I hope the ACCC can now concentrate their guns on eBay!!!

Wife just rang me and told me the news...GUTTED!!!!

What business is it of anybody else's who we as members choose to run our club! OK Dick stepped down of his own volition but obviously there has been pressure. What angers me is the assumption that, because there have been allegations he should step down immediately....why!!!! When he is guilty and in jail he can step down, why before that! Negative press, other clubs supporters taunting us, why care about any of that. As Sticks said, we're Carlton Flower the rest!!

I dont condone what he did with cardboard prices but he has certainly done well with his involvement at Princes Park. With Dick at the helm anything was possible. Chris Judd!! no problem, I was even 1/2 thinking we were a chance to get Jonno Brown with Dick leading the charge.

I just worry that the ship just had its rudder fall off.

I know we all hate [Patrick Smith] already but please, when he or anybody else in the media goes on with the 'Carlton members wouldnt stand Dick Pratt's tenure continuing, or the Carlton Members would demand action' BS it drives me up the wall. All of the carlton Members I know loved Dick and wanted him to be Prez for ever. I didnt say we all agreed with price fixing just that we loved the way he was running our club. I'm more angry wuith the flower-wits like [Patrick Smith] who've made this such a political showpiece that Dick never really had any options.

Open Memo to [Patrick Smith], it's you that we all hate and want to stand aside, not Dick. Please God let there be some skeletons in the closet of some of the brass down at Windy Hill!!! How we'd all love to rub it in if one of your club officials was caught doing a Hugh Grant etc!!!

_________________
"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

Gold!!

_________________
Wisdom tells me I am nothing
Love tells me I am everything
Between the two my life flows

All really disappointing but the bulk of Dick's work has probably been done.

The club seems to have handled it well so far though the appointment of Kernahan as interim president had better remain interim and I hope his speeches are triple checked by Greg Swann.

Nothing stopping Dick from continuing to contribute financially and nothing stopping the rest of the board from approaching him "unofficially" for assistance when needed.

As I said, disappointing but at least there's no signs of an implosion and we have a very good group of people in place to keep moving in the right direction.




Had to re-read that a couple of times frankie...

_________________
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

The Spew supports Dick...

Richard, you will be our President when we lift number 17

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All at Carlton are Equal, Except some are More Equal than others

Let's put this in perspective....

While its sad to see King Richard stand aside, the main thing that must be remembered, is that he's already done what he was brought back to do...

a) Finances are back in order with a massive profit made last year, and expected again this year
b) Board and CEO issues sorted
c) Football Dept issues and short comings sorted
d) Improved on field performance

The Club is in good hands and is being run better now then at any stage since the glory days of the mid 90s...

IT'S NOT AS IF WE"VE LOST OUR BEST PLAYER, SO DESPITE WHAT OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS MIGHT THINK OR HOPE, ONFIELD AT LEAST, THIS DECISION SHOULD NOT AFFECT US ONE BIT!!

_________________
James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Well said!

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"our electorate seeks less to be informed and more to be validated." Sad times.

I did use the Capital D for Dick
Dick EVEN IF HIS WORK at Carlton is done in the formal sense has done a sensational job.
Carlton owe him a great debt .I reckon also the members owe for a different reason a great debt to Collo for keeping the club afloat after the Eliott imbroglio where it would have been easier on him and Carlton one to chuck the keys to the AFL and fold - without their passion for the club -objective financial assessments suggested we were gone

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!


Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

This is demoralising news.

The club has handled the process well and will continue to do so.

I for one will be taking the JUDD approach of treating the media circus as irrelevant.

Carlton Football Club will surge on to Premiership #17 I have no doubt.

Dont worry people, The almighty DICK PRATT will be back, he will get this sorted out and return as president of this great club. Im gutted and shattered about this but think of it in a different way, he will be back as soon as possible his only stood down to get this sorted out, so dont worry people, DICK WILL BE BACK!!!

GO BLUES

_________________
"I can't wait to win a premiership with this club" - Fev

I think he will be found guilty and be forced to end his official association with the club. Hopefully his health stands up and he can have an unofficial influence on precedings at the club.
While Pratt may be guilty the gutter press from Patrick Smith has risen to a new level....its not about Pratt anyway its about Carlton bashing and Smith unable to to deal with the rebirth of the Carlton Football club and his bias against the club is over the top and irrational.

_________________
"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Patrick will write about how Sticks "Stand By Your Man" is bringing the game into disrepute and that he has been vocal about this since 1986.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

It would be very difficult with Dick in the chair given his authority/talent leadership /commercial acumen for a successor to arise or be anointed -this will mean the club will actively need now to do some successionist planning (something that we havent been very good at ) for a replacement for Dick

Ideal replacements would be Fahour but if not him Andy Penn amd no doubt there are others

Whilst I think Swann is doing a terrific job we should also be ensuring that the club at the end of the year turn its mind to a successor for him as well in the longer term

Dick is still in charge of the club.. dont worry..
Swann and Pratt along with EVERYBODY ELSE will continue on to grow the club to tyhe number 1 club in Australia.. the wheels are in motion..

Opposition muppets think that RP needs to be president for us to become huge....

Well just they wait and see...

Dick is the person who drove the resurgence... but it is not a resurgence without the playting group... staffers.. supporters and coterie groups and sponsors...All of us are right behind theb club and will continue to be so...

Dick is still around...

The job will be finished with a premiership and then the planning to get the next one won will continue...
Thats the Carlton way!!!!
GO BLUES!!!!

_________________
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.

I feel for Pratt as he has done so much for the club but probably wont be Prez to reap the benifits. The joy of being at the helm when we bring in out next flag.

I live in hope that the charges will get dropped over the summer and he can take the helm once more.

I am sure Sticks is not going to deveate from the plan in place and any big decision will be made consulting the masterminds behind our fightback.

Pratt will still be there with the advice and probably the $$$ so all should be ok.

My only worry is how the sponsors are going to react. Both the ones we have now and the pottential sponsors down teh track.

Good Luck Dick and thanks for all your help so far.

Youll find Pratt is a huge fan off Delutis...with people like Fried to stay/.. and the inclsiuon pof alot of new blood...

Without Pratt there the board is too big .... a new president will need a cull....!!!

Now id hate to see people from within the board exercising ambition against what Dick wants....

_________________
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.

How is it that Qantas can price-fix, get found guilty and fined more than double the Visy penalty, and yet are retained as the AFL official airline?

Flowering hypocrites!!!

_________________
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.

So now that this is over, when can I expect to pay under $1.80 at the pump from now on.

Guys? Why are you running away like that?



Hello??

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

Just got this from the club..................

Carlton Football Club

Media Statement

Friday June 20, 2008



Richard Pratt has today advised the Carlton Football Club of his intention to stand aside as President of the Club.

Richard’s decision is effective immediately. He is to stand aside until this latest matter with the ACCC is resolved.


As a result, Carlton Vice-President Stephen Kernahan will assume the role of Interim President.


Richard’s decision to stand aside from his position is obviously a disappointing development for Carlton, which acknowledges the outstanding contribution he has made in returning the Club he so genuinely loves to prominence in the AFL competition both on and off the field.


Sixteen months ago, Richard saw fit to answer the Club’s call to return to Carlton as President. He deemed it an honor to accept the role, which was the culmination of his lifelong commitment to Carlton as a Director, Sponsor and Player.


“Once again Richard has shown his loyalty to the Carlton Football Club in standing aside at this time. He sees the need to deal with these issues personally, and not have them distract the focus of the Club going forward,” Carlton Chief Executive Officer Greg Swann said.


“Stephen Kernahan now steps into the role as Interim President, and he will ensure that the great work of the past 16 months continues.”


Kernahan said he was prepared to assume the role as Interim President of Carlton in Richard’s absence.


“Richard has been truly fantastic for the Carlton Football Club for more than 50 years. We appreciate him putting the Club’s interests to the fore, as he has always done,” Kernahan said.


“I have no doubt that Richard will continue to support the Club he has so ably served and we do hope Richard returns as President as soon as possible.”

_________________
“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

Dont mind if it is Delutis or whoever provided that steps are being put in place and we have the appropriate planning for succession rather than it being ad hoc like it was done in the past- same with the CEO we need to be looking for the next one for the longer term
It wouldnt surprise me if Demetriou left Swann may be the next CEO of the AFL - Anderson wouldnt be in the frame but Gale Mcloughlin and Swann will be
There are numerous people with expertise who would be good other than Delutis who could be board members - Anthony Pratt Tom Elliott Daniel Grollo as well as the other 2 I mentioned