After watching the dramatic improvement & impact of our young players (Simpson, Murphy, Bentick, O'hAilpin etc) this year and taking into account the way that the club has rebounded from the AFL's savage penalties, I can't help but think 2008 will be our year.

The supporters have ridden the rough times yet there has been record membership numbers achieved in this time. This can only augur well for when the team is actually kicking butt on the field and the bandwagoners also get onboard.

If 15% of all Blues fans across the country were to dip in and buy one membership, we would have the most memberships in the competition by a mile. It is rumoured that there are around 500K Blues supporters across Australia which is a virtual untapped market for the club. This will be a challenge for our marketing & membership departments but the benefits speak for themselves.

As for onfield activity, the club has no real hangovers from the draft penalties, it's just a matter of picking the right players out of the pool each year. Wayne Hughes has already shown he is no slouch at the draft table and we can only benefit from his knowledge and expertise. Get a couple of key players to cover the deficiencies and we are away big time.

If we can add 2-3 walk-up starts (i.e. can play senior footy straight away) at the end of this year plus another 2-3 walk-ups starts, then the playing list will be vastly improved & competitive. There is always the added advantage of the players having to compete more for there places which should bring out the better in each and every one of them.

The basis is there now, today's newspaper article states how the young guys intend on being 10 year players for the club which means they are totally committed to becoming premiership players. It is this attitude and cameraderie that will hold us in good stead in the forthcoming years.

All in all, we just about have the players and we just about have the membership support so put the bubbly on ice, it won't be too far way now.

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GROUND ZERO + DRAFTING YOUTH = SUSTAINED SUCCESS

right idea, but two years early. we will be paying finals in 2008 however

would really love to see no.17 come in 2008, but realistically it sounds like wishful thinking to me, realistically speaking IMO we could probably be able to win as early as 2010 and then we have enough good players in our team to be able to win one as late as 2016-ish i think. again, i would love to see us win it in 2008 but think playing finals is a more realistic goal.

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Last edited by true_blue3 on Mon Sep 26, 1981 5:07 pm; edited 92 times in total

Wooden spooner to premier in two years?

That's as implausible as NAB Cup winner to wooden spooner in the same year.

Once clubs reach the finals most normally seem take 2-3 years before they win the flag and do so with very experienced teams

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

C'mon guys, have some faith, anything is possible once you make the finals.

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GROUND ZERO + DRAFTING YOUTH = SUSTAINED SUCCESS

I can't see it Sheik. I fully expect us to finish bottom again next year - I can't see us backing it up with a flag the following year.

Stranger things have happened though

You do realise who is contracted to be coaching us in 2008? We won't be playing finals.

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

I like your thinking, Sheik, and I'd love it to happen, but I'm not sure that it will....

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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.

nah they haven't

There is more chance of Sheik's future eventuating than that one. There is absolutely NO WAY Carlton will finish last next year. Add a outstanding young defender, another quality midfielder, as well as factoring in the development and experience the kids have gained this year and we will be very dangerous!

If only it was that simple and a matter of changing the coach.

Do you see the Hawks, Richmond, Dogs, Cats being so poor in two years that we'll have enough talent to finish ahead of them with Pyke in charge?

We're just at the start of the rebuilding process and a year or two behind them in terms of the young talent we have developing.

In regards to committment, application, hard running, one percenters etc.......all those little basics, you'd be surprised at what difference a coach can make. Ask the Socceroos, or even the Wallabies.

I'd like to know how everyone puts a time-line on a premiership.

I feel we have been underperforming of recent times (not neccessarily tanking though), and with the injection of a couple of players like O'Brien, Proud and Hansen, who should be ready round 1 next year, finals in 2008 is hardly fanciful, depending on how we recruit between now and then.

Once you're there, with a coach like Pagan, the pride some of these players have and a supporter base like ours we have the tactical and psychological ingredients to push far.

Mods, I think someone has hacked Sheiks account, they haven't even tried to stick to his normal posting style

Don't worry everyone. Sheik's just taking the piss after Molsey challenged him to post something positive, for once.

Really? Is that encouragement for people to post negative threads?

Can't win either way can I !!


By the way, if people think that 2008 is a little ambitious, then what effect will the 2006 & 2007 draft have on our ability to play finals ??

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GROUND ZERO + DRAFTING YOUTH = SUSTAINED SUCCESS

Gee I hope you're right but 2008 seems really soon.