In 2008, the club weathered some controversy but regained its strut. In 2009, it plans to play finals and, in 2010, it plans for something big. Which is partly why Brett Ratten and his impressive bolstered team of assistants will take the players behind closed doors after their media outing tomorrow and speak to them of Hawthorn and all the lessons learnt from the grand final upset that broke so many preconceived conventions.

How could you not be excited by Carlton?

Of course, the team must do its bit and continue to improve, but when you consider the past seven years and look at where Carlton is now, the fact remains it is a very exciting time to be a Blues supporter.

To date, not one player has been relegated and only a handful remain to be tested. For the first time in some years, Brendan Fevola returned to work in the required condition. Bryce Gibbs is understood to be one of his buddies.

I don't really agree we need to follow the Hawthorn plan.

To me, the highloght of the article was this.

Good news !! So the Eddy rumour was wrong . Another example of some idiot not looking before leaping !

Some players haven't been tested, lets wait and see on Eddie. I hope for his sake he has come back fit, he needs a big pre-season to take that next step.

The main thing is Fev is fit after that wanker in the HS decided to write that junk piece last week.

How can one not be excited in 2009, the big stage is back for Carlton.

Eddie would have been back at training last Monday wouldn't he If that's the case then he would have already been tested.

Nah ..bigfooty is an official sauce to be believed ...

Better than Caro's sauce....she's useless and horrible.

..rumours re: bettsy were a bit off anyways, didn't he have post season surgery anyways..?.. ..and headin' back home to catch up with family/culture should be taken into consideration as well i believe in the case of our native players, especially those that live so far away from their family..