On another glorious Friday in Melbourne, I got to thinking at just how much things have turned around over the last 7 weeks.

And I wanted to thank all my fellow members on TC, and elsewhere, for making all this possible.

For at the end of the day, it was the members who decided that enough was enough, that change was needed.

It was the members who decided that Smorgon had had his chance, and that even though there was no obvious replacement, poor performance will not be tolerated.

And it was therefore the members who opened the door for change. For a new President. For a new GM of Football Operations. For a new CEO. For hope. For belief. For the light at the end of the tunnel to suddenly become the becon to which our collective energies will take us. It was the members who made this possible.

And one more thing...I remember, such a very short time ago, discussion on these pages, whilst things were looking dark and gloomy, amongst those who threatened not to renew their memberships, as a protest against where the Club was at. Well, even in those dark and gloomy days, it was those memberships who enabled this Club to turn itself around. It was the members who had their say, and they said, once and for all...enough! I hope to never, ever again hear a supporter say that they will not renew their membership because they are not happy with what is going on at the Club. That is even more reason to be a member.

So to my fellow members, thank you. And to those who are not yet members, join up, get on board, have your say, and enjoy the ride.

Because no matter where the Club is at, membership has its privileges.

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

Its a pleasure serving with you Siegfried.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Exactly, I maintain that the membership, through taking their eye off the ball also had a part to play in the downfall of the club.

Thankfully it seems now that the membership has woken up over the last few years and realised that it is their responsibility to keep a close eye on things and vote out and vote in members of the board using a more critical mindset.

Hopefully that keeps happening. An active and passionate membership base is good for the club.

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|♥♥♥♥♥♥| http://www.blueseum.org |♥♥♥♥♥♥|

I've been thinking along the same lines. How glad am I that I voted out Smorgon? It has been nothing but good news since.

Wholeheartedly agree Siegfried.

Pratt, Ashman, Icke, DeBolfo, and now Swann.
The upgrading of the Carlton shop/offices.
Membership up.
Confidence up.
On top of Ratten and Bradley and the NAB Cup success.

Pratt is putting the foundations in place.

Smorgon as president seems to have done little for Carlton. He was more interested in holding onto his position which created bad news for the club.
Just the Mitchell/Pagan thing to be sorted out.
Other clubs have co-captains maybe we could have co-coaches, Bradley and Ratten?

Congratulations Carlton members.
Congratulations to those who got Pratt back to the club as President.
We will return as power on and off the field.

I just wish this had happened earlier.

John Elliot was right all the time telling us to vote Smorgon out in fact even his son tried to form a ticket and Elliot kept telling us if Smorgon goes, things will turn around almost straight away and he was right all along.

Synbad was saying the same things

Yes, he was right on the money there.

Regrettably,
he was the catalyst.

He was the one who said "Carlton never rebuild", and look at the result -3 wooden spoons.
Salary cap breaches. Draft penalties.
Useless grand stands. He got the club into the financial mess that it finds it's self in today.
Lack of revenue, the lowest in the League.
Had the offer to move to the MCG years ago before Collingwood. Big mistake.
Bought our great club to it's knees.
Humiliation, Carlton was the laughing stock of the League -no longer.

JE=King Midas in Reverse.

At least he got one thing right in the last 10 years-backing Pratt.

An einem anderen prachtvllen Freitag in Melbourne, gelangte ich an das Denken an, gerade wieviel Sachen herum über die letzten 7 Wochen gedreht haben.

Und ich wollte allen meinen Mitmitgliedern auf TC danken und anderwohin, für das Bilden alles mögliches dieses.

Für an das Ende des Tages, war es die Mitglieder, die entschieden, daß genug genug war, daß Änderung erforderlich war.

Es war die Mitglieder, die entschieden, daß Smorgon seine Wahrscheinlichkeit gehabt hatte und daß, obwohl es keinen offensichtlichen Wiedereinbau gab, schlechte Leistung nicht zugelassen wird.

Und es war folglich die Mitglieder, die die Tür für Änderung öffneten. Für einen neuen Präsidenten. Für ein neues GR. Fußball-Betriebe. Für einen neuen CEO. Für Hoffnung. Für Glauben. Für das Licht am Ende des Tunnels, zum das becon plötzlich zu werden, zu dem unsere Kollektivenergie uns nimmt. Es war die Mitglieder, die dieses ermöglichten.

Vor an und eine weitere Sache..., das mich erinnere ich, einem sehr kurzen Zeitpunkt, Diskussion auf diesen Seiten, während Sachen dunkel und düster schauten, unter denen, die bedrohten, ihre Mitgliedschaft nicht zu erneuern, als Protest gegen, wo die Verein war. Gut sogar an jenen dunklen und düsteren Tagen, war es jene Mitgliedschaft, die dieser Verein ermöglichte, sich herum zu drehen. Es war die Mitglieder, die ihr Sagen hatten, und sie sagten, ein für allemal... genug! Ich hoffe nie, hören Sie überhaupt wieder, daß ein Verfechter sagen, daß sie nicht ihre Mitgliedschaft erneuern, weil sie nicht glücklich sind mit, was los an der Verein ist. Der ist sogar mehr Grund, ein Mitglied zu sein.

So zu meinen Mitmitgliedern, danke. Und zu denen, die nicht noch Mitglieder sind, oben verbinden, an Bord erhalten, Ihr Sagen haben und die Fahrt genießen.

Weil, egal wo die Verein an ist, Mitgliedschaft seine Privilegien hat.


I joined during the deepest darkest times and considered that the club needed my measly $110 more than I did: they would not survive without it, but I would. Anyone who withheld their Membership is a flower!

One question, though - why has Sir Richard insisted on keeping JE onboard, and in charge of fundraising, given the history that blueycarlton outlined?

Ich verband während der tiefsten dunkelsten Zeiten und betrachtete, daß die Verein meinen erbärmlichen 110 Dollar mehr benötigte, als ich tat: sie würden nicht ohne ihn überleben, aber ich wurde. Jedermann, das ihre Mittgleiderzahl zurückhielt, ist ein flower! Ich habe nur eine Frage - warum hat Sir Richard auf dem Halten von von JE an Bord und verantwortlich für der Geldbeschaffung bestanden, die Geschichte gegeben, die blueycarlton umriß?

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[Sam Jacobs] looks like a 7' Lance Whitnall, and [Mitch Robinson] looks like a 4' Lance Whitnall
(The SEN team during the Carlton v Cats 2009 pre-season match)

Sir Richard,
is doing the diplomatic thing, by keeping JE "on board".
Some Carlton people admire JE
As long as Elliot does not hold any official position with the club.
He should keep his mouth shut about Carlton/AFL issues and devote his time to fund raising.
See no problem with that.

Although I would like to see him admit to his big part in our down fall.

But Pratt is doing the right thing.
He should get Smorgon, Elliot, Collins, Rice and all other Carlton supporters back into the fold.
40,000 +members is not out of the question.
After 5 bleak years, we are going places.
The other 15 clubs will looking over their shoulders as the Blue Juggernaught starts to roll.
The engine is warmed.

It starts rolling next Sunday, be on board!