another perplexing club. The pre-season flag tip of many (myself included), they are 1-3 with Fremantle paying a visit next round.

They looked back on track in Adelaide last weekend but their SCG home opener on Sunday was a stinker. They managed just six goals for the afternoon and finished with Lance Franklin (surprise, surprise) on report.

They looked listless and slow and, surprisingly for a team that prides itself on blue-collar football, uncomfortable in the wet. And the defence couldn’t put the clamps on the creative North forwards, which again has been a Swans hallmark.

Perhaps we should wait until Kurt Tippett and Adam Goodes are back in the side before making a final judgment call. But this is where they are entitled to feel disappointed with Franklin. Forget the report, which was nothing more than clumsy, at his price tag he should be carrying this team on his shoulder and delivering more than 13 possessions.

What the slumping Blues and Swans have done is take the attention away from the disappointing Richmond and the horrid Brisbane Lions.

Richmond forwards going backwards

The takeaway from Richmond's 38-point loss to Collingwood is that it lacks a second marking target up forward, irrespective of whether the days of the star full-forward are gone and its forward defensive pressure is non-existent.

The Tigers also lack pace and on Friday night were exposed for leadership and midfield depth when Trent Cotchin was tagged out of the game by Brent Macaffer. The Tigers need Brett Deledio back in the side for some dash, verve and leadership but that might not be for a week or even a month.

Lions battered, beaten and battling big time

As for the Lions, their unwanted statistic is that they have yet win any of the 16 quarters they have played for the season. Not even the truly bad teams in recent times or even the expansion teams of 2011 and 2012 have plumbed such depths.

The Lions have had little luck on the injury front and the loss of five players from in and around their best 22 from last season is starting to bite. They should be cursing Daniel Merrett for his ill-timed suspension for had he played, Jay Schulz is unlikely to have kicked a bag of seven.

But there remained enough talent in this Lions side, particularly through the midfield, to get the ball inside 50 on more than 28 occasions and to allow Port a 148-104 edge in contested possessions. A few more hard ball gets and a bit of tempo footy from the experienced Lions could have prevented this from being the complete rout it was.

Next weekend starts with the Lions and Tigers at the Gabba on Thursday night. It is one of the few showpiece games for the Lions for the year and a must-win game for the Tigers considering the expectations. A long and lonely weekend awaits the loser.

QUESTION TIME

Now, are you buying North Melbourne?
Yes. Beating the Swans in Sydney for the first time in a decade was a fabulous result. The conditions were a world removed from the fast track they relish at Etihad Stadium and gives rise to hopes that they will win enough games away from there to make the finals, perhaps even top six. I loved the grunt and the great finishing around goals, but in particular the stingy backline, which kept the Swans to six goals. The Swans have their issues but to be fair to the Kangas, they just played too well.

What is more sacrosanct, the knee or the head?
The reason for the question is Saturday night at Metricon Stadium when a free was played against Hawk Will Langford for sliding into the knee of a Gold Coast player. But Langford was initially pushed to the ground before the contest and made the contact to the Gold Coast player with his head. Knee or head? Who should have received the free kick? It is football's version of the chicken and the egg.

Is the Paul Roos blueprint taking shape?
We could be cruel by saying the Demons only beat Carlton. But adding midfield depth was a key off-season priority and Roos was able to structure his side on Saturday so that dual best and fairest Nathan Jones was able to follow Marc Murphy anywhere, even deep into the Carlton forward line. Roos had enough other options including Daniel Cross, Jack Viney, Dom Tyson and Matt Jones to win enough of the football when Jones was parked down back. Of course, Jones still led the Demons for all disposals with 28. It is players such as Jones that your heart goes out to when the Demons struggle, and who you feel really pleased for when they win.

No Chappy, no Essendon?
It would appear thus.



Ashley Browne: No Merrett for the Lions on Thursday night, so I'd give him one last chance to turn things around. Two touches and the early red vest made for a poor outing last Friday and the question for Damien Hardwick is to how to make the Jack Riewoldt, Ben Griffiths and Vickery dynamic work better. More to the point, why do Richmond's fortunes continue to revolve around enigmatic and temperamental key forwards?



AB: West Coast was six players – Darren Glass, Shannon Hurn, Luke Shuey, Matt Rosa, Mark LeCras and Chris Masten – short of full-strength and then lost Nic Naitanui to injury. That leaves a massive hole and what the Eagles have shown in recent years is that their best line-up is really strong but they don’t bat that deep. Mind you in that respect, the same could be said of every club save for Hawthorn and Geelong, so to single out the Eagles is a touch harsh.



AB: The Pies have had a good few weeks. Wins over the Sydney Swans and Richmond, with a far from poor loss to Geelong in the middle. What you're finding is that Collingwood is starting to click after a summer in which Nathan Buckley turned the team over. Jesse White has carved a niche up forward, Clinton Young is providing some run and the midfield is finding some form. Once Travis Cloke gets among the goals they become a top four contender. I'd be cautiously optimistic if I was a Collingwood supporter.



AB: Players who lead with their heads in a tackle are no longer receiving an automatic free kick for head-high contact. Not sure about an automatic suspension, though.



AB: I might have underestimated the Hawkers, tipping against them last week and predicting a slog against the Suns early in the first quarter on Saturday night. They're very, very good but they're not peaking too early, not with Ben Stratton, Brian Lake, Brad Sewell, Ben McEvoy and Ryan Schoenmakers to return. Easter Monday versus the Cats cannot come soon enough.



AB: I changed my tip here once I learned of Shane Mumford's withdrawal. It robbed the Giants of influence and leadership and so it proved. The Dogs have been telling anyone who will listen that they're bigger and faster this year, and there's some resolve too, as witnessed by the end to the Richmond game last week and their barnstorming last quarter on Saturday. I'm pleased for Liam Jones as well because he stood up superbly towards the end and also for Shaun Higgins. A jet.

Twitter: @afl_hashbrowne