im ready to pounce on this one.

so you agree that the board should have done more to ensure that we played our majority of games at the MCG to get more bums on seats?

Can't do much if the AFL won't schedule you in for that and won't pay you out of the contracts at Optus if you go to the MCG. .

Bookie, as a kid growing up, the name Carlton was synonymous with wealth, success, vision and professionalism, and they were a club that was admired for these qualities. I used to watch your club in awe in the early 80's. The point I was making in my previous post (and reinforced by Camel and Headplant) is that the Carlton name has lost that aura, and that has been primarily through the fault of the club itself for failing to see the winds of change (apologies for the Scorpions reference). The notion of "buying" premierships is totally irrelevent, as what was conducted by clubs during that period was completely within the rules. Plenty of other clubs threw money around left, right and centre during that time and won diddly squat. Carlton worked harder and were more successful as a result.

The whole hand-out mentality that is thrust upon the Dogs/Roos etc.. is the biggest furphy of all time. We are screwed annually by the vagaries of the AFL draw, (Fox Footay matches v Freo on a Sunday arvo are not quite as attractive for potential sponsors as having 8-10 Friday night games on prime time Ch. 9, are they) and the CBF is there to compensate those clubs as a result. You're dead right that our previous administrations being financially reckless in the 70's and 80's, but you tell me one club (apart from maybe Carlton) who lived within their means during that time. New Magpies ring a bell? Save our skins? 11c in the dollar at Moorabbin? I'm sure there's more. With the threadbare resources at our disposal, I doubt you will find 2 more competent and astute leaders than David Smorgan and Campbell Rose. As for losing players that we really wanted to keep, we've lost as many in the last 10 years as you have, one, and that was purely a financial decision, just like yours.

As for PP's, we have 2 of those at our club, Farren Ray and Tom Williams. Young Tom is a project player who will take a year or two. You have one in Walker. Contrary to perception, we only spent 2 seasons in the bottom 4 (thanks once again Rohder for the recession we had to have) and in our entire history in the AFL we've only won 4 spoons, which suggests to me that we have been fighting out of our weight division for 80 years and usually end up mid range. But what the hell, perceptions are hard to change.

Finally, I'm not so ingnorant to know that other clubs have breached the salary cap and cheated the system. The penalties handed out to Carlton were draconian to say the least, but they cannot be blamed for the current lack of 100-150 gamers on your list - the backbone players that sides like Port, Brisbane and Essendon* have won the last 5 flags on the back of. These guys would have been drafted in 1996-1999, and that black hole of recruiting at Carlton has been devastating to the shape of your list at present IMO.

you see, this is what i really fail to understand CB.

i cant see how you can say the previous board was crap (which it was in the end, no arguments there) but then say everything the current board is doing is okay.

IMO - neither board has been over impressive.

We all know my stance on our current board, as well as the past board, but what i cant understand is how you and many others are so quick to shit can the previous board but let the current board get away without any scrutiny. And good forbid the backlash when you say the current board hasnt performed as well as you would have liked it to.

The one thing the current board has done - is have the courage to consider leaving OO - and that is a good thing, but i dont think our club got anything like a good deal in the process.

IMO we gave up so much, yet got very little in return and that falls squarely on the shoulders of the board.

Do not be surprised if the AFL asks Carlton to start scheduling games elsewhere as well. Much like North and the saints and the doggies.

You know the funny thing was, I was thinking about this very thing just this week. I can see Collo now coming out and saying we need the "cash" from these interstate games. I swear, I will go off my f**king head.

Haven't we signed a ridiculously long contract to play 6 games at the Dome and 5 at the G though?

Prez our current board acts in the best interest of the AFL . We are not the strong club that we used to be and we cooperate with the AFL as much as possible as we are reliant on them for favourable fixturing and handouts. Do not be surprised if the AFL asks Carlton to start scheduling games elsewhere as well. Much like North and the saints and the doggies.