But Synbad,

I can't get SEN - so this is what was in The Age from Smorgon:

"I wish to make it very clear Carlton will strictly adhere to the club's youth policy in the national and pre-season drafts as well as during the trade period," Smorgon said. "A number of names have been linked to Carlton in recent times. I want to make it clear that unless these players fit within our youth policy, they will not come to the club."


So where does it say we won't look at Cox next year? Or where does it say we won't look at Judd in 24 months time? From what I can see this is a policy which applies to this year's national and pre-season drafts and next year's trade period. Next year may be different. I don't have a problem with this position being articulated.

Smorgan some months back was given the position to turn around the worst run football club in Australia. Part of his job is attract sponsors and members to the club to generate money. Gardiner has been linked to the under world and was kicked out of his existing club for a drinking binge. Not an exciting prospect for a sponsor to put his name to.

On monday on national television his head coach and man in charge of the football department had the chance to get on the front foot and promote Carlton to its sponsors and supporters by denying that we were interested in Gardiner. He choose to do what he always does and talk in wriddles

Smorgan took steps yesterday to let the public know what Pagan should have told them yesterday. If that undermines Pagan then so be it . Pagan might learn to stop talking bullshit cliches and start telling the public the truth

Well done Smorgan annoucing that youth policy to ward off th Gardiners of this world was a step in the right direction . He also stated he wasn't interested in Aker

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But the plan is ridiculous if its set in stone.

A plan is a set of guidelines.

I repeat if Cox comes out of contract next year do you not target him because he may be 25???

You have a plan among yourselves on how you believe the club recruiting philosophyshould be run .. but 24 or under is pretty stupid.. if Cox comes around..

So why say it like its so cut and dry???

Could it be just a tagline ?????

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Its not well done.... because if he is at loggerheads with the coach and Smorgon is running the list.. Pagan shouldnt be there.. so should have been sacked 2 weeks ago.

Why is Smorgon managing the list???
He knows nothing about football...!!!

Its because there is a fundamental clash in philosophies with the coach.. which then begs the question.....what the hell is going on?????

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Guidelines v set in stone? How can my argument be set in stone and yours only guidelines that can be manipulated? We have to set the scene for members. You are saying it should be internal and no one knows about it? Is that what it is at the moment? How do we keep people to the target if this is the case... how will we know whether there is a breach of policy? We dont... and we have Saddington, Longmuir to prove it.

It also lets you overrule your Coach who may want to recruit old hacks from other Clubs. Thats a good thing.

Where does it say Smorgon is running the list? Pagan has said a few times this year the exact same thing.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

Where does what say what?????

Smorgon and the board forbid the coach to sign wo he wants... thats clear...

Stay with us...

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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.

He is doing what Collins should have done 4 years ago and we might have been better off now. You have been screaming for a plan and direction for years now he has put one in place and he is going to make sure that Pagan adheres to it.

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Yeah i want a youth policy.. but i wouldnt be stupid enough to say only those under 24 though.
I would be saying.. were going with youth were investing in youth but i wouldnt give an age....

A 25 year old Cox (pardon the pun) can still be useful to turning this club around.

Smorgon said ... "We have been on a youth policy 24 and under for the last 2 years.." but what happened with Saddington??

Its just a tagline...

Just say the basics.. and be positive and stop talking shit!!!

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Where does it say that the youth policy is never ever going to change Synbad? Smorgon says it applies for this year's natioanl draft, pre season draft, and trade period - but he never goes onto say that this is set in concrete forever.

Reality is that we are all on the same page. Pagan needs to go, and Smorgon has not proved to be a very capable or effective President. That shouldn't stop us from congratulating him when he gets something right though. And in this instance - to articulate where our recruiting is going to be aimed was a sensible decision which offers hope to our members that previous trading bloopers are not going to be repeated.

If only the policy had have been in place we could have had Salopek last year - but then again, you wanted us to hold out for the bigger, and older name and we lost the best fish available to us because of our dithering. Hello McLaren, goodbye Salopek.

I dont think you guys actually understand whats going on and gravity of some of the things we say/ do...

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Synbad you are spot on . That fool Smorgon has to go, he has no idea. He come accross on TV as a person who has no idea on how the football industry works. He undermined the football dept once again and made us look a complete bunch of flower again and again and again. Just told him via email to the club to keep his mouth shut. ( won't do any good anyway ). No wonder the players want more money having to put up with this shit should be worth another 50k min

Smorgon is at least pretending to run the business side of the business. That needs commitments to certain things. Strategic plans, policies, performance hurdles.

Overruling the football departments ability to recruit 25 year olds is a good thing in my book. Espeically where we are. A Board can always reverse of make an exception to a policy. If Judd or Cox was ever in the market, and the Blues were interested (1 in a million chance) then you would make the exception and tell the members why.

The problem is at the moment that the fans have no confidence in the board to make the right decision, as evidenced by hundreds of anti-gardiner emails. There has to be policies for rebuilding otherwise the Football Dept / Pagan will continue to do what most of us have hated...mid 20 year olds from other Clubs coming to us and depriving kids of spots.

Thats what I want. If they cant remove Pagan for whatever reason then castrate him in accordance with where we want to be at the end of 2007 - a list of bright young things and not a team of Bullants.

Is that the truth or is that what some scum sucking leech of a player manager said might be the truth?

Agree with Synbad here, you can have a youth policy without having something set in stone because there are a number of players over 24 who we would snap up if they became available. If Smorgan is citing this guidline in specific reference to Gardiner then he should have come out and said specifically that we weren't interested Gardiner because we're after players without question marks, rather than say people could draw their 'own conclusions about what that meant' - I thought the purpose of the press release was supposed to clear up speculation rather than invite it?? It appears to be a move to eek more control from Denis by wrapping a direct order in a club policy, the net result is more people scratch their heads and wonder what this joke of a man is going to conjure up next.

Disagree guys....

Lots of rumour and media saying we may be interested in Gardiner....

Smorgan comes out and squashes it...quick and precise...no mumbo jumbo (thus the 24 yo remark...)

Even if that cjanges becuase Jesus at 25 makes himself available...it's at least a positive deciisive step....for all members and supporters.

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Yep, pretty obvious Bill. End of story.

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

He has just spelt out the policy of the club; youth policy. It's direction we have been crying out to hear, and here it is, on a platter.

Said with subtleness, without naming Gardiner, IMO is the best way to do it, without personalising and causing a media sensation. I also believe that the message is clear for sponsors, and in terms of that message, the list speaks for itself.

Are you disatisfied that he is stating the youth policy as our direction? Do you really believe that politicians always keep their word, in reference to the point of not being older than 24? Well if so, note that there is a clause in that too; 100 games (5 seasons).

A 26 yo gun (Cox or Judd) would likely play another 5 seasons, which would imply that they would fit into our 'youth' policy.

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Agree Bondi
Synbad has been crying out for some sort of direction, and when he gets given it is still not happy..
its a real floor of his- once he has a stance, anything or anyone that goes some way to proving that stance wrong will only make him more resolute..

If Smorgan had said "We won't rule out any players at this stage, we want players that will help the CFC" everyone would be saying what an idiot Smorgan is because he had a chance to send a clear message to the footballing world about our intentions and now we are going to pick up more recycled players like Gardiner.


*yawn*

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