..who have not signed up as yet...or existing members who have not renewed please do so prior to the cutoff date....whenever this is...It is not enough to say you support Carlton and not extend this support to being a member...I know our club has a very large supporter base which covers most states now and how we can still be under 40,000 members this year whilst teams like Collingwood (whose supporter base is largely unemployed ) and other Vic clubs are ahead of us is beyond my comprehension...

My old man has been a member of the club since '52 after arriving into Australia in '48 by boat and working and living in Carlton he had no choice but to be a bluebagger...58 years later he is still that same loyal bluebagger...every year prior to January the old man and myself always goes down to the club and renew our memberships (he does mine now as well more recently as I work overseas now)...he does this religiously whether we are going well or whether we finish last...whether he supports the coach or whether he thinks the coach sucks...whether he agrees with tactics or whether he has his own views about a better way to do things...

Now to me (and I say this with as least amount of bias as possible) my old man is the model supporter...loyal through and through and puts his hand in his pocket every year and also during the times the club has been in financial strife and he isn't a business mogul just a simple man who has been an employee all his life...but a man who loves Carlton almost as much he does his family...

Still to this day when I sit down with him and he tells me stories of the old days I get goose bumps up and down my arms...the stories of the clubs 21 year drought from '47 to '68...the Barassi era....the '70 grand final (he remembers every single detail of that day..everything!!), the '72 shoot out, the '73 GF and he still goes off at Balme Fowler co for their tactics that day...the Jezza era...my first GF was with him in '79...I remember every detail of that day....everything...and it goes on.

In the more recent years as he has got older he doesn't attend matches as much as before in fact maybe only one or two a year now but make no mistake the passion remains...after every game each week he still gives me the customary phone call no matter where I am in the world to discuss the joys of the win or to dissect the tragedy of a loss...

Now given this background I just cannot fathom how one can support the club and not be a paid up member...I just do not get it...our club is on the way back now and on the cusp of something big....we have all toughed out the last decade of pain and want our club to be more professional both player and coaching staff wise...on field and off and we are getting there...but at such a time for our membership numbers to be dropping is absolutely disgraceful...no other word describes it better for me than disgraceful...the club also needs us to be there now more than ever....Carlton is not some two bit footy club that came into existence a few years back...this is a club with history a club that has given us nothing but joy in the month that counts the most...September.

The filth give their supporters nothing but heartache for decades and yet they have over 50,000 members...this is UNACCEPTABLE...we have over 11,000 members who have not renewed from last year...had they renewed we would be close to 50,000 by now...to you I say where are you? and why? and one more thing...renew today b4 tomorrow...no ifs no buts....if you want to be telling your kids in the future of how great a club we are you want to be telling these stories having lead by example...the example being that you were a member of the club NO MATTER WHAT!

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

Great post.

I admire your old man.

I'm paid up plus some, long long time, but I wasn't going to next year in protest.
I guess there's a few 1000 who are protesting against the Fev trade.
Others would be unhappy with the communication from the club, their seating issues haven't been resolved, divorce, death, war duty etc etc.
There's issues about. I think the clubs is complacent and they know why many haven't renewed their membership. Bloody protesters.

But you're right, a good supporter is a paid up member in good times and in bad.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Thanks BB...Only death is a viable excuse...otherwise you renew then voice your concerns IMO....

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

Good onya Bondi, I know you have some legit complaints with the club and buy more than your share, but you have the heart to compliment this great post by J&TK, and agree with sentiment.

Lets all get behind the club and move forward together.

I think that just as the on field team continue to improve and move forward, back office and admin will also improve, even if it slower than we expect!

Brilliant post.

Couldn't agree more.

I've only been a member for 16 years, but I wouldn't consider not being signed up each year now.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

I used to feel the same way as you. Not anymore. Everyone's got a story. I know someone who was a member for the last few years who didn't renew this year and the only correspondence he has received is a single SMS from 'Chris Judd'. Nice touch, but I doubt it's enough. He has still forked out money and given it directly to the club by way of merchandise, raffles etc; but not membership.

I see people all the time decked out in Carlton gear that - chances are - didn't add to club revenue when they purchased it. Is that unacceptable? Probably. But who are we to judge? Is club membership one of the first things to go when there is a global financial crisis? Can you quantify the cost of club membership? Are you getting value for money? Has the club overlooked the fact that Carlton being the most featured club on FTA TV may hinder membership numbers? Did the membership billboard expenditure work as opposed to TV commercial spend? Are the ones who didn't renew holding off to see what the club does in 2010? How many people went for the 3 game membership? Shoud they even count? Fact is, we don't have the numbers in front of us to crunch. Whatever the reason - disgraceful might be a bit harsh. The Filth (Collingwood) might give their supporters years of heartache, but gee - they look after them.

But we got rid of Fev...

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

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"our electorate seeks less to be informed and more to be validated." Sad times.

Good post, I was a member, then went away to the Army for 15 years and wasnt a member, then when I got out I've renewed every year for the last 9. With the changes, loss of personnel, off field dramas and lack of communication, this year was the hardest to pony up for. I buy 4 memberships per year and I admit I left my run pretty late this year (renewed a month ago). I feel absolutely shallow and worthless for taking my time after reading Juddy's post!!

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"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

great read that,. similar to my old man, came off the boat in 56 and was always a blue fanatic, sadly he passed in early 09 and has somewhat missed our resurgance as a potential force, he didnt get to many games in later years but would call me after every game to ask the same thing. whats wrong with our great footy team? well they comen back dad, they comen back

Dad and I have been going to the footy each week for 15 years. I love it. I love the days leading up to the game, the Wednesday when we talk about possible ins and outs, the Thursday when we review the team, discussing our chances. The Friday we discuss the other team's form, their selected line-up, and how we reckon we'll fair.

Then matchday comes. The drive to the ground or the telecast for interstate games is a bit edgy. We talk about chances, who has to play well, who might do what role.

The game comes and goes. We win or we lose. The drive home or immediate aftermath of the coverage brings the postmortem. We dissect both the good and the bad. If we win he buys the Age to compliment the Herald Sun we have delivered, we'll watch every second of the footy shows. If we lose there's a media blackout.

Then it starts again the next week.

Join up, Blue Boys!

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"In fairness it did seem in the early days of the draft teams would just pick a name totally at random out of a hat. I'm pretty sure we picked James Cook at #2 one year. The mediocre forward, not the explorer" - Me, 12/9/2011

Carlton 2012: Lets remind them why they once feared the Dark.

Great post!

I will never ever not sign up. But I acknowledge that the club needs to do alot more to entice non die hard fans to sign up / renew.

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dane's trolling again

+1

Great post J&K and some very salient points from Doc as well.

We got our membership packs in the mail last week. And, well, lucky we're in it for the long haul as there's not much there to entice you rejoin. Especially as a member who is unable to get to many games.

The caps this year are a bit low rent compared to previous years.

The club will always have me, and I dare say a fair portion of TC readers, but they could certainly do more.

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Well then we all need to work together to communicate these concerns to the right people at the club....what is the best way to do this? Is it by letter? By phone? Physically going down there and having a word to some people there? Whatever it takes to get this club to 50,000 plus members...I am planning a short trip back to Melb in the next week or so and would be willing to partake in any or all of the above...

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

Doc in what way to the filth look after their supporters?

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

Great post J&K.


Thought the same thing. Also thought they should have offered a scarf alternative like they did in 2008 and 2009.

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Premierships: 1869, 1871, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1887, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995.

"GIBBS."

Best stickers though............

i like them this year........tasteful............!

but at the end of the day.............it's not the trinkets i pay
for........or the entry ticket for that matter........(i'm lucky to get
to 5 games a year because of band commitments)........i donate
to be a member............!

a member of The Carlton Football Club...........!

that's all...........pure and simple............!


kindest regards tommi








Go Blues......!

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that'siti'mnotchangingthistagain......!

Beautifully said Tommi...exactly....

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

If they haven't signed up they probably have a good reason, it may not be good enough for you but good enough for them.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Surely those tools who didn't renew because of Fev would be jumping back onto the bandwagon about now right?

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#23: Lachlan Henderson