The last four years have been hard. No doubt about it. Yet at the end of 2005 everyone was talking up the new kids, talking up the new attitude, talking up the new year. And yet, after a mere two – count them – two practice games, the knives are out yet again. What exactly did we expect? One game was against a team that could well have made the GF had it not been for Nick Davis’ last-gasp winner, and the other against the 2004 Premiership team. On paper, we would be expected to lose, and lose we did.

So what’s the big deal? So it was a 99 pointer. We’ve had who-knows-how-many of those over the last four years. But that was when there was something at stake – not some two-bit glorified practice match. That’s what these games are for – PRACTICE. Trying new things, seeing who’s really improved, knowing where we are…by round 1 I expect a team vastly different to what has been put on the park thus far.

With this in mind, though, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to steadfastly support the Blues at this time. It’s a combination of things – the $7m debt, the poor (at the moment) on-field performance, offline issues…but the thing that genuinely gets to me more than anything else at the moment is the relentless swing of the general supporter base we have here. Three weeks ago we were talking up our chances for 2006, expecting a win. I don’t know when we last expected to win a game…by geez that’s sad. The fickleness, the negativity…I’d prefer to look through the navy glasses and see where our improvement is coming from, not bemoan the fact that Marc Murphy hasn’t won 3 Brownlows yet.

Put simply, footy is depressing me at the moment. Never mind the friendships I’ve made through these forums, the overwhelming mood is one of despair – may well be justified, may well be overblown, or may well – God help us – be understated. I’m not one to wallow in my club’s misery. I want to see the upside of this great club, of our proud traditions, how we’ll get out of this rut. I’m sorry, but odds are you won’t see me around all that much for a while. It’s genuinely getting to me, this mood of no way out, no hope until SOS’s kids are playing, nothing.

We ARE the greatest club in the game’s history. 16 Premierships, a great story behind most (if not all) of them. Fantastic players through history – even in our bleaker years. The most players of ANY club in the VFL/AFL team of the century. And yet people believe we’ll be hopeless for years to come? Give me a break!

*Goes off to watch the 1995 GF again*

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Cer 'ch 'n alluog Blues

The competition is more even now than it has ever been in over 100 years. The gap between top and bottom is narrower than ever.

Back in the 50's 60's 70's if you supported a crap team it was possible to be at the bottom for years and years and years.

Not so any more.

Last year many got carried away with predictions of success.

This year the opposite is happening.

There has been an over-reaction on the negative side.

You just wait and see, the team will perform better this year than everyone expects.

I'm really looking forward to what the year holds.

Don't get off the rollercoaster halfway through.

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|♥♥♥♥♥♥| http://www.blueseum.org |♥♥♥♥♥♥|

Oh no Jars, I'm still mad Carlton. I just want to support the Blues MY way, not listen to others and how they support them.

I'm off for a while. Got some posts to make in Warren.

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Cer 'ch 'n alluog Blues

don't worry be happy

I actually feel good about the onfield year ahead. Not expecting a great deal except the kids showing us the light at the end of the tunnel (see ghost article if it ever gets up).

Must admit i am concerned with our seemingly latest bedfellow in Dimitfuckupcarltonandlaughatitwit, but hey, history (even mine) is full of strange bed fellows - but not mine, mine were strange bedlassies...no,no true dinks!

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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!

For every optimist that leaves the footy discussions the pessimist/optimist ratio goes up.

The optimists piss off to warren leaving fewer optimists on the main board and then they start whinging about how negative the main board is.

Well duhhh!! I wonder why it is more negative!!


Optimists stand tall!!

Do not scurry off to warren!!

Have some balls!!!

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|♥♥♥♥♥♥| http://www.blueseum.org |♥♥♥♥♥♥|

Problem is though, Jars, that the optimists - myself included - try and keep everything upbeat.

Have some fun on the main board. Find positives in defeats. Look to the future, when things will be far more successful.

But when every thread - even one that's simply about how to spell our coach's name - get hijacked into a morass of name-calling, negativity, finger-pointing, and all-round shit-headedness, what hope do we have?

It's farting against thunder.

The negative nellies are winning, because the sound of their whinging will always be louder than the quiet voice of optimism.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Never K.K.

now come dance in the daisies with me singing

chim chiminey chim chiminey chim chim cheroo

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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!

I'll dance with you Dannyboy, but don't sing that damn song!

And keep your pants on this time!

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Don't let the f*ckers win.

It's pretty easy to glaze over any posters you may find objectionable.

(Where is that ignore button anyway?)

What you have left usually is a pretty good mix.

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|♥♥♥♥♥♥| http://www.blueseum.org |♥♥♥♥♥♥|

Can I dance too Danny?

I WANT TO DANCE!!!

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

You have to keep your pants on too.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Count me out then.

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

How about a compromise: You can drop them to your ankles.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Every team will do better this year. They changed the priority pick rule now remember. I bet that no team will win less that five games ever again

My ankles are my best feature.

No dice.

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

Yeahhhhh............















i LOVE that guy..................!


kindest regards tommi

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that'siti'mnotchangingthistagain......!

Jars, you are the brains of this outfit obviously.

A large proportion of the optimists seem to give up at the drop of a hat.

WEAK!!! Never give in!!!!

Great post mate.

Are you watching Riss?

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

OK, some clarification...

That post this morning was a reaction to the amount of bloody negative pricks who frequent the board. I love Carlton, always will, but when you've got a bunch of negative blokes saying "Oh god, Woe is us, What are we to do, we're going to be shit for ages..." it's bloody depressing. And that's what I was saying.

I'm not going to stop supporting Carlton. That's just weak and stupid. Speaking of which... anyway, the crux of my post was that I'm not going to worry about the football side of TC for a while - except for Talking AFL. I probably won't bother finding out what the score is this weekend because I don't care. IT'S A PRACTICE MATCH, FOR SMEG’S SAKE! AGAINST THE 2005 GRAND FINALISTS! We're going to lose, I know it, and quite frankly, I don't care. April 2 cannot come quick enough for me. Back to the real stuff. Back to looking forward.

I can't support Carlton when everyone around is bagging the absolute shit out of it. Like KK said, the optimists amongst us are outnumbered 10 to 1 by people who can't see a light at the end of the tunnel. You want me to be positive? How's this - I'm POSITIVE that I'm a Carlton supporter, I'm POSITIVE that we WILL get better, I'm POSITIVE that we will see multiple players stepping up to become superstars. I'm POSITIVE Denis (WITH ONE N) knows what he's doing and I'm POSITIVE that we're on the way up.

Edited to remove profanity - I typed it into Word, let it all out, before posting it

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Cer 'ch 'n alluog Blues

Repeat 3 times every night before going to bed and you'll be fine.