Insightful input on subject matters as usual.
I can only imagine what it feels like to roam around Internet sites and correct people's grammar and spelling.

Camel, I can imagine what it would be like for our club to not have pokie and other external revenue such as gambling sponsorship, can you? Of course not! you just want the club to walk around with its hand out to the AFL. Then you will be happy, right?

If you put your brain into second gear Surrey you'd quickly realise that both of the scenarios you speak of are incredibly lazy options. In fact, they have more in common than you'd care to admit.

One relies on exploiting the vulnerable and those in the community who can least afford to gamble and all at the behest of a billionaire club benefactor, the other relies on putting a hand out to the monolithic AFL and saying, "Please AFL you're our only hope."

Who's billions do you want to rely on? They both come with strings attached. To be frank, the AFL probably has a greater interest in the club's ongoing future than Mathieson.

Regardless, I'd much prefer the club had a backbone and came up with more sustainable and responsible ways to generate the revenue required to be a leading club.

I'm realistic, I understand the unfortunate reality Mathieson's tentacles currently have on our bottom line, I'd just prefer the club was prepared to lead the way and start to phase out its reliance on pokies. You, know, with a properly thought out business plan, as opposed to stamping its feet and saying, "yeah, well, it's better than sucking up to the AFL."

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Ignoring your first sentence and staying on the subject at hand.
'If' the club was in a position of financial power such as Collingwood or Hawthorn, who by the way make more money from pokies than we do, I feel we could be in a position to pick and choose. We cannot at this minute. Having said that, I still don't believe we need to play 'alter boys' on this matter because some society members can't cope with a legal practise. I do however get the feeling your stance on this is more related to Mathieson and such billionaires than the actual subject matter?

I know you keep saying that and keeping the meme alive. I don't give a shit that you're illiterate - that's your problem. It's your belligerent attitude, your ill-informed opinions, and the Irrelevant content of many of your posts that amuse me.

Fair dinkum AFL communistic society???

Have you read Das Kapital? The AFL is the epitome of a 21st Century, consumerist, corporatist Capitalist entity..... The very antithesis of communism.

Stop having a go at other posters and think and do some research before you post.

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After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F .........
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You're such a keyboard warrior it fascinates me. Amazing how some are allowed to get away with what the say. Would be interested to know if you would insult people directly to their faces.

Similar to cigarettes, gambling advertising really should be banned. It's the taxpayer that ends up footing the bill for social services when addicts eventually come to their demise. The AFL and Carlton really should take a stand and ban revenue from pokies as well as gambling advertising. However, unless there are mandated requirements to do so I can't see it happening, they have no social morality or desire to forgo the easy money.

There's a handful of teams who do not receive any revenue from pokies such as NM, and this year made it club policy to avoid such a revenue stream. Not sure who else.

I wonder if they would think otherwise if they had the revenue stream to start with. IIRC NM never had pokie revenue, as well as the smallest membership/ supporter base in Victoria. I believe the AFL subsidise their existence and have done so for a long time.

I hate the gambling advertising my kids are exposed to and I have explained to them how sickness develops from gambling for some, and why.

IIRC teams such as Collingwood and Hawthorn became financial power houses on the back of pokies years before Carlton were GIVEN pokies by Mathieson. Carlton were bleeding and going backwards whilst most teams thrived with pokie revenue. The gap between Carlton and other powerhouse became greater over time whilst the AFL subsidised the NM's.

Mathieson should not be chastised for helping out our team. He didnt have to and its nothing to do with tentacles. With this gambling revenue we still post a huge loss and Id hate to think where we would be without it.

IMO it is an AFL issue and AFAIC the AFL profits and promotes from gambling revenue. The AFL is responsible for the problem and can easily help all clubs to avoid the disease.

In the meantime, the AFL condones gambling and all revenue it generates for the Commission and the Clubs, and whilst they do that, the clubs who don't have revenue from pokies require help from the AFL.

I'm sure if Carlton's, Collingwoods, Hawthorns gaming revenue was stopped by the AFL and the AFL gave these clubs more from their huge pie we wouldn't have a problem.

Damned if you do and damned if you dont from a club perspective.

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A nephew on the board is just coincidence? Good to know!

When I ran a theatre back in NZ, we got our funding from pokies. In fact I was essentially paid by pokies. I hated pokies (and still do), but theatre would've died in the arse without it. I don't have a point here, except ... it's tricky.

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"In better news for Blues fans, Jarrad Waite was not named on the club's injury list."

That's true. Nobody should be allowed to do anything they want to do. Cigarettes, gambling, alcohol lets just make sure nobody can have any fun anytime! We can all just sit around reading the paper then a quick cup of tea to make sure we are in bed and out of nightclubs before curfew.

I could not disagree about pokies and gambling praying on "the vulnerable". You mean the GREEDY, LAZY and IGNORANT. Thats what keeps them gambling...and anyone who has/had a gambling problem exudes one or a combination of those traits - none of which deserve sympathy or help.

Years ago, following the death of my dad, my mum sank into a deep depression and tried to deal with it by dropping probably close to 100k on the pokies over a year or so. Money she couldn't afford to lose. She'd never so much as put a single bet on the Melbourne Cup before this, and once we'd realized what was happening, and she got the help she needed, she hasn't put a single cent into them since.

She was neither greedy nor lazy. She worked hard her whole life in not-very-nice jobs, to make some kind of life for her children. I guess she was 'ignorant' of just how insidious and nasty poker machines are. But the face-shattering irony of you labeling someone else ignorant after that dumb-as-dogshit post is almost too much to take.

Forget what countless studies into poker machines tell us. Forget what industry insiders admit about the psychology of poker machines. Forget what the data tells us is true. Forget even having a shred of empathy for others. That stuff's for idiots. You know the way things really are.

And regarding ignorance, you're right - it perhaps doesn't deserve much in the way of sympathy. But the ignorant certainly do deserve to be helped. Perhaps you could help yourself by actually learning a little of the realities of addiction, and the realities of the poker machine industry. I know you think you know, because.. well, you know stuff. But you clearly have no idea.

Fair enough if thats what you think.

If I was donating loads of money to any enterprise I'd like one of my own in there, whether on Board or in a position that enables one to see where the money is being spent.

Given it is Carlton and I didnt have the time to be in Melbourne I'd have my nephew in there to give me feedback, so I could keep the bastards honest.

Carlton has been a basket case for almost 20 years.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Ouch. That's a bit heavy stormin.

People with problems play pokies. We as a society should help them, not ignore them.

I liked the pre Kirner days when Pokies and Casinos had no place in Victoria.

The AFL condones gambling in their game. In fact, the encourage it. They are the ones who should be steering us away from the evils of gambling.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience!!!

After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F .........
Visit http://fromthemoshpit.com/

Many of us have similar tales relating to loved ones who've been victims, but THIS tells it perfectly.

Sure when our players play for free.

I would prefer not to follow football than watch games or football related programs with advertising shoved in my face. People have the right to gamble, smoke, drink... but when it's the taxpayer who has to pay billions in health and social services then the government has the right to impose greater regulations.

I'm not suggesting taking peoples right to gamble, smoke or drink away from then, but children should be able to watch sports without being exposed to gambling adds non-stop....
or stuff the kids, the elderly and the mentally weak they're clearly GREEDY, LAZY and IGNORANT. They deserve what they get, show no mercy!