My son is 18 now and his Carlton is very different from my Carlton.

I want my son to know my Carlton.

I want him to know our pride, our ability to fight. We have never been a monstrous side but we have never shirked. We have always had warriors who enjoyed the bloody aspect of this game. We have always had players that are a delight to watch, players that take your breath away but we have always had steel and an uncompromising attitude to the team.

That is my Carlton... the team of my youth and young adult life.

My son knows a team that capitulates, he knows them well. A team that can look like silver shining in the brightest light and then turn to buckling tin, allowing a deluge of goals. He knows about 10 goal losses, 100 point thrashings, humiliating surrenders.

That is my son's Carlton... The team of his youth and now, it appears, his young adult life.

I remember the flags. I was there in '68 & '69 for the win and the loss
and in '70 I stood on the street corner with Paul Scanlon and we waved the herald's Carlton poster at all the passing cars.
I was there again in '72 and again in '73 the day Big Nick was felled and the Carlton heart shook in Asgardian shock as if Thor himself had just been felled and the rainbow bridge had collapsed.
I was there in '87
I was there in '93

In '95 I watched it with my brothers on tellie and we danced the famous Family jig for my father was not there when he had been with us at all the others.

I was with my brothers again in '99 when my son was but 2 - too young to follow the journey and live the glory and the agony. My Carlton is the Sistine chapel, it brings all the emotions to mind.

Or it was. My Carlton.

My son's Carlton is an unfinished tapestry. There is no artistry, just a old club dozing in yesterday's glory...Like children wearing the proud medals of their grandfathers without ever having fought the battle. Never having consoled the fallen comrade or pushed beyond the barriers to final victory.

I have seen 8 flags in my life.

By 18 I had seen the Bluebaggers win 3, felt the ecstasy of each lofty win and seen us lose 2 and bore the agony of each.

My son has seen 1 great final's win (in '99 when he was 5) and then last year's final win when he was old enough to go along and enjoy the ocassion. 1 flag (when he was 2 and was unaware of it). They are a mirage to him. Something other kids who follow other clubs talk about. But not him. He keeps that hope buried deep. It does not see the light of day for it will be ridiculed, a fool's gold hope, an illusion. This club is not about premierships. Not his club. It struggles in the heat. It doesn't stand for anything.

If I had my old jumper with the number four on it I would burn it and send the ashes to the club.

We are the new England.

My son worries not, he knows this club, he knows its losses, its inability to deliver, its weaknesses, its excuses, its lack of leadership and innovation, its cruel disbelief, its arrogant inattention to the changed landscape. That's his Carlton.

My Carlton is lost
or trapped back there in the past with my youth - where it strides still, big and brave and bold. A giant of a club with a glint in its eye, the reflection, perhaps, of another approaching cup.

My son's Carlton keeps its eyes down, hides behind memories, injuries, excuses, old battles and faraway promises.

Mine once fought the fight and now sleeps like an old dog before the fire, eyes closed, dreaming of ancient chases, barking in its sleep as it soars again, a young club fresh on the hunt.

My son follows Carlton because I do, my fear is that in his heart of hearts, he wishes he could have followed Collingwood like his mum, at least then he might have had some pride in his club.

My son follows Carlton because I do and I wish that were not so for his Carlton is not My Carlton...


It may never be so...

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

That's sad but completely accurate. I am 27 and do remember watching the Blues in the 90's and thinking about how good our team was, with a number of good seasons in there plus the amazing year of '95.

Then the club turned to poo. I joined Defence, went away to north QLD for a number of years and completely lost my drive to follow the team. Now once again I am there, membership in hand and footy on TV every weekend cheering them on, only to be promised a lot but highly doubtful of it all coming to fruition.

There is a long way to go for Carlton with the list we have. Some of our best players will still be playing great footy in 3-4 years, so maybe the club will sort out its engine room (coaching and staff) problems before undoing several years of work to climb back up from some dark years.

Hopefully your boy (and my future kids) will experience the same classy and dominant Carlton team in the decades to come

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"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Howard Thurman

My 5yr old son, still in his younger years doesn't fully understand the whole concept of My Carlton.

BUT......

Knowing his team played last night his first words to me this morning was,

"Did Carlton lose again Daddy ?"

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BRING BACK PERFORMANCE BASE PAYMENTS !!!

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Your son was 2 in 1999 and now is 18 in 2012

I feel bad, because in primary school, my daughter became a Tigers fan.
She started going to games with her new best friend and their family.

I actively stopped her, and insisted she follow Carlton.
I bought her all the gear, and started getting more involved, and going to games with her, and my brother's family.


She's now not all that interested in footy.
Yesterday, when the Tiggers won again, she said, wow, I'll bet Jessie is there, and she'll be so happy!

oh the guilt!!!

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

oops may have got the wrong child's year there!

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

Sad but true...
My two kids are 1 and 3 months... Hopefully the club gets their act together by the time they re old enough to understand...

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

begs many questions.......

just what is the club about these days ?

who does it TRULY represent ?

what is its REAL purpose ?

when they use these slogans to capture us into identifying with the club.

"I AM CARLTON"

Do they give us a definition on what Carlton is these days???

They dont truly expec t us to wear a t shirt with a turd on it do they???

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

great topic guys,im 27 and pissed off! i sound like a broken record when i talk to my mates. All i have is a comeback is atleast we have 16 flags, and how good was 95! im over waiting for a bloody premiership!

All theses slogans are just a desperate attempt by the club to reconnect the supporter base with better days...

My Carlton died in 2002... we've been nothing more than mediocre ever since.

The previous decade has seen us stagnate... off field we've lost ground with the top clubs in regards to membership, revenue etc... and some middle tier clubs are catching us.

For 10 years I've been waiting for my Carlton to return but fear it may never happen, not in my lifetime anyways.

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

But the club went to Abu Dabi (?) and spent at least $0.5m of our hard earned to get back to being Dannyboy's Carlton.

A months boxing at Doherty's Gym would of been far cheaper and with any luck the players appearance and performances may of been far more appealing than the popstar look and play we have at the minute.

My Carlton was a team with pure arrogance and the ability to cover for injured players. Players that lacked in class made up for it with hardness at the ball. Unfortunately, that is not the case with the class of 2012

My Carlton was filled with supporters and mates behind the goals at the Heatley Stand end who did not tolerate extended periods of mediocrity.

I (and others) have been banging on for three years about Ratten (leadership, gameplan etc). All we've copped in the main is derision and rebuke.

Some of these very posters who responded with their personal vitriol at the Synbad's, Keogh's and Melvey's of this world are now leading the charge for change

The sugarcoaters on this site are part of the problem. Yes they don't influence what happens in the inner sanctum, but they give nutrients and oxygen to a Carlton that I didn't grow up being obsessed by. It's the StK model from the 80's.

IT'S TIME TO FORGET THE PAST AND UNITE TC'ers. OUR ONCE GREAT CLUB IS AN EMBARRASMENT AND IS BECOMING IRRELEVANT

This rubbish has been going on since 1996
* Parkin rewards his premiership players by not culling list
* Parkin trades picks for dicks (Charles, McGuane, Devonport et al)
* By some crazy quirk, we play WC here in 99 to set up a memorable Prelim
* We have one poor year under Brittain and sack him
* We f@# up the Hamill trade
* We get caught cheating and lose picks
* The Pagan years (enough said)
* We appoint Ratten with no experience (in the meantime, asst coaches like Lyon and Worsfold leave the club for their own successes)
* We took too much time to act on Fev
* We completely butcher 5 year of trading, save for our number 1 picks and some rookie picks (Hampson, Grigg, Armfield, Brock, Warnock, Russell, Bower, Lucas, Watson)
* We climb the ladder at a snails pace (Oh yes, our aim for this year is to make the finals, then our aim for next year is to win a final then......)
* We choose the most ridiculous away strip


LET'S STOP MAKING EXCUSES. HOW MUCH MORE EVIDENCE DO PEOPLE NEED THAT MY CARLTON BEARS NO RESEMBLANCE TO THE CARLTON OF TODAY?

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If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!

Super writing and sentiment Danny.

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I would like to thank Collingwood for helping me keep faith in my old man. He always told me that 'People are thick'.

Beautifully said Danny

My son is 19.

Like you Danny I feel guilty. He follows Carlton passionately because he had no other choice. Like you I have seen 8 flags, the first standing on steel beer cans as a kid myself at the back of the Southern Stand in 1968.

The only perfect joy we have shared football wise was when he was 6 in 1999 in the Ponsford stand for that great preliminary final. We jumped for joy, sang and danced, and hugged perfect strangers when that siren rang. What a day for father son bonding. He remembers it to this day, and we relived it again in the last week or so when we watched the 99PF on fantastic footy flashbacks

I keep insisting to him that his time (our time) will come. We have been building and optimistic, feeling it is close, but this last month has been devastating.

As a wise poster said not that long ago, there is no guarantee that bottoming out, suffering the pain, and beginning the rise will culminate in an inevitable premiership. That is what is so bad about today. It feels like we are being cheated out of something we deserve. The rug has been pulled from under our collective feet, just when we thought it was our time.

You and I can at least say we have tasted success, can relive past glories.

I feel sorry for your son and mine. Lets hope adversity builds character.

there was no real thought process behind that slogan,from a carlton perspective - its stolen straight from american sport

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

I have a 13 year old and he is in exactly the same position.

Great read and very well written.

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015