Carlton has slumped to 3-6 following their 26-point loss to the Demons on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues were no match for the undefeated Melbourne, while close losses to the Bulldogs, Brisbane and Collingwood see them now two wins out of eighth place.
Garry Lyon feels the club makes “too many excuses” for their lack of on-field performance.
“I just think there are too many excuses made for this Carlton Football Club,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“Not only from within the club, I think the media sometimes make too many excuses.
“We went hard on a couple of things Liam Jones did last week On the Couch and David King said ‘no, too hard on Liam Jones’. Liam Jones has been doing this for years.
“It’s not the one incident that you’re picking up, it’s systematic of where they have been, don’t make excuses for it.”
Kane Cornes agreed, saying the Blues have now wasted another year following a lengthy rebuild.
“The frustration for me with Carlton is it’s always ‘they’re nearly there, they’re this player away or if they can increase their defensive effort, they will be this’,” Cornes said.
“And we get players in studio and they say ‘we used to lose by 60 points and now we lose by three goals, we’re improving’.
“The time for improving is done. The time is now and they’ve wasted another season. They don’t play finals from where they’re at now.”
Carlton lost midfielder David Cuningham to a serious looking knee injury early in the loss to Melbourne, while star forward Harry McKay played through a nagging shoulder issue.
Lyon applauded McKay for his toughness.
“Shout out to Harry McKay playing hurt against the best defensive side in the competition and kicking three goals against the best defence in the competition, I thought that was an unbelievable performance,” he said.
Carlton must bounce back in Round 10, hosting the 17th placed Hawthorn at the MCG.
