Yep, just do the 'cut and paste' from last year's plan, and the year before, and.................

I dont need to know what is going on at board room level, I just want to know that my club is headed in the right direction and that my $350 hard earned is not being pissed up against the wall. I dont like being a laughing stock because i barrack for the blues, I dont like seeing my team get belted every week, I dont like seeing my boy get teased at school because I've coerced him into barracking for Carlton instead of St Kilda like the rest of his school!!

I understand we've got a long way to go, I dont expect miracles I just want to see us heading in the right direction. Draft Picks aside, I cant remember the last time I picked up the HUN and read some good news out of OO. On the scale of things, the team looking for Fish's tooth the other day was probably an upbeat article!!!

The image that I get as an ordinary supporter out here in the burbs is that we already have one foot in the grave and that we are busting a gut to build some nice steps with which to ease the other foot in alongside. I may well be way off the mark and I would be overjoyed to find that out, the point is that I just dont know. Perception is reality and for those of us that dont have mates in the inner sanctum we rely on the media and TC to fill us in.

I'll buy my membership and I'll go along to a couple of games this year and I'll keep telling my son about how we used to be the powerhouse team of the AFL. If there is some kind of plan to get us out of this mess over time then I would find the wait much easier to bear if I had some idea what was going on. I dont need the board to reveal any commercial secrets, I dont need to see the balance sheet. I'd just like some kind of assurance that I'm not pinning my hopes, dreams and affections on a dead horse. If we need the $1m AFL hand out then get it and move on. I'd rather put my hand out, take the money and get things rolling than potter about feeling sorry for ourselves for another 5-10 years. Pride comes before a fall. If the finances are in such a bad state then we need to do something about it, do anything about it, just do something!!

I dont mean to be unfair to anybody working their guts out for the club. My hand & heart goes out to those people it's just that, as an average punter I live in a vaccum out here and without good info it is easy to get down. End of the day I'll be there on Sunday with my $$$.

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"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

A lot of doom and gloom here.

BUT THERE ARE POSITIVES


POSITIVES

POSITIVES




1) FINANCES

Finances can be turned around. Members are doing their bit.
If 20 of the big earning football stars from 95-2005 GAVE from the goodness of their heart $5000 each you have $100,000 up front.


Each person that gives money should be acknowldged in more than just that silly plaque.. maybe an article on the website or the magazine or something.


2) Essendon* HAS HIRED AYRES AS AN ASSISTANT COACH -


does it get any better than this? Also Essendon* only just beat Swans in a practice match and the Swans had nearly all their under 15's in the team. I am looking forward to Essendon* getting the spoon. Carlton will not get the spoon this year.


3) CARLTON WON THE 2005 WIZARD CUP AND GOT PICK NUMBER 1 AND 4.

We won a cup and we got the best picks in the land. Sure we were diabolical in the season proper but so was melbourne in 51/52...


4) JESSIE SMITH

Jessie Smith won the best on ground in tac grand final a few years back - i know he is still a rookie.. but looking forward to him doing his bit.


5) ANDREW WALKER, FISHER AND EDDIE BETTS

We have three potential cult heroes right there... let's not despair.
Let's move forward.

Essendon* did beat us by nearly 100 points last time out. We shouldn't be expecting to finish higher than any team.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Finances can be turned around, I'd love to see that, I just dont see any signs that this is occurring. I know nothing about any plans underway and, as a member maybe that is the problem. My only insight into the finances is the bi-annual warning that we are close to going under and we are looking into taking an AFL handout!!! This strangely normally coincides with an SMS reminder to renew my membership

The new players at the club are exciting and I'm on board for that absolutely. We still seem to be getting good membership figures each year despite the parlous state we seem to be in. I reckon there is a finite limit on the number of years you can expect 35K+ people to jump on board when all you give them is doom and gloom!! I'm obviously in for the ride no matter what but there will be plenty that arent. We cant sustain the 'backs to the wall' fightback mentality indefinately. Even though we've had the fightback period and our membership numbers have been great each year we still dont seem to be making financial headway. So what is Plan B??? If we are slowly spinning through the 'S' Bend at the moment, how do we climb back out?

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"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

Even great teams have lapses and get shunted in shocker days. That game against Essendon* was out of the norm for the second half of 2005. let it go - wont get you anywhere! Think of the first encounter instead - much more satisfying.

See 2ndeffort I think you're wrong. There is lots and lots of good news coming out - see the sticky about our draftees - but it is not being effective. On the playing side you have more reason to be excited this year than any year since say 2002. We actually have these good young kids coming through, plus Waite, Fish etc.

The problem is that theview is still clouded. Whether thats because as a fan base we are spoiled for success, or the Club's handling of the media / finances has been poor, I dont know. But I think we owe it to ourselves to think of the positives. If you're in a position to do something about it, do it, if not, least you can do is buy a membership.

Dont get me wrong guys, I am excited about the youngsters in the palying group and i cant wait to see them come on. My points have less to do with the new team we are building than the lack of progress I perceive in the off-field side of the club.

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"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

Wasn't having a go, mate.

So to you the financial state of the Club is outweighing the excitement of the future playing list? Or is it like this dark cloud in the background?

My view is that there's very little I can do about the Club's financing arrangements. The Club got itself into a huge mess that we all should have known would take a long time to get out of. it started in the mid 1990's and it took a long time for us to get the information out as to what was happening - maybe some knew what wsa happening and were drowned out.

but that stand, the penalties and 2 wooden spoons would have bankrupted many of our opposition clubs, not all, but many. I think we've come a long way and we're on the way back. We are miles ahead of 2003 in numbers, playing list, and future. To help us really turn the corner I agree with Synbad to a large extent in that we need a more outwards focus, with some new ideas, and a new push on marketing. We have a grat brand that seems to be languishing out there and it needs a boost. More than SomethingBlue!

My real question is, from page 3 of this thread, what happens if we only get 24000 members or 26000 members this year? The pressure will really be on then, it will be in the press and they will smell blood. WE need to do all we can to stop this. The turnaround will be long & slow so we have to get that number up to 30,000. min. and add some wins on the field. That is what Collo's turnaround strategy needs - an oomph here and there and some more back-up to the upside I see in our young list.

So young Marc Murphy McMolsey, 30 weeks in the womb, is currently a member of the CFC in support of this position.

Seems after reading all the posts, we just need a shit hot marketing dude and a high calibre spinner to move in and get the show on the road.
$250k plus and we're back on the front foot.

With the output of these sort of guys the bad shit and poor perception would evaporate in no time.

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

2ndEffort, if we weren't dealing with the debt we would of disappeared without trace 3 years ago. If you read posts from over the past couple of years on here and TBV you will realise that our debt has come about from excessive contracts of which Kouta is the only remaining from the Elliot era, the grandstands which have been written down for the past 3 years and the social club which talk suggests will be wound down very soon.

The footy club has posted an operating profit for this year albeit small, the financial loss will come about because of the social club.

This was explained in the Inside Carlton magazine.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

I'd take a Uni student on work experience at $20k a year at the moment... it's a start. Only problem is that the Tyrant has taken up a new job elsewhere...

I think you'll find the social club propped up the footy club for years.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

It would be nice WBY but the problem runs a lot deeper. The approach by the board is the issue.
Our Corporate management team do a brilliant job under extremely difficult circumstances.
Craig Richards, John Morris, Steve Harris, Chris Baba and co. could all get better resourced and better appreciated positions than the ones they have.
They must beat their heads against the wall everytime Collo and Malouf spruike their messages of doom.

Yes their are lots of positives and I appreciate them as much as anyone.
Its the constant messages of impending death coming out of the club that frustrates me.

_________________
Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Not the past few years though from all i have read.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

Well how many people want to hang around the social club when you get spanked every week? Also the George Harris stand is a long walk from the docklands.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

The Game... Princes Park is a nothing ground.. hasnt been an anything ground except to about 20k on game day for the last ten years.
Jack Elliot had the chance to take us to the MCG 10 years ago.. instead he chose to sign our death warrant.
Molly.. no im not running for the board .. youll get me another warning with suggestions like that.

Collo is not a president...he is an administrator.
Our problem is we dont have anyone to step in ... noone wants to really do it ...someone needs to put their hand up but who???

Surrey youre a disgrace!!!.. you knock me for wanting draft picks but you cant stick your hand in your pocket for a measly 150 plus bucks... please dont make any comment about what kind of a supporter i am you village clown.

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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.

My sources tell me that we have made a proposal to the AFL to give us a hand.. and the $$$ we will receive (if it gets through) ihas different ramifications than what Melb, North, WB get...

Ours is meant to be "no strings attached.. "

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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.

When it comes to Carlton striking a deal with the AFL, what's meant to be and what actually happens are two entirely different things.

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Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24

The only string I'd like to see attached to the deal is a noose around "The Spews" neck!!!

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

Winston Churchill

Blue Vain - I can't believe you are so gullible. Surely you don't believe every stock standard cliche that Collo has told a journo over the years?

At this point in time, there are no quick fixes. People seem to want that quick fix. It's just not on. Daniel Grollo, Ahmed? Yes. Sure. But they don't want it just yet. So, who's left? Fitzy. No. He's headed for the AFL commission. Any one else that you know? Please, do tell.

It sounds like most of the complaints are with Collo's style. Call me old fashion, call me conservative but I don't care about style. If you want style, go and support the Saints. Sure, they have a coach and a president who are dapper. They talk the corporate language. They pump their young brigade up at every turn. Slowly the pressure keeps on mounting. The expectations increase daily. Until, boom, the slick marketing ploys, the facade that Thomas and Co are deploying, just won't cut it. It will all explode soon and then they will go back to an old fart like a Pagan or a Matthews who knows how to keep a lid on things.

I suppose some of you would say that Leigh Matthews is dull. Gives the same stock standard answers blah blah blah. As I said before, if you want razzamatazz in a coach and a pres, then by all means, go with the Saints.

Marketing? Hard to market anything when you have no budget. It's also hard to attract sponsors when you are not scheduled to play in prime time. Why would you sponsor Carlton when we have limited exposure to Friday night and Sat night footy?

As for putting Murphy and Kennedy out to the media dogs? No thanks. Keep the two boys under wraps. I don't want Murphy exposed to all the false hype only to be shot down later on. I want him to be a Michael Voss in 7 years time, not a Ben Cousins struggling with his values and his profile.

Some one said it before. Winning games leads to improved exposure which leads to potential corporate sponsorship which leads to ............... so on and so on.

Stick it out. Don't throw in the towel with Collo. Yes, he's no Dr Edelston. He's no Eddie McGuire. He's no Clinton Casey. Collo's a cranky old bastard who understands that razzle dazzle is not what is needed right now. You won't see a pink helicopter land in the middle of PP with Collo at the helm.

And Collo has also had 4 years to right this ship.

Sorry, not good enough! Or are we gunna blame Elliott again?

Its about time this club......no, this committee got its act together. Be prepared for a massive loss folks. This from a renowned bean counter like collo.

We are a rabble both on and off the field, and unless some radical change is made soon, we WILL go the way of Fitzroy - TV Rights or not!

I'm sick to death of the excuses that eminate from the administration of this club.

As a member I want some direct answers and I want to know that my hard earned is being spent the right way. At present all I can hear is sweet stuff all. Been like that for 4 years now..........PATHETIC

I'm sorry guys but this is becoming gutwrenching to see where this club is heading. This once great club is in a huge hole. It's time for some youth on the board as well as on the field.

TIMES ALMOST UP COLLO....................