He was an Australian junior and schoolboy champion at middle distance and cross-country,

recipient of the prestigious Warwick Shedden Memorial Trophy from the Bulky Goods Retailers Association (BGRA).

Ruffy was appointed Victoria's first Honorary Consul to the Republic of South Africa in July 2006

It's easier said than done. You have to be smart about it and you need influential allies. If a handful of members ark up prior to an AGM it gets nowhere. The way to go about it is through the media. Kernahan hates criticism...especially when it's delivered directly at him. So a Caro piece in The Age, a follow up dig on one of the programs she appears on in both TV and radio...perhaps another journo going along for the ride - which shouldn't be hard because Carlton sells newspapers.

But be mindful that the club is controlled by Bruce Mathieson and Pratt monies. It doesn't take much for Bruce Mathieson to contact a few journos of his own and before you know it a headline appears saying 'Billionaire will withdraw Carlton cash if board spilled'. Carlton members have been hamstrung. For years we were denied a proper vote of board members and now it sits at a ridiculous 13 while the same promises are made year after year.

Also need to be mindful that Kernahan can't go on after 2014. The Constitution prevents it. Most Carlton members are very blasé about what goes on at board level. The only chance he goes is if he gets ousted at the October board meeting. There are rumblings, but nothing concrete. No one wants to rock the boat because they fear an 'Et tu, Brute?!' scenario.

I'll repeat what I said a while ago. Do you know what each of our 13 board members are responsible for? What areas of their expertise are they using? Take a look at the Bulldogs board. Very transparent. I know what they do. And therefore I know why they're there.

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/club/governance/board

Now look at the Carlton board. http://www.carltonfc.com.au/club/board

Ahmed Fahour has been there a year - yet still has a 'more detailed bio soon' next to his name. Similarly Craig Mathieson. They're aware of it.

Jeanne Pratt's bio reads like a 'This is Your Life' script (it should be noted that Jeanne is also a mother and grandmother), yet nothing about what area she oversees as a board member at Carlton.

We do know that in 2008, Richard Newton was appointed chair of the Audit & Finance Committee - but is that still his role? Who would know, particularly when Marcus Clarke's bio states that he has 'has a particular interest in the development of an elite training facility for the Club'...Wow! Sounds fantasti...what...what? Hang on...we have one of those!

Zac Fried 'most recently played a key role in the redevelopment of VISY Park for the club.'....most recently obviously meaning 2009.

Mark LoGiudice gets an interesting bio. This is the director who prior to being a board member, went into business with Chris Judd, then went to exhaustive lengths to keep Judd's $500,000 investment in his hotel and pokies concealed. Then he becomes a director (not voted on by members mind you) and then he wants his money back...to make matters infinitely worse - Carlton use LoGiudice as a spokeman for the launch of a Responsible Gambling Awareness Program in May of this year? Oh boy...it stinks.

Mr. LoGiudice...I trust you are paying for the privilege to sit on my football clubs' board? What exactly do you do on the board? Can we please have some transparency here?

...need I go on? Here's an idea Carlton. Treat the fans like investors (they are). Treat potential fans like potential investors (they are). Treat me like a direct debit that forks over cash every year because my heart bleeds navy blue and my head will soon put a stop to it. Show me you care. Show me you're professional. Tell me why you're on the board. Tell me the reasons I should 'invest'. Act like you're a multi-million dollar business - because I think you've forgotten that you are.

so how did the review go ?

what recommendations will the board act on ?

Slight change of tack:

Does any one get the Carlton Media App on their mobile?

Does the Club look like a dinosaur living in past glories?

On Grand Final week, we have videos of 1970, 1979, 1981, 1892, 1987 Grand Finals.

Does any one think, that the Club admin are just desperate trying to make Carlton relevant for its Members during Grand Final week?

Our time will come again, granted it may never again match the era that was experienced between 68 and 95 but it will come.

In the history of grand final week we are far more relevant than many others have been over the years, would you prefer what clubs like St Kilda and the Bulldogs have to offer up at this time of year?

Until we have another Premiership to celebrate they are absolutely relevant. Other clubs like to fete their past champion teams, i don't see why we shouldn't as well considering we have much more to celebrate than most other clubs do.

As much as none of us likes where we are at the moment these things are cyclical as well, we have had 23 year droughts
between premierships twice previously in our history, this one will pass as well and that next premiership will be all that much sweeter and appreciated because of it.

St Kilda had to wait 70 years for their first flag and have been waiting almost another 50 for their second, i'll take our record and 'relevance' to grand final week any day of the week and will put our record of success up proudly against any other club's.

Our time will come again, granted it may never again match the era that was experienced between 68 and 95 but it will come.

Rhetoric in your opinion, pride in the history of my club in mine.

Of course there needs to be hard work to make the club successful again, past successes didn't happen by accident either, a lot of people put a hell of a lot into the club to take it where it once was.

You need to consider that the AFL pushed us to within an ace of being extinct with the penalties they dished out against us in 2002.

It is going to take a whole lot of hard work to lift this club again but there is no reason why it can't happen. Of course it may take a whole lot of change in administration etc to get there and as far as Sticks goes at the time he took over the Presidency NOBODY else wanted it as we were done, we were close to handing our licence back to the AFL as recently as 2006.


Going forward it's obvious there's need for change but for all the talk and screaming for people's heads i don't see anybody putting their hands up to actually do anything concrete to make things better.

I am quite realistic in an assessment of where we are now and the need for things to be turned around but that will never stop me from recognising the achievements of the past and the efforts that a great number of people including us members who were part of it put in at the time to make it happen.

Regardless of what happens in the future i will continue to love and support this club as i have over many years. NOTHING will ever make me feel that i am not proud to be associated with such a great club.

Carlton is irrelevant to this competition except for past glories - think Fitzroy

Essendon** may just move into the same place - think Melbourne

And Richmond...

Collingwood at least has some power and some sense of being a powerhouse.

But since 1970 the Victorian powerhouse has been Hawthorn.

About another 20 years should see them lead all in the flags won.

Hawthorn were going to merge with Melbourne not so long ago.................nek minnit............premierships are flowing.

Things need to change and fast but they can be done. Are we up to it?

Someone has to form a ticket of 13 and wipe the entire board off the map.
We need an independent review by Don Argus or someone similar.
We need a new constitution. The current deadlock in the board is the result of a dinosaur document. The recent amendments were just a side show of peripheral issues.