She might have an axe to grind but she's spot on.
The Blue Print is a steaming pile of turd and deserves to be held up to ridicule.
The depth of our crisis has finally hit the mainstream this year. It's about time.

No one knows what we stand for because there are so many mixed messages. Premiership clocks. Rebuilding. We so badly stuffed up our big chance to turn things around during the past 10 years that the decisions now being made will determine if we continue to morph into the next Richmond and Melbourne. That cannot be underestimated.
At least now the mainstream media is scrutinising the people making these decisions. And enjoying taking the piss. Problem is we by and large still have the same decision-makers on board.

But, for starters, I'd like my club to stand for putting out a team each week that has a crack. That doesn't go missing for a quarter and/or a half. A team that tries. A team that is blooding kids. A team whose leaders lead and are educating the youngsters. A team that doesn't rely on senior players being dropped and publicly humiliated before they come back in and play out of their skin for a week or maybe two. A team that wouldn't soft cock it against the Scum in their pathetic coach's final game. Has anyone else ever been so angry? A team full of players who put their heads over the ball. Run both ways. They mightn't always win but they never give up and each week there are signs of improvement.

That old feeling Friday night reminds us why we love Carlton. Graham's goal. Docherty. Everitt. Gibbs and Murph. Our boy Menzel. Crazy Robbo knocking a Roo for six. Simmo. Sam Rowe proving many wrong. A ruckman taking a mark! Juddy grinning like an 18YO singing the team song.
A team that makes us proud. That would do me, for now ... because the rest would eventually come.

The players need to swell with pride when they pull that Navy Blue jumper on. I want to feel those goose bumps again. The tingle down the back. Some of us are forgetting that. Getting nervous before a game again ... because it matters. There's something on the line other than a better draft pick.
The club needs to keep reminding us. It needs to renew and replenish our dwindling passion. We're here ... the club just need to find us again and tap back into it. It needs to find people who can do that.


And I think Sam's a little bit hot.

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I just want my old club back ... (edit) maybe I have!

Wish she had the courage to write this when Sticks was still there, he has to take responsibility for the cultural malaise we found ourselves in.

Well....he, the board and Swann. Swanns mates wrote the blueprint. ..not sports consultants...mates. Time and time again...

And the visy controlled board endorsed it. Those directors should accept responsiblity for failing to achieve the so called objectives that they set themselves and resign ......

Isn't that last bit what Naomi Robson (or was it Anna Coren?) said when Media Watch 'dared' to have a go at Today Tonight?

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

What are you talking about?

Wonderful piece by Sam.
Gee she writes well.

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

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Just because I'm offended, doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Some interesting snippets, but the biggest revelation was that the appointment of our next CEO "stands to be the most important (appointment) in the Blues' history".

Way to ruin an article, idiot.

The next ceo is critical

Get it wrong the next premiership will be at least 20 years from now.....

Get it right the next premiership will be at least 10 years from now assuming that we make the correct recruitment , development and list management decisions and director board appointments....

The old carlton way is over..what has killed carlton was the draft and the salary cap...the effects of the elliott era would be over by now if we did not have a salary cap and draft system...

I remember Sam Lane arriving with her dad at The Melbourne Times 'TMT Cup' in Carlton after the 1995 flag for what was a legendary night of Navy Blue celebrations. Jack Elliott was propping up the bar at one end as Couta, Ange, Brownie and co. enjoyed a few cold ones with adoring fans. Great night and a chat with Sam revealed such a passion for the Blues and understanding of the game. Fast forward to today and she's spot on about that Blueprint - an utterly cringe-worthy document of hot air and nothing more. Sticks cops it for producing this but shouldn't. For what it's worth, senior administrators from the best in the competition, Geelong, rate Sticks as an all quality individual and a great club man. we could have done far worse than Sticks. The future now is Mick Malthouse. His methods are working and it's exciting to see blokes playing more accountable football (Gibbs, Murphy, Yarran, Robbo, Curnow) and blokes who have more hardness at the contest (Bell (rarely questioned), Rowe, White, Everitt, Casboult) the latter was so needed amongst the current Carlton group. Malthouse knows Carlton, his career spans the golden era of our great club. He above any other current coach instills pride which this group also needed plus core belief in what is the central characteristic of Carlton- health in mind and body. His vision is spreading amongst players who are getting on-board and now the fans who typically are a little more slower on the uptake.

Brilliant piece. Reflects everything I'm feeling.......

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

Met MLG after the Northern Blues lunch yesterday: he absolutely believes that the next ceo is critical and that the right process must be followed, not matter how long it takes. I hope I'm being fair to him to say that I got the impression he feels this is the first major appointment the club is making after going through a proper process. (I didn't ask what that says for the process of him becoming pres.)
I was very impressed by his commitment to doing things the right way in future. And he gets where us 40-something lifelong Blues lovers come from, cos he is one.

Love the passion kennyhunter.

Nothing but net Sam

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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

Seconded.

Like the article, agree 100% with Moshe.

This.

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O say does that star spangled banner yet wave.

I would be happy if they stood for just one thing...winning.

Geez you said that well!