http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/c ... 3v99e.html

As Carlton's fans continue to give the club the cold shoulder, it has turned to the AFL for help with its 2015 membership drive – a campaign the new CEO concedes was mismanaged around Christmas and has since been partly outsourced.

Unwilling – just four weeks from the Blues' season-opening blockbuster against Richmond – to set a member target for this year, club boss Steven Trigg said his concern about what was "clearly a major challenge for us" led him to seek AFL assistance in January.

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

I thing when Trigg mentions connectedness, I think he 'gets it', but his hands are tied with the current boards ownership of the club.

Doc will have a craft beer and massive fat in hand right now.

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dane's trolling again

Who?

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

I remember when Graham Smorgon did a Q&A on here several years ago and there was a question put to him generally asking what initiatives the club had to attract members around my age and younger, the fans who have not tasted success in their lifetime or can barely remember it.
The fact the club has done so poorly at addressing this issue is evident now. As older members have become increasingly disappointed by the club and dropped off in numbers, there hasn't been a push of younger members to keep the membership numbers increasing.
Outside of winning and playing an exciting brand of football, neither of which we've done a lot of over the last 15 years, I haven't heard of a specific membership tactic or initiative to attract fans that won't simply be swayed by on field success.

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@cecil_anderson

Sums us up right now, low expectations from most supporters, we have lost a generation of supporters and like Melb, Dogs, Saints, North we will struggle to ever get them back, another poor season will be a disaster.

Are we for real?

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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

i think the strategy at the time was 'murphy's high flying marks'

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Chickens... roosting...

Anybody paying attention to the stats can see we rank pretty lowly when it comes to supporters vs. paid members. Granted, we've probably got a higher interstate percentage than most clubs, but that doesn't account for all of the shortfall.

We're just not a very exciting brand to anyone under the age of 25 because they've barely witnessed any of our success. As much as on-field success will help, just being exciting to watch would be a good start.

No one wants to pay to watch a football team that plays boring football and doesn't win. I think we're already making inroads there though, so let's wait and see, although I feel like I say this every 3-5 years.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

Clubs with high membership numbers do a great job of making members feel the club is truly theirs and they are intrinsically part of it. Carlton has done a great job of making supporters feel like it is owned by a couple rich families and potential members are a necessary, unavoidable annoyance who should be grateful for the privilege.

I buy my membership purely for convenient access to games at Etihad. The fact the club might get a few more $ with me doing this is nice, but I'm far more interested in avoiding paying ticketek handling fees and waiting in line on match day.

Not a lot for people to get excited about.
Coach 3rd year in.
No big name signings.
List looks the same.
Krooz injured.

People got hoodwinked last year with all the hype when the reality was our list was a bunch of busted flowers and we lost all the early games.

Can't blame them.

They want results from MM or at least something to get excited about.

I don't expect Carlton supporters will ever return UNTIL on field performances improve.

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I hope Essendon* folds.

It's not rocket science.

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dane's trolling again

I'm waiting until the first 8 games of the year before renewing or not. Told the bloke who rang me that I was fed up with the poor results and governance, and he said he had received similar feedback from heaps of non-renewing members they have been calling.

Tired of giving the club my hard earned $$$ with no reward since 2003.

SERIOUSLY!?!

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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

The renewal website was appalling to use

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"I had to eat"

It's all about TRIBE ( engagement ).
Often go and buy gear from the Carlton shop ( birthdays, Christmas etc), is there a member's discount....no...but I can get a members discount at Sportmart....???
But I do get a "Custom AFL" voucher with the members pack...which has nothing to do with Carlton?

One example ...and there are lots of areas where you just don't feel like you belong

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

AFL one is just as bad so I wouldn't be calling on them for help

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

Trigg is coming from a 2 horse town where signing up members was picking very low lying fruit.

This is a 9 horse town, and currently we are not even in danger of running a place.

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

Winston Churchill

....I thought that the Young Carlton professionals were on the job with its hand picked age limited membership and secret handshakes???

What's going on?

Maybe we need some grass roots members to run for the board....or do they need to be filtered by the Presidential nomination committee??

I remember driving up to Princes park recently, hoping I may get a glimpse of the boys training...no chance, closed session.

Ah the good old days when training was open and those long talk fests with the USC, often attracting players, coaches and staff for a chat...

I remember Hamil coming down one day, during a slump in form. we originally thought he was going to blast us for bagging him during training, Instead he asked one of the elders what he was doing wrong....

I remember Lance coming down to the gaming room and being asked to leave because he was under 18. (again)

I remember Sticks with his track suit seeking us out in 1994 after the first final loss to the cats. remember that final? the cats had 5 or 6 players out and we got hammered. sticks pleading for us to go easy during training that week because the young players can hear our rants echoing throughout Princes park. "we will be a different side this week" or words to that effect was Sticks's assurance. Of course the remaining of the week was civil and much quieter. Still got done by the demons the following week.

I remember one of the board members coming out of a meeting with Collo and the gang and saying we should as a club hand in the keys to the AFL. The true extent of our Elliott left debt isn't really known by the Carlton membership. Hovering around 23 million in about 2002, it is now around 5 million almost 13 years later.

We couldn't believe the sight of two ex Carlton premiership players hugging and kissing (on the lips ladies and gentlemen) late one night in the car park after a club function (bit too much to drink...that's how it was rationalised anyway)

never forget Big Jack with a glass of whisky in one hand late one night "dont worry boys, we have a big fish snared for next season" (referring to Pagan, although the rumour was we were chasing Matthews...and this was when Brittain still thought he had a job)

I remember Ronny Delulio and Jamie Dunlop about to ring one of our necks....it just got too much for them playing in the reserves whilst the seniors where losing as well....

Never forget Barrassi turning up one night for a club function and sharing his wisdom.. I have never seen so many questions fired at someone at the same time....It was like a door stop interview of the PM in Canberra...

cant do that anymore....

corporate game now ladies and gentlemen...sterile, arrogant and predictable.....even Big Fev was ejected...no room for genuine characters anymore.....cant say boo....wear your suit, do your team role, shut the @#$%&! up, tape Alavi and lose the tape, @#$%&! off Betts, the young carlton professionals will save us,,,,they will know what to do,,,,

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Vice President, International Extreme Sarcasm Society (IESS)