Classic...

In Jack's fascinating and varied history which particular event was it that made you think he had an interest in fixing any of his many @#$%&! ups...?

Have you actually ever met John Elliott?

_________________
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

I have actually and discussed things with him. Irrelevant question however.

Unfortunatly Surrey the move from PP was a direct result of John's mess. Its that simple. As a club we were beyond broke with a aging facility that would need millions of dollars to up grade to modern standards, money we clearly did not have ( its only in the last two years we have caught up wuth the rest of the league in player facilities). Leaving PP hurt me a lot but we had no choice it was go or 'go' as a club. Thats why I supported the move.

_________________
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty" -Winston Churchill

L.M 35-06

Probably should, as you're not making a great case on your own.

_________________
STURDYISM!!

Ugly and sad

_________________
"I had to eat"

The millions we poured into the ground were because PP was going to be developed as the third Melbourne ground. After we spent them, the rug was pulled out from under our feet. It didn't help that it co-incided with the fine and draft penalties that basically were designed to have us at the mercy of the AFL. It almost worked. Had it not been for the members, both wealthy and not in 2003-6 more or less when nobody wanted to know us, there would be no club. I have said this before but the AFL had the wind put up them when we almost folded. They wanted to make an example of the club but went too far. That's why they only slap clubs on the wrist now. Thay can't afford to look too closely unless they catch one of the 'powerful' clubs and have to do to them what they did to us. Imagine a comp with no Richmond, Hawthorn, Essendon* or even Sydney or Brisbane. Collingwood would be able to susrvive because their club is rich and their members loyal.
We can't blame everything on Big Jack. It is fashionable to do it but he is Carlton through and through and that's why he's still welcome there. For all his bullshit and bravado, he's actually quite the gentleman in private. His public persona is a bit like one of Barry Humpries's characters in a way.
Collo had the chance to do something but just rolled over. IMO, he's more to blame for the current situation re home grounds. We might well have had the MCG instead of Docklands without his conflict of interest. Or we may have been getting lots of money from the AFL when we hosted Dogs vs North at a revamped PP.

_________________
Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

I say again, a developed Princes Park home ground for small Club games, MCG home ground for big Club games......

Gday to Surrey Blue

What year did JE take over? Thought it was about 83, which would make it more like 2 out of 18.

I think the landscape changed a little over that time too. Draft, Salary Cap, New Teams, AFL Commissioners with grudges. The result is what it is, but its not a true comparison.

_________________
"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

We should have built Smorgy Land hey Surrey.

_________________
The only way for some people to understand is for them to be on the receiving end

Left wing moralists
In self serving denial
They shit me no end

1987 folks...1987. Not before, not after...just 1987. Bury the hatchet and focus on the good stuff...1987.

FMD - if Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth can do it, surely the Carlton Football Club can.

Or Roger Waters / David Gilmour, Rick Wright, and Nick Mason

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

Well if we are speaking truths - Jack along with Sticks had a very big hand in bringing Pratt and his money back to the club - so technically he went a long way to trying to fix the mess we were in

_________________
If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

John needs to live by that mantra, "focus on the good stuff" his non invitation only became an issue because he does not live by that mantra.
I am not talking about what happened 10 years ago, it is stuff that happened in the last few years.

This is staying on track well, and not devolving into agendas from 15 years ago whatsoever.

_________________
BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Just to go back Blue Sombrero -the club when leaving PP wanted to have the G as its home base the AFL said no and said even if we wanted it as a home base they will schedule us as Etihad ie more home games at etihad - if we didnt agree to split of games at etihad or MCG they would even schedule SOME BLOCKBUSTERS at etihad - not sure given circumstances Collo could do anything else particularly when we had a loan from the AFL for over a million dollars - no rollover by Collo obnly pragmatic choice as we couldnt stay at PP and couldnt have our true home at G according to the AFL

The AFL also were going to give us money so we could pay out our existing catering contracts at Princes Park but only if we agreed to the split of games between MCG and Etihad that the AFL wanted.

I think but am not sure our catering contracts at Princes Park were with Spotless Catering.

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

Winston Churchill