I address this to the new (and old) members of the board, supporters, players, and football fans in general.

Over the last couple of years the Carlton Football Club has faced adversity as never before. We have been sanctioned by the AFL, labelled cheats, finished last (for the first time) on more than one occasion, had on and off field dis harmony, a huge turnover of players, coaching controversy and insurgence, board room battles, resignations, sackings, all the while trying to be the ruthless Carlton of old and field a somewhat competetive team.

In the last few days, the members of the Carlton Football Club have used their voices and elected the people who they think are able to lead us out of these bad times more than anyone else. This is not a process that Carlton Football Club fans would like to go through, however something that has had to happen out of necessity.

No longer can we sit by and accept mediocrity, no longer can we hear excuses and no longer can we sit by and let our club be torn apart, largely due to our own in-fighting.

A message has been sent to the board, a message has been sent to the team, a message has been sent to the supporters, and a message has been sent to the AFL and fans of football country and world wide.

The message has been received and now it is time for action.

The best thing that can possibly happen to the Carlton Football Club from here in is to present ourselves as a unified front, a TEAM all working for the same goal, all working to get this mighty club back to the pinnacle of the competition, where we belong.

I plead with the new board to keep in mind the history of our great club, the success, the glory, the attitudes of former glories. But i also ask the new board to keep in mind the feelings of the last few years. I ask the board to keep those memories close, draw on them often, as this is where Carlton Football Club does not deserve to be. I ask the new board to remember we are the most successful club in VFL/AFL history, no-one will take that away from us, and everything that can be done, must be done, in order to ensure that we live up to the name of most successful club in VFL/AFL history.

I plead with the supporters to show unity. The decision has now been made, and regardless of who you voted for, the board has been elected and the majority of Carlton Football Club members have spoken, and their voices have been heard. Fighting over the new board will cause nothing but more controversy and we all know how much the rest of the football community love sticking it to us.

I plead with the players and the coaching staff to put the last few months behind us. We are building a list of amazing young talent....
A coleman medallist, two #1 draft picks, a #2 draft pick, and players who are hungry, young, tough and keen. Denis Pagan has said himself, the thing we needed to work on was our size, we were pushed around in the last few years, and having seen the size of the boys this year, under a new fitness advisor and re-juvinated coaching panel, we are much bigger, and that pushing, well it may very well go the other way from here on in.

We are a passionate bunch, i understand that, and everyone has their own opinions, but for the sake of the club that we all hold so close to our hearts, im asking, pleading, begging, for all of us Carltonians to stand together, unified-board, players, coaches, supporters, and restore this beautiful club to where it belongs.

I heard what Denis Pagan was saying about our size and about being pushed around and i couldn't help but think that he meant more than just the players on the field have been pushed around.

We have been investigated on more than one occasion, we have been moved from our spiritual home, we have been under pressure from the AFL, and still we breathe, still there is fight.

And while fight is still present in the Carlton Football Club, we will never die. It's been said a thousand times, Beware the sleeping giant.

Well as far as i see it, the minute hand is just working it's way around and the alarm clock is about to toll. It's time to wake, time to stand as one, time to get back whats rightfully ours.

I love this club, as everyone here does, and seeing us in the situation we have recently been in breaks my heart.

A change has been made, for the better? we dont know yet, but a change is as good as a holiday. The battle is over, lets put that behind us and lets get behind this club.

Lets kick some serious arse this year boys, get out there, give em hell, and stick it up the thousands and thousands who all said we were gone, who all said we were a rabble and lets show them what heart, courage, determination and passion can accomplish.

Because basically, we are Carlton, and @#$%&! the rest.

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Back like a raging case of pubic lice

For me that was a beautiful piece of work bnz.
Go Blueboys!!!

oh god, all I saw was what about the dildo.......

It would be great if lapsed members got a copy of that.
Might remind them of why they should renew.

great post. After months of negativity I had had enough of even logging in to TC and made myself not do so for a month until after the election. It is posts like this one that makes it all worthwhile

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Ich bein ein Carltonian

Amen brother....lets get back to being hated for being the Best team this league has ever produced. Not being hated because we're a laughing stock on and off the field.

Screw the rest...We ARE Carlton, and sticks put it perfectly...**** the rest!


Nic

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Cuck Follingwood

AGREE AGREE AGREE...

Although....
I love our history and I love that "we are Carlton". But please understand that having a history doesn't entitle us to success in the future. We should recognise the past, but more importantly learn from it and build on it. Just because we are the most successful club in the history of the VFL/AFL doesn't entitle us to continue to be so. Because we certainly aren't the most successfull club in the history of the new era (AFL excluding VFL).

There are new rules and a new way of life and we need to change with the times. Leave our arrogance at the door and get out into the new world and learn new ways to be successful.

We have already started to show signs... recruiting instead of trading, increasing numbers on the coaching panel, improved medical/training facilities, increasing the size and speed of players (historical we were a skillful slow club), etc, etc

But there is more we can do. We need to continue to find new ways and new ideas in order to be competitive, both on and off the field ... we can all help by thinking of ideas to gain that competitive advantage. And doing something about it.

It's good to know, recognise and be proud of your history. If you don't know where you've been and come from, it's hard to know where you're heading. But the most important part of history, is to learn from it.

What has happened in the past is just that... the past. We don't "belong" at the top. No club has that entitlement. We need work hard and earn the right to be at the top.

Today is the first day of the new Carlton. This year truly feels different than any other year that I can remember at the club. We've never ever had such an exciting young list. We've never had the quality of this coaching panel. And hopefully the new board can live up to this. Lets all stick together, work hard and build a new Great Carlton.

What a magnificent post, well said.

We need Steven Kernahan to become president!
Nothing against Greg Lee and others, as I think they have a lot to offer now and in the future but, Sticks is the man that will unite this club and move it forward as one both on and off the field. I believe he will be a great president with monumental support within and outside the club. The backers will also come and the supporters will follow in droves.

YOUR THE MAN STICKS ... DO IT.

Could have just stuck with that... got the point across...


Nice post.

Lets stick together

Come on, come on

Lets stick together

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

So you just went out and bought your membership bnz

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Witty signature required.

yeah thats right, at this point in time i am not a member. I have been a member for every year since 1994 and last year was social club.

Why arent i a member this year yet?

My wife is pregnant and hardly working.
My son goes to day care.
I have a mortgage.
My wife will be on UNPAID maternity leave when she has our baby, meaning we live on once income.

So basically i cannot afford a membership at this point in time as i feel feeding my son and keeping a roof over our heads is a little more important.

Does this disqualify me from speaking with passion about my club?

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Back like a raging case of pubic lice

damn I was worried about this kind of response.

Dude, FULLMONT made me say it!!! I don't really care if you're a member or not. It was actually a nice post.

cry me a @#$%&! river.

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Witty signature required.

how much would ur membership cost?

$217.

If all i had to worry about was paying rent and going to the pub every weekend i'd have it by now.

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Back like a raging case of pubic lice

if a couple of the boys on ehre wanna put in, id be happy to! mate we are carlton and we should stick together!
ill see what i can do!
whats your membership number?

barone- the true spirit of carlton runs in your veins brother, but i cant ask anyone to do that for me.

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Back like a raging case of pubic lice

Right on Brother....AMEN to that

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carn the blues

BNZ, I can tip in $25.00 if it will help.

Happy to make out a postal cheque for that figure to Carlton and send it to you... if others chip in that should get you over the line.


Either way, i can spare $25.00 if it helps you to get to the matches.

bananz...TSS will hook u up brother.....but good on everyone for their support.....caring about eachother.....i said i wasnt gonna cry lol.....good job people....true blues all round....love you all