Absolutely Woof - I wasn't directing the anger at you thats for sure.

But what Molsey said - Black Friday was the vindictive kick in the genitals by the AFL when we were down.

The AFL new that the management had changed and still proceeded to nearly penalise us out of existence, the new Board at the time were nearly going to hand the keys back to the AFL.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

It's actually 1.48 million with Essendon* chipping in to make up the shortfall.

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This might sound extreme in the context of alleged sexual assault, drunken violence and a drug trafficking charge...

Can you wash cars?

Keep your room tidy?


Have you gone through all that puberty stuff yet?

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

No.. but ill go to the footy with you....

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

yeah but while I'm cheering you'll be booing and vice-versa...

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

DB, Have you got a winch on the back of your Pickup Truck?

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2002:> "In their Masters Chambers
They Gathered for their Feast
They Stabbed us with their Steely Knives
But They Just Can't Kill The Beast!" <2016

THE BLUEBAGGER BEAST IS BAACKK!!

(in a good american west accent) Boy, I put my pickup truck away the day I done got hitched

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

You mean a wench on the back of the Sandman???

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

If you start a new business one of the ways you can give yourself an initial kick-start is to apply to the various government and private agencies offering grants for new initiatives.

In some ways I see the Carlton Football Club at the moment as a new organisation. I don't wish to deny our history (both glorious and atrocious) but I don't think any other club in the old VFL (bar the Swans moving to Sydney) has been through anything like the upheaval that we have over the last few years.

This funding is a grant. It'll help us along the way. If we need to dip in again next year so be it. Big deal. If an organisation wishes to throw $1.5 million at us then I'm more than happy for the club to hold out its hands. The fears of some that that somehow makes us beholden to them is paranoid gibberish as far as I'm concerned.

I don't see this as the start of a long term hands-out policy. The other clubs that have received AFL money don't have anything like the historical support that Carlton's had. If we'd had an average membership of 20,000 over the last 10 years I'd be worried but we haven't. Our membership's bee between 28,500 and 33,500 since Elliott was booted out and during his presidency it had never hit 28,000.

I have little doubt that by the time our kids are hitting their prime in 3-4 years and we're knocking on the door of the top 4 our membership will be well over 35,000. That's over $1 million extra revenue from where we are this year and the sponsorship dollars will follow that sort of weight of numbers.

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

We had to take the money this way because we dont qualify for the competitive thinggy fund...

Make no mistake ... this money is because weve budget poorly and have a 1.5 million dollar shortfall in our cashflow.

If things dont improve we will have to go to them again... but theyre not going to continue giving us $$$$$$$$$$$$ while we overpay players and coaches....

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

You have that problem too DB
I knew there was reason you realised what "future" was about.

Well you should try having three daughters

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Nothing happens overnight Surrey.
Patience in meticulously planning and developing is the key.

Dreaming it will happen gives you the same FUTURE as the unplanned resent..

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Hey SB I have two of those as well.
Just can't help myself, I want everything from life.

Fair enough comments but I'm not convinced about 35000+ members....I think we we will be battling to hang onto the ones we have now for next
season ...been a disaster this season on and off the field and I think we will pay for that next season with memberships not being renewed...the club will also need to lift its game in terms of looking after members both prospective and present....ist scary to see Essendon* sitting on the bottom with 11 straight losses but with an increase in membership....

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

I udnerstand your concern Sydney but many of those Bomber fans signed up on the belief that they'd be back in the 8 this year, on the back of dumping their hacks and picking up Campo.

Next year may be different - it really depends on the type of players they manage to steal from other Clubs.

No doubt they'll do better than we did.

Synbad, its clear the clubs circumstances are dire, that is no secret and I have never said otherwise. What is a problem is libel laws for people asserting (and publishers of such views) that organisations are trading whilst insolvent, because it goes to the competency of the directors.

FWIW I agree wholeheartedly with your second point BECAUSE of the predicament I understand us to be in, and, philosophical differences aside, it seems no secret that the club will be stretched even further if we remain in PP territory for the next two years (meaning at least 36 losses) when the membership and match day attendances are trimmed down to the diehards.

Elwood, Will be very curious to see what Essendon*'s membership figures are in 2007 and more importantly how they sell their failed year, no doubt.

Sheedy is already grandstanding about trade week, lets see what he catches.

Libel laws are for defamation on untruths.
Noting i have said about being on the brink of insolvensy is defamatory or untrue.

I even spoke about the one and a half MILLION shortfall that we dont have to pay our bills and had to go to the AFL for it.

Wed be insolvent if it were not for the grant... SIMPLE!

The club will not go down the gurgler and the clubs only hope to be a marketing success in the future is to have marketable players.
As many of them as possible.

Ive told you how i would do it.

PPs and trades for early picks in this draft and possibly next year.

There needs to be a restructure with an emphasis on what happens in 3 to 5 years from now.

Trying to stem the tide doesnt work .... and if it does the danger is were just floating around as a nothing club.

The big picture is more important than what happens this year and next.

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The AFL has become such a controlling influence on all clubs that it has become difficult to see where other than memberships and gate reciepts a club can generate money. Just look at this arm band fiasco with Essendon* at the moment . All sponsors need to be sanctioned by the AFL and not conflict with existing sponsors that are in place. More and more the clubs are and will become dependant on the AFL for revenue. Take the money as this will become common practice amongst clubs whose on feild performances have affected there revenue such as the Blues at the moment.

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws