We got cheated and were punished.

But its in nobodys interests to see us where were at now.

Do you really think that a couple more years of this that any club will get any benefits of playing against us?
Crowds are down.
Our membership is down.

How many top 5 picks have we had since our first wooden spoon anybody tell me?

Without the early picks.. and the tightening up of the priority pick system everybody knows its going to take us alot longer to stand on our feet list wise.
Eveybody also now knows we couldnt absorb what happened to us on Black Friday.

Why now???

Back then it was assumed we could get out of this... we all now know we couldnt.
Back then if we took the AFL on for the priority pick we would have been sent back to the stone age.. because taking on the AFL was what all that was about.

Things have changed now.

We have been good boys about leaving princes Park.. about keeping our coach to save the AFLs face... but we need that pick desperately.

The legal people know we would win it in a legal contest.
Its been looked at by a team headed up by Simon wilson.. (Who by the way is not handling the legal case he is only handling it from the boards end)
The evidence and all the legal stuff has been passed onto the AFL and this time they havent said "no" right away as before.

They need to make a judgement on it
number 1 we have a very good case if we went to court... (which is not the preferred option)
number 2 . Its in noones interests to have us this weak for this long and longer.
number 3 having Watts and Fitzpatrick around has shocked the AFL into how bad we really are .(Watts is alleged to have reported that in the time he was at StKilda things were never this bad for them)

If you look at things clearly and logically.. it is in noones interests to see us suffer the way were suffering.
It costs the other clubs as well.
But most of all theyre half way though destroying a great club .. and i dont think anyone really wants to see that...

The time is right for this part to be fixed.

The rest were going to have to do ourselves.

_________________
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.

All of this is true from our perspective, but talk to anyone from 15 other clubs, they couldn't give a stuff. The only way we will get that pick will be to take it to the courts.

Exactly and I don't think our board has the ticker to take the AFL to court

clubs do care.. a strong carlton generates money...for the comp..

_________________
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.

Beantown wrote



That's right Beantown. Noone gives a stuff about other clubs, especially Carlton. That's why we have to give a stuff. It's our club, and we have to do everything possible to win what's righfully ours.

So you think that we can win it in the courts...so do most others...that's because the decision was unjust. If we have to go to the courts to get what's ours, why not?

Nothing to lose.

PS: If you asked Collingwood, Essendon* and Richmond supporters how much they value their rivalry with Carlton, and you'll find that it's well and truly up there with them playing finals. When the big 4 are competitive, the fervour the rivlary creates generates a finals atmosphere with an extra 30-40,000 people attending the game.

When Richmond was struggling in the 80's, shaking cans to survive, I couldn't bare to think of the competition without one of the big 4 Vics, and so I donated $300 to them for their survival. Does that mean I like the Tigers' ?(remind me of the '73 GF and the answer is no). No, but I respect them and the history between the two clubs.

Stick up for your team! If the board haven't got the ticker to do the right thing, then we supporters can should give them the strength and support to pursue the PP; in defense of our club.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Forget the supporters for a minute. Of course anyone who supports another club is going to be anti this proposal.

But the point is, the AFL is a business. Carlton vs Collingwood, Essendon*, Richmond, St Kilda, etc... is the PRODUCT that the AFL sells... sells to broadcasters for $800 million.

The over-riding imperative for the AFL here is not whether some sad-arsed toothless collingwood loser is going to shit his pants over a priority pick to Carlton. It's whether or not they can sell their NEXT media package for at least the same amount as the current package.

The threat of going to court and winning is an external lever, potentially allowing the AFL to do this without being seen to backflip.

Say after me:

Gibbs AND Hansen. Gibbs AND Hansen.

Exactly.
The AFL's focus is all about a SUSTAINABLE REVENUE.
In 5 years time they'd like to see the 'big 4' back dominating the finals bringing the masses through the turnstiles and tv ratings soaring.

_________________
There's so much I could say...

Most clubs are functining ok and there is hope... probably except the Kangaroos and Carlton.
The Kangas are dead in the water really.
But it is in noones interests to have a weak Carlton for a decade with no hope and nothing to look forward to.

_________________
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.

...They were still at it with 'Save our Skins' in the early 90's and I put money in that tin - just like I got a Fitzroy membership in 1996.

I don't think you'll hear a great deal of fuss from the likes of Collingwood, Essendon* and Richmond if we get this decision in our favour - although a statement to appease their supporters along the lines of "we're not happy about the fact that the AFL has backflipped over this decision" might be all the clubs say - it'll be Caro and co. that will make it interesting.

I'd love to get the picks too but don't get your hopes up. Even if the AFL gave in (which they wouldn't) there is no way Essendon* would allow it. They would take the AFL to court in a heartbeat. We'll just have to be content with Gibbs alone.

What would be their reasoning Game? They weren't keen to contest the AFL when their 2002 pick was upgraded from 12 to 10 less than 24 hours before the draft!

I suppose all the clubs could then take the AFL to court because they would all be demoted 1 pick. Then the whole draft system would collapse i suppose. Should we be foreseeing this and letting it impact on our decision making for this case. Hell no!!!

No one gave a sh!t when we were essentially given a death sentence in 2002 and they all took advantage of our plight like vultures. Everyone just laughed and spat on us while we were down and were happy to let us rot

And we have to now give a damn about their feelings? I don't f#^king think so!!! Like Sticks said, f#^k'em!!!!

_________________
C'mon Blueboys!

is carlton the afl's bitch these days?

_________________
dane's trolling again

F*xK NO! we got to start fighting again like we used to, we want whats ours and we want whats not ours! F$%k em!

We don't care about Essendon* but Essendon* people do and they would be furious if the AFL gave us any extra picks. They have lost draft picks as well in the past. We can't fight the AFL but the scum sure as hell can. The AFL aren't afraid of us, they own us. We'll have to beg for the picks and they will say "No" and we will say "Thanks for your time, sorry for bothering you".

Yes, they lost first and second round picks for 2 years.
As we should have.
Not a priority pick.

The AFL virtually admitted their error by allowing us the priority pick in 2003.
Their inconsistency will be their undoing.

_________________
Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

What they'll take Andrew Walker off us?

We have no chance BlueVain, if it does happen I'll change my username to The Cretin.

the AFL will NOT award us a priority pick this year and hoping they might is just stupid.

_________________
Back like a raging case of pubic lice

QFT.

(We do get a PP after the first round though, don't we? BNZ's referring to a first round PP, right?)

_________________
And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

i am referring to the PP before the first round. wont happen. stop whinging. get over it. 20 something pages arguing over something that will never happen. pathetic.

_________________
Back like a raging case of pubic lice

Agree.

It would be nice if it happened, but then again, it would be nice to win Powerball, too.

_________________
And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.