Too many clubs and coaches lack the balls to state their intentions for fear of ridicule.
IMO, if you're a top 8 coach and you're not aiming to win the flag, you should step aside and let someone else do the job.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Dont preach to me kiddo,im proudly OLD Carlton.

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All my dangerous friends

I AM CARLTON.

nuff said.

100% Agree

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

I am sure they are all aiming for the flag but what you say is true. They won't say it for fear of ridicule. That is fair enough though. Keep it out of the media but make sure thos inside the club know it. Players, staff and coaches should all be aiming for the flag this year.

I understand last seasons tactic of setting the bar at winning a final. Pre 2011 season our players were on the edge of a mental collapse after two finals crashes. Setting a challenging but achievable goal was a good way to get their minds back on track.
With that goal ticked off its time to win the premiership.

Takes a lot of luck to win one. Injuries, draw, form of other teams when you come up against them compared to when your competitors play them and then just plain luck in games. I think we now have a list mature enough and well drilled enough to limit the damage bad luck can have on our season.

The rotation policy will be the new trend this year after the Cats successfully used it last year. We will use it during those stages this season when we play at Etihad a lot which usually brings on injuries. Heavy training loads will also play a big part in this season. Timing which parts of the season we want our team in peak fitness/condition. We need to time it right and make sure our strategies are spot on.

We are ready to win the flag IMO. Prelim = pass mark ....unless we have a full list in peak condition and playing on the g and still lose a prelim. That would be a fail.

Personally I find it a bit odd that players are coming out and saying it should be OK to aim for top four, I mean for ehavens sakes that should be a given. Let's not be too shy here lads.

I'd like to assume though internally the club are aiming for a premiership. When you lose to the top four sides by less than 20 pts most times, and often by less than 10 pts, then you're not far off the pace

Maybe the club don't want to be seen to be overly arrogant and make promises they can't deliver

Footy clubs are more PC today than the Prime Minister.

If they aren't talking premiership privately I'd be surprised, but you have to earn your chance... if we can do well out of the early season and be around 8-2 before the Geel/WCE/Haw/Coll gauntlet then this will have a large say on the club's chances.

That's a scary four rounds, but you're going to be the best, you have to beat the best.

The pass mark is simple, a grand final appearance... which WILL happen.

And after the hawks narrowly beat us during the season we will break the hoodoo against them in the GF and # 17 will be ours!!!

Bring on 2012. It can't come fast enough!

Correct, they support gay marriage.

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#DonTheStash

Well you have to with the likes of David Hille and, it seems, the boys at St Kilda...

waite, jamison, curnow, henderson, russell and kreuzer missed quite a few games this year.
with these guys having a full preseason and players like, lucas, touhy, and watson coming on, our aim should be top four.
i think a pass mark will be,
finish top four, and winning a semi.
if we make a prelim, i think it will be a good year.
it all comes down to injuries, and be able to player manage.
we still have a young list, but it is our time.
cant wait

I am with you Mick. Enough of the baby steps. One way to look at last year is that we were an ounce of luck from a prelim, the other way is that all we proved is that we are better than the 8th best. Last year we lost to all the top 4 sides. Everyone aims at improvement every year and we need to go at least one better than last year - which is a prelim. And planning for a 2015 flag is way to conservative. Every team is aiming at that. Several of the teams below us will improve a lot between now and 2015. Next year we have to beat several or all of the Cats, Woods, Eagles and Hawks. We have been behind three of them for way too long. Juddy is a once in 50 years player. We need to be aiming at a flag while he is at his best. We have improvement in a lot of the youngsters and several of them need to bob up. Jamo and Waite need to not be missing regular games.

This year we need to bridge the gap.

Gotta love the headline in the Inside Carlton magazine;

"It takes a certain courage of conviction for a senior AFL coach to stand before 1600 of the rank and file and publicly declare his team a top four aspirant"

Seriously, who writes this shit? After the previous 3 years results, I'd suggest a top 4 finish is the minimum we'd expect if we're to improve?

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

With you BV and it is not even a guarantee or a commitment, it is an aspiration. I would have thought every coach has a simialr 'aspiration'. And why top 4? Does that mean we can lose both finals and still be a success. We need to get up with those sides we have been behind - Cats, Woods Hawks, and then we will be genuine contenders. Get ambitious Blues. We have been okay against the Cats but way behind the Hawks and Woods. I expect wins against them (not honourable losses) and for us to see ourselves as a premiership contender. If we keep aiming low we will achieve our aims and not win a flag, which is the only reason clubs exist.