yep

sure



now u sound like those wrestlers that keep swapping between good n bad ........ but thats all a show...........

Look.. the club needs to prove stuff.. not talk about change...

Yes and needs to reconcile with supporters...

Micky Malthouse was a heaven sent for them to give them credibility... him and his one assistant that doubles as a development coach...


......whilst we got knocked back by other coaches we sought .


So when they prove something ill jump back on..... and im sure others will.... but words??.. they can sound so empty nowadays.. even if the lips belong to Doc Sherrin... and you know i like you....

But lets not let personalites cloud our judgement...!!!

Lets just sit back and see what the club does,

As for Sticks steping down in a few months,,,, why does he need to be there at all??.. whats his added value??... i mean hes been around the club for a long long time and had a touch of the Frank Spencers about himself ... why does he have to agree to step down 12 months on??... is he better than whats coming in????

Why are these two esteemed businessmen having to play second fifddle to the Sticks presidency??... is he teaching them the ropes??...

Now if they cant reduce the board and Sticks wont step down when he said "ill step down when better candidates come on".. im guessing we still have a culture problem..... where Sticks and some blokes rule the club....

Sticks should have immediately stepped down..... and waked away....

There is nothing Sticks can do for this club any longer that warrants him staying on in fear of a power vacuum. that power vacumm can not be about nouse but it definitely is about culture.....

As BV pointed out already....

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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.

Oh and then there are the TWO Pratts on the bloated board... can you explain this?
Why do there need to be two Pratts on the board?
What will two give that one cant give with the help of the other outside of the board.??

Ownership?
Oligarchy?
Elitism?

I dont get it....

Though in my eyes its rather pathetic...

One Pratt is enough on the board... if we had a true culture to turn tis ship around.

Good luck on anyone coming onto the board to right this ship... when we have more board members than guys out on the footy field....

Smacks of egos

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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.

Oh he's entitled not to sign up. Absolutely. Just don't complain in 2015 when we're playing the majority of our home games at Etihad - that's all. And that message needs to be delivered to the supporters. I think there'd be some fence sitters out there who if they knew that the numbers actually do count - then they'd sign up.

I certainly don't envy those who have just joined the board and executive because they've got a big job in front of them.

* They have to change the perception that this club has a Pratt and/or Mathieson endowment that lives on in perpetuity. It's simply not the case. When the board size is reduced - Jeannie and/or Ruffy have to put their hand up to step down. The club has a great relationship with Visy - but it's not one that will live on as a Level 1 Sponsor forever.

* They have to find another blue-chip sponsor. I've mentioned the Asian airlines as an example in previous posts. That's what the club needs and it needs to think hard about creative ways in which to service that sponsorship and others.

* They have to play hard-ball with the AFL and they have to listen to their members. That won't be easy for them. Carlton people have long thought of themselves as being one of the 'Big-Four' in Melbourne. But the facts are that we are not. There's a few on this board of ours who'll be torn because they'll see the $ signs on offer and the promise of Etihad being converted to a 80,000 seat stadium inside the next decade. That's money down the drain, but the plans have been drawn up. There's a new Etihad Stadium CEO in charge who'll offer Carlton a nice lump of money too.

* Greg Swann must be more proactive and I for one would like to see/hear more from him. If he's the CEO - then he should act like the CEO. If he's not happy doing what he's doing then a few on the board need to start succession planning for what is arguably the most important position at the club. I'm sure the recent additions to the board will have some ideas on that as the months progress. How much they demand from him will make or break him in this position.

* There must be more transparency. Carlton members aren't just a revenue stream. They need to be given adequate communication on relevant topics that are not restricted to where their seats are placed for the Geelong game. Part of why many U.S sports franchises get it right is because they appreciate the consumer. They want their return business and understand high-level fan engagement and customer service. Many of us are demanding the same thing. I'm not asking the staff or board to reinvent the wheel here. And I'm confident the right people are now in place for more of that to be seen...

...and I'm hoping Synbad and others will see these changes soon.

pity you didn't have this attitude last year

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

To membership or the merit of losing games?

Last year the club was a basketcase and in denial about it. They have - in my eyes recognised that. That took some guts. I'm satisfied with some changes that have already taken place and it's time to act like grown ups and move on for the betterment of the club and my sanity. As Billy Birmingham once said in the guise of the late Anthony William "Tony" Greig..."I don't hold a grudge. To me a grudge is just a place to park your car"

Whether we play at the G or not in 2015 will depend entirely on not what i do... but where the c lub is at.
If the club is missing members and they use that as an excuse as to why they are not playing at the G... Im right about the absolute hopelesness of the footy club.

But if they can show some real leadership and muster something meaningful together tey cant blame us.

If they continue on being the frilly necked lizard they are.... raising membership will continue to be like herding feral cats for them/

Anyway.. i fin d it laugable that we are now using the MCG as our big Bertha in climbing our membership.. its actualy rather embarassing that is it.... very puke worthy....
Personally... i wouldnt give a fupp where we play if we get our shit together....
Essendon* play at the Dome and they dont bitch about memberships...and the position of their financials.....

Can we skip the MCG card please??... and roll up our sleeves become fair dinkum modern age powerhouse club and if we go to the G we go to the G.

I did notice Germinder not answering the MCG V Dome question....

Until the club publicly say 60,000 members automatically guaratees us MCG status... its boloney!!!

Just sounds like Smorgyland stuff.... ie "look over there!!!".... deflecting from the real issues.

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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.

you contradict yourself a little there synbad, you complain about the club using the G' as a carrot then state that they haven't publicly said it - which is actually the correct part. It's not the club pushing this angle (yet).

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

I dont hold a grudge - the club, and the masters who control it are who they are - I can accept that

no but we are hearing it alot from DOC who has miraculously become cheeleader....

im just reading between the lines.. and i might be writing my own book....

buttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!....

i dont mind Doc having a say.... but when he keeps pointing to me as some kind of leader of whatever.... i just need to get my soap box out...
anyway... its my decison.... if people wanna buy a membership they can.. if people have a reason.. whate ver that reason is they dont have to.

The club needs to find the password to punch into their supporter bases ATM and make the withdraw...

I just think theyre abit like that Romanian gang at the moment.. ATM.....

just shifty.....and more corner cutting.

Having being close to the club in some aspects over the last decade... i know how it operates....

I know the operators...

And its not very impressive.....

Yes it s changing but the top tier is the same....

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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 dont hold a grudge but im not going to reward them..... they turned it into their very own.. they can fund it....or it comes back....

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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.

So what options are available to you?

1. Give the club the chance on your proviso, if you feel so strong about it. Tell them as such. They're listening.
2. Don't give them a chance at all and back away. Maybe support a club with a better (according to you) board maybe?
3. Maybe forget the politics for a while and support Mick and the squad of 44
4. Or maybe just cover the same ground ad nauseum.

I'd take any options from 1-3, before I'd want to be dragged into 4. Not sure of its appeal at all to be honest. Sounds like a pretty shitty place to be.

Mate you look at last year as a bit of bad luck.
I look at it as a stress test.
The club failed to pass the tests with what it had implemented for itself.
Mebership average... the episode in the VFL where the assiatant coaches were all over the shop and it culminated in the part time coach headmaster resigning
The Port /GC games... in particular.
The loss
The beheadings of a bunch of people... people who were only just reappointed mind you.
The whole Swann/Cooke thing in the background..... AGAIN!!.. yet Swann is stll there...
This on the back of a very bloated board.... and 2 families carrying the footy club...
the knock backs to us from coaches and Irish players....Why would you be knocked back by a player you have spent 2 years tapping up and you have a record with Irish footballers...and brought out here with money you made from supporers/ sponsors

Well its not like all this has only just happened.. its where we have been for a while.. treading water.

They tell us everything is OK... and yet the house of cards just fell over..

Well its at the point where if they say its day.. i know its night.. if they say good.. i think bad.. if they say back i know its white...

Cos they have no credibility!!!... after the Sticks 3 flags in 5 seasons blueprint ...
The Barham /Swann headhunt that made no real difference .....



Ultimately its the same culture with its bloated oversized board.

why would 14 people want to be part of a board they dont contribute to?
Well its cos its a footy club and they have egos.

Top it off with the most underqualified person as president cos he could play a bit....and you have the perfect storm for mediocrity

so let them prove to me theyre on the right bus again..... its been a long time this club has had to prove anything.. )except of course how average it is time and time again... )

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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.

Enjoy Carlton for its faults and things it gets right. It is fun.

Great discussion guys.

Can see both sides of the argument, and appreciate that both sides are actually listening to the other.

I want to be optimistic about the future and give the new members on the board time to instigate some change, but am wary of the fact the President and the CEO have the made he same noises about change coming in the past.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Well I reckon you're in the minority. I think most Carlton people would prefer to be the MCG. We've had a bit of an identity crisis at Etihad and the membership hasn't been serviced there as well as it might.

If we're to use the themes 'I AM CARLTON' and 'WE ARE THE NAVY BLUES', then we're promoting social identity or an individual’s sense of being a member of a particular community amongst our supporters. This sense of belonging leads to a number of behavioural benefits, such as greater commitment/loyalty to the 'community' and greater word-of-mouth promotion, amongst many others. If, however, on first glance the membership requires you to attend the game at a stadium with no soul (or no social club) or rekinlded memories of past conquest against your rivals - then you've got a much tougher sell because that sense of social identity is going to be pretty short lived.



...believe me when I tell you....they bitch about their memberships too. But they've got a great deal at Etihad and have a contract there until the end of 2024. First in best dressed as I understood it - although when Etihad was being built and first played on I was living in New York, so don't know much about the details of that arrangement, but the grass definitely ain't greener there as far as I'm concerned.



It doesn't really work like that though. You've got to be in the best position possible to present a good argument and if we can show we were building on membership numbers to the extent that we're too big a club for Etihad, then that's how you get the club back up to that powerhouse position. Take small steps with an eye to the future.

Carlton is not my grandkid.....

Its a footy team thats supposed to be out there winning flags and excelling in a competition... it actually exists for this reason......

As does StKilda... if i have to barrack for a StKilda type ill give it away... sorry!!!.. life is getting shorter

Now a grandkid can go smoke a joint and go on the hippy trainl.... or try his hand at art.. or piano.. or just go surfing....

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Can i actually ask you if this is your initiative???
Must get 60 , 000 members or we dont get to the G?

You just seem abit fixated on digning everybody up so we can get to the G in 3 years....

Of course Essendon* bitch about their membership.. and theyre showing us a clean pair of heels.
What was the last season they finished ahead of us???

Is there any concrete truth in this???....

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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.

So option 4 then?

We all have different approaches to situations and each of us thinks that our approach is the right one and it may just be for our person.

I sort of like that if a mate made a mistake and asked me to forgive them, I'd accept the apology, ask them why what happened had happened, try play a part into ensuring that the same situation doesn't arise again but in the mean time keep one eye open just the same.

Others may say: You prove that you're sorry and when you have righted the wrong, we can shake hands again.

May not be a great analogy but the CFC is a mate that's given me great pleasure over a protracted period of time and I won't throw out the baby with the bathwater just yet.
I mean, why would you?

Shcking analogy harks.. and ill tell you why.

there has been no apology.

And why would i believe guys who have been there for a long time in a pretty big number.. will get it right when they havent till now?
Usually... in a business like this.. they all get the sack .. and new anagement comes in to restructure...

Ask Mathieson what he does when he t akes over a pub....

Or ask around and see what Sayer did when he took over.....

Eddie had a real cleanout...

you cannot turn shit into strawberry jam...

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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.

You also didnt mention your mate has been making the same mistakes for basically the last 15 years.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010