bondiblue wrote:
Ever heard of the saying United we stand, Divided we fall?
I am hurting watching the division metamorphisising into slander and hate and Carltonians turning on each other. I know we are bigger than that. Knee jerk reactions are not needed in times like these. Serious long term planning is. Mikkey is providing the conduit to explore for the solutions. Those of you who can't see how we can do it , or don't believe we can get out of this mess, should just let those with the desire to do so, do so.
Venting frustrations about the past and creating warring splinter groups are not going to help you or the club. I am sure the past will not be repeated. We are living in a different modern world than what was the past, and we will play the game, if we survive, by playing within the rules.
The first business rule we must accept is that whether you like him or not, we can't afford to sack Pagan in 2006, and by the look of our recent events we wont till the end of 2008. So don't waste you energy on this issue when we have bigger fish to fry, until a white knight allows this to happen. Furthermore, get real about our young list, the kids' who haven't been selected will one day be selected when they are ready, and if a new coach came on board in 2006 or even 2007, they are not going to get us to the finals sooner than Pagan in this period. Lets at least try and keep this group intact.
Reality is that we've been broke for a few years now, and it didn't just happen last night on TV. Smorgon has a responsibilty to tell us the truth, and we have to accept it as it is; with no frills no fanfare, no entertainment value. Surely everyone could be doing a better job; supporters, coaches, MC, Board, committee men and women and Players.
We will survive if we stand united and in agreement that the most important thing right now is The Carlton Football Club and the Carlton Brand.
Here's the positive reasons why we will survive as the Carlton Blues, IMO:
Due to AFL's agreement with TV , 16 teams must be retained; that's a start in our quest for survival. There will be no relocation or merger this year, and there's good reasons why that wont happen thereafter.
Doggies, Demons and Kangas do not have a $7M debt to service, but they have been in far worse situations than we have at present; merges in particular. Extra memberships and can rattling didn't save them, the AFL and Gutnick (with the Demons) saved them and continue to support them as a Melbourne based clubs.
More damage and supporter backlash to the AFL will occur in forcing a Carlton merger or relocation than they would with Demons, Doggies and Kangas.
Doggies, Demons and Kangas do have more serious issues with membership, brand and reach than Carlton.
It's in the interests of all other Melbourne based clubs for Carlton to survive and remain as Carlton Blues, because 15-25,000 Carlton supporters will still attend their home games (equals revenue to them).
It's in the AFL's interest to increase crowd attendances and to achieve this it is not in their interest to jeopardise the proven potential for a rise from 60,000 to 80,000 crowds at traditional blockbusters with Ess, Coll and Rich at the MCG (100,000 seat capacity). A healthy and successful Carlton will achieve that again given it's youth ploicy. That's an minimum extra 60,000 in gate recepits or $3M.
Carlton (Sharks) in SE Qld or Carlton (Hens) in western Sydney would struggle to get 10,000 attending the games (especially with our current on field form, as well as a loss of identity), whereas Carlton (Blues) in Melbourne still have a traditional base of 25,000 members (in bad times). Too much to lose. It took 20 years for the Swans to sell out 40,000 tickets.
The AFL's interest in growing the game would be stifled if it lost 25,000 Carlton members, let alone all the non members who turn up on the day due to closing them down or changing their identity (same thing).
The AFL has underwritten our debt, and it is in their interest to work through this than to write it off for no result.
The AFL assistance grant is not a loan, and it is assistance we may have access to, if we swallow our pride (*assumming no white knight is lurking in the shadows)
Hawks have turned aroung the bleak years of merger threats, financial upheavel and boardroom battles. Hawks were broke, down and out (on and off field) and turned it around. They dropped their connection with the past (Glenferrie) and now have state of the art facilities and a stable board. They survived.
Demons have made the finals against a background of financial and board adversity. They have a 92.5% salary cap. With supporters' funding their rookies through their cotaries eg Davies.
Kangas continue to field a competitive team regardless of their financial position. They have a 92.5% salary cap.
Doggies have had a youth policy in place for 6 years. After being on the bottom for several lean years and putting up with it (in terms of on field success and revenues), they are now finally making their push to the finals, as well as attracting Fed govt funds for facilities imptovements. They have a 92.5% Salary cap. and only ONE Rookie on the rookie list.
Carlton can retain their young players and stars of the future by biting the bullet with a smaller playing list (42?), and only 1 rookie (if any).
If Carlton supporters band together and focus on the club's survival as the Carlton Blues instead of breaking up into camps of warring tribes/ splinter groups focussing on Pagan, then the collective strength would far outweigh anything Doggies, Demons, Kangas, Hawks, or Tigers could muster in the past in their quest to ensure their club's survival.
We focus on the big issues and learn to be pragmatic regading our young list (ie have some realistic expectations regarding player efforts, results and team's picked), then we will learn to enjoy the true development that is going on with our lists.
Patience, and a collective desire to support the club with a positive view of the future will send the right message to sponsors and the whole football community.
Cammo I know your intentions are good, but your timing, your focus and your opinion is wrong.
POW - and quite timely too.
Although I would still like to see us play a game or two on the Gold Coast for acouple of years to gain greater support outside of Melbourne amongst potential members in SE Queensland, improve our marketability and press coverage, and broaden our appeal to potential sponsors, as well as give the AFL further reason to help us out in the short term.
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