Good post from Brizzy Blue.....been thinking the same for a while...AndyD and friends are not to be trusted and the TV rights money is going on spruking the game up North withe the end result being another club playing out of Qld on the Gold Coast and another team in Sydney.
Mark Robinson painted a poor picture of us in the Herald Sun today and another article mentioned we would have some hide to ask for CBF assistance after being fined so heavily and other clubs questioning the AFL on why we deserve assistance.......everyone is on our case and sticking the boot in and all our enemies are luving it..

We are prime candidates for relocation.....if the finances get worse I could see the question being asked of the board by the AFL and some inducements to go....Synbad has aready indicated he would prefer a relocation to a merge.....I reckon there maybe some support out there for a relocation as of now...given that interstate teams are a given to win a flag within a reasonable period and that they have full AFL support....

I wonder if the White Knights would bail us out under those circumstances?
The Gold Coast Blues....with Michael Voss perhaps as coach....or maybe even Malcom Blight ....you never know....

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

That money is for the redevelopment of Whitten Oval - that is a far different thing than giving it to the Doggies....

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I support Carlton, Fulham and I'm an accountant - my mate calls me a 3 time loser.

Just skimmed over ththread, forgive me if I double up.

Essendon*, Wobbles, Tiggers - in fact all Melbourne clubs would bleed if you took away the tradition and rivalry we bring to the table. It equates to big $$ at the turnstiles as well as packed pubs around the country including North Qld and much of NSW, all watching Carlton and _______.

Don't worry - we're safe we just need to finish between 8-12th and it'll be a successful year.

The AFL is too worried about the emergence of soccer in this country to allow Carlton to fall. Mergers or relocations involving the Kangaroos, Bulldogs, Melbourne etc is most likely to occur.

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There is no footy god

Where do we fit? Right back at the top where we belong!!

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

The groundswell is gathering momentum. Thank God, there was no mention of us.

"Blind Freddie knows that Melbourne cannot continue to support 10 AFL clubs and Freddie also knows that western Sydney is the economic engine room of NSW and the most culturally diverse region in Australia. To deny this region a home team would deny the code the opportunity to fulfil its potential as the greatest game in Australia."

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/real ... 33760.html

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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!!

Thanks BB.

There's always a BIG PICTURE plan, and strategy in BIG BUSINESS. The AFL is big business. I don't think you have said anything that really has surprised me, and I tell you what...it was a great read.

Only yesterday I was chatting to a few Blues supporters about the conspiracy to create the Gold Coast Blues. I have lived on the Gold Coast, and there are truckloads of Carlton Supporters living there. The thought of this relocation/merger for Sydney based Carlton supporters was not acceptable...they didn't even want to entertain the idea...sickened one of them (ex player and four generation Blue).

At least your input gives all Carltonians good reason to collectively do something positive to avoid this possibility starting NOW!!

It's no secret that there is always some controversy for the Swans with the SCG regarding access to the ground, fixtures etc....and that the rugby codes historically are the powerbase in Sydney in terms of supporters and venues. Hence, Tesltra Stadium in the west has faciltated some big AFL games. I'm sure there is something in it for the Swans to relocate in the west moreso than the Bulldogs.

I have a feeling that Collo may surprise us with some good news this year. He's a cunning old fox...most people I know who have met him don't trust him one bit, and they have given me their reasons for this...but if his intention is to enable Carlton to become a powerhouse again, he is capable of doing this.

No I am not a Collo supporter, in fact I think he is a bit of a Negative Colo myself.

THE EMPIRE WILL STRIKE BACK!!

Now that "big Ed" McGuire is based in Sydney, and with all the politicking he has been doing on behalf of Collingwood FC playing extra games in Sydney, has anyone given any thought to the chances of Collingwood being the team to voluntarily move to the Western Suburbs of Sydney? They are in such a strong position off field that they would easily retain the vast majority of their current supporters/ferals and pick up a swag of new supporters/ferals from the Western Suburbs. They would be transferring a name brand with a successful history and strong ties to ethnically diverse supporters. The AFL would be falling all over themselves to make this one work.

Carlton could take over Collingwood's homeground agreement with the MCG and then we really kickstart our long overdue resurgence to the top of the pile. Our rightful place after all.

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A Blues Supporter - not a Blues Bagger.

Further indication that moves are afoot.
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,86 ... 11,00.html

_________________
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!!

A good supporting story for your argument and I have no doubt the next new AFL team will be playing out of the Gold Coast..lets hope the locals get that license application approved and its a locallly created product rather than a relocation of a established team....

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

"The Southport Western Bull-Sharks" ring a bell anyone??

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A Blues Supporter - not a Blues Bagger.

Got a fair setup have the Sharks....around 20,000 members...good facilities...bit of local money helping expand those facilities.....dont expect them to see it as a relocation..they would call it a partnership with them being the dominant partner....they want a license in their own right.
Whateva club moved or relocated would lose its identity in a real hurry....

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

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=91356

Yeah right....Adolf Hitler said he was only interested in getting the Rhineland back under German rule and that he didnt intend to expand German interests anymore then look what happened.....common sense would tell us there has to be less clubs in Victoria down the track and the Gold Coast is the next market the AFL will try to setup a club......the Brisbane Bears didnt work until it absorbed Fitzroy so I dont see the AFL starting a club from nothing and would be happy if a AFL club from Victoria went to the wall with no way out but to relocate...then its not the AFL pushing a club up North is it?
Not saying its going to be us but we need to remove ourselves from the candidates list....

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

Is there a "nods vigourously in agreement" emoticon?

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

Winston Churchill

More rumblings, but this time we aren't included in the speculation.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/ ... 22,00.html

Isn't Ron Clarke Marcus Clarkes father?

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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!!

I don't want to be responsible for bursting any bubbles, but the old "we are Carlton, we'll be right because we pull big crowds" argument coupled with that old "the AFL needs Carlton" chestnut were valid about 15 years ago.

It's that sort of arrogance that got us where we are now.

In many ways the club is a laughing stock and we are ripe for something bad to happen to us. Personally I don't think it will, more by good luck than by good management.

The sponsors don't run to us anymore, we're not nudging 40,000 members anymore. We are a rabble.

What do we do about it? We have to start to win games, lots of them, and we all know that ain't gonna happen for at the very least, another 3-5. The big corporates have signed up, and they aren't going to jump ship from clubs like Essendon* and Collingwood, regardless of on field results, you'd rather be tied to one of them than the circus that is our club at the moment. Almost anything written in the press in negative about us, whether fair or not they are the facts.

Who but the hardcore fans want to support the club when they perform like they have in the last four years?

And in the background, the AFL goes from strength to strength, they need us? Not at all.

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Forgotten, but not gone

A rebirth of the Blues as the Carraralton Football Club is not beyond the realm of possibility I suppose.

Is it possible to have two home grounds? Carrara and Dome/MCG/renovated Princes Park facility.

This may end up being a viable option for Carlton in playing the lower drawing teams and interstaters in Queensland as home games, and the big drawing matches in Melbourne. Thats one possible way to grow your brand, increase your membership, your attraction to sponsors, and ensure the AFL doesn't sink the boots in too hard again in the forseeable future. It would also help ensure that we receive maximum television coverage around the country every week. Would this possibility help the financial bottom line or alienate too many current members?

Is this the lateral thinking that may be necessary to preserve our club and its proud heritage?

Just a thought!!

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A Blues Supporter - not a Blues Bagger.

Simply because the Saints have a huge supporter base along the Southern Penisula and then out to growing suburbs like Berwick, Packenham and beyond. So, to take the Saints away from that part of Victoria would leave the AFL with a huge gap to fill. Similarly with Geelong. A steadily growing part of outer Melbourne. All the new suburbs bewteen Point Cook, Werribee and beyond are prime catchment areas for the Cats.

What is Carlton's catchment area? What is Richmonds catchment area? At least Hawthorn is trying to bite into the Waverly district but it could be said they are vying for support that could easily be turned over to the Saints if Hawthorn were no longer there?

This is where I think the club needs to be really pro active over the next few years. No doubt our catchment area is out North. The outer Plenty Valley area all the way back to Epping (City of Whittlesea) is one of the States fastest growing areas. Has anyone travelled out to South Morang and beyond lately. What about out to Doreen? We need to work this corridor just as the Saints are working the South. We need to make this OURS. But the opportunity exists now to get into the new schools popping up all over the place out there. We have already started (though we don't probably know it) by affiliating ourselves with the Northern Bullants. Now we need to go deeper into the Northern suburbs. This could be our saving grace.

If we don't and we allow other clubs to infiltrate this growing catchment area, we will certainly end up in Brisbane, guaranteed.

great posts Preacher & Bainuzz. Everyone needs to wake up and smell the flower coffee. We are in serious strife.

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I support Carlton, Fulham and I'm an accountant - my mate calls me a 3 time loser.