There are heaps of people that will drop off if Malthouse is brougt in to replace Ratten. It would probably bring down the 30% a fair bit.

I dunno I think we were playing some pretty damn good footy last year. Defensively we were one of the best going round.
We thumped Essendon* in the first final and got within a kick of WCE over there.


We did have a horror run in the middle of this year. No one denies that.
But I disagree that we are THAT far off the pace.

Syd - It wasn't that bad all things considered!
Ade - Right at the point of our crash. Injuries a serious worry. Murphy fractures shoulder. They were in flying form. Beat them 2011.
Coll - 2 wins?
Haw - Our bogey side, premiership favorites and have dismantled just about every team they've come up against.
WCE - Couple of kicks down this year, and one kick away in an incredible performance last year
Gee - match up well against them. Beaten them a couple of times and should have won the games we've lost
Nth - Hit them in hot form and they converted in inhuman fashion in front of goal. Petrie played one of his career games. Beat them 2011.
Ess - Wait 2 weeks and then we'll see

So we should've, could've, might, same shit for years now.

I think your memory is failing you on 2011.
We beat Syd then absolutely THUMPED them the second time round
We lost to Geelong because Robbie Warnock forgot to stay down. Many people rated that as one of the best games of 2011.
I'll certainly concede Hawthorn are the only side that regularly make us look second rate.

In 2012 the Essendon* loss was really, really bad. We were out coached to some extent. But there were also mitigating injuries at play. But again, lets see how we go in two weeks. We weren't that far off WCE, and played a great game in the final last year. Also it's pretty hard to tag a player who wasn't even playing
The Saints was the worst performance in a coaching and structural sense in my opinion this year. That was the beginning of our shocking slump. Out of curiosity, do you think we can beat them in round 23?

I reckon it will have the opposite. People like winners and Malthouse will give a lot of people hope and a real belief that we can win a premiership.

I really believe that with a change in coach and a change at board level a new injection of energy will sweep through the place.

Go to games, training, club functions etc and there is a real lack of support for Ratten and I believe that translates into membership.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

The issue is that from the Round 4 against Essendon*, sides worked us out. They sat on Simpson, Yarran etc instead of Judd and really closed down our run. Once real pressure and ground zones were set properly against us we were stuffed and every side new it.

We are down hill skiers. Give us space we will kill anyone. Block the game up and we are like deers in a headlight. We lose composure, we dont know where to go, we second guess ourselves, our delivery into the fwd 50 becomes wide and stagnant, and we look like a junior footy side.

I was told once as young coach that a good way to judge as side is to look at the gap between their best and their worst performances. Ours are worlds apart.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Agree. We fail at every major hurdle.
In 5 yrs under Ratts there is no evidence of a consistent work ethic.
And why do we come out after the breaks so flat when we have just heard the coaches` message?

Spot on

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I think replacing Ratten with Malthouse for 2013 membership concerns would be the most myopic decision every made.

I really believe that the hype surrounding his appointment would die down a little as we eased into the season with a few losses. Growing pains they'd say. The group need to adjust to his game plan. Just give us time. Malthouse is a winner. He won a few years back with his paddock - sorry, no wait that was someone else - boundary first, fwd pressure style. The millions we pay him will come good, we just know it.

Then when 2014 rolls around and we're still struggling, suddenly the answer will be found.
"It's the list you see, it was never that good in the first place. I need to cut a whole bunch of players. Scotland, Simpson, Carazzo, Waite, Duigan, Walker - they're just not up to it. We need to rebuild. In fact I know a few players I can recruit. Harry O and Leon Davis are willing to come across. I'm pretty sure Maxwell is looking for a new gig. Patience, I will come good, I'm a winner".

And everyone at Carlton will get this weird sense of deja vu.


Oh, but memberships will have been up at the start of 2013. Because that's the important thing.

Wasn't the question about Membership?

I have never blamed the list although it can be improved.

Re: Comments about Malthouse, I am not sure of relevance but I am sure where you pulled them from.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

The way we started against both WB and Richmond were shocking. Lucky it was against some average sides.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

But I thought those two wins was the troops rallying....

_________________
"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

My post went completely over your head.
How about I summarize it for you:

-Appointing Malthouse may raise the membership tally momentarily, but it will be short lived when everyone realizes he's not the savour -> bigger than 30% drop in the long run
-Also drawing parallels to Pagan

FFS. Not over my head but they have no relevance. Long term hypotheticals based on no facts.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

You can go back to the way North dismantled us at PP during the pre-season. Should have been alarm bells then.

But your hypothetical "injection of new energy" is based on fact

How many times has a new coach come in and generated excitement?

What happens after that only time will tell.

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Look at our entire season from the first practice match and it doesn't read very well at all!

_________________
#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

This Carlton reminds me of 1965 when Barassi arrived to re energise the whole playing/training/concept with great effect......a new broom sweeps well.

_________________
No ones listening till you make a mistake.

And how many times has that excitement amounted to a crash and total rebuild?

My point was that 'excitement' and concerns about the 2013 membership tally is a stupid and short sighted reason to sack a coach, and I think I made it clearly.