My 11 yr old son has remained passionate and loyal in the face of constant ridicule. It's tough over at the moment with both sides doing very well. Copping it left right and centre. I'm proud of him.

I've lost my 7 yr old daughter to the @#$%&! WCE though that's more because of extended family influence.

Needless to say the son is my favourite

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We are on our way back...

Perhaps I am mad but I feel more positive and excited by the club than I have all century. Finally we seem to have a CEO that gets it. Finally we are over the quick fix/failure mentality, finally we are over very expensive saviours, finally, for the first time in history we have chosen a coach after a serious process. Finally we have 4 picks in the first 20 in the draft and have let go sooks and guys who have more talent than commitment and might just have made use of an historic opportunity to pick up talented kids from GWS because they had too many. MAybe finally we will really nail a draft.

I don't really care how good or bad CareerOne website is or whether they are ahead or behind LinkedIn, they are giving us money - good.
This is the biggest cultural change I can recall since Barrass arrived and if we can get the new Crosswell, Jezza, Walls, Doull, McKay, Southby on our list through the draft we will become exciting and all the lethargic disillusioned fans will return.

I bought a second membership ticket this year as the money is going somewhere good rather than to Mean Miserable Mick's retirement plan.

The future's so bright, I have to wear shades!

PS What's the point of having billionaires who know nothing about footy on the board if they don't cover our debt so we can start off in the black for this rebirth.

Dinner party conversation mostly. It's their play-thing. They need a hobby.

That's a pretty juvenile way to look at it though.

They're passionate about the club, they have had experience in a multitude of situations, which in actual fact leave the issues at the CFC in the dust when it comes to the stakes, the complexities, etc, it's just that the in sport the ego is turned up the max and the intelligence is turned down to low.

Don't take that as my saying anyone is unintelligent, it's just that almost by default, intelligence is thrown by the wayside. The smart operators in this business never stop thinking, analysing and crafting. That's how Hawthorn came to be a power.

I hope that whatever's driving this rebel ticket, it's built off those elements, rather than impatience.

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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.

My hobby costs me money.

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Formerly: Ackland the Wonderkid / Army the Wonderkid / quivering mess / molsey / Tony Lynn Fan Club

My hobby costs me money.

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Formerly: Ackland the Wonderkid / Army the Wonderkid / quivering mess / molsey / Tony Lynn Fan Club

Correct. Others are waking up to that

Just on using the Tigers as an example, their memberships (and off field progress) pretty much ties in with on field improvement. Guess you could argue which came first.

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

Ties in more with Brendan Gale's appointment and the board given him some space. But there's no doubt that each club has its supporters that don't become members or attend games when the performances aren't there. It's a given.

If I'm juvenile - you're incredibly naive.

I'm not, I'd just rather people who have the capacity but have to 'feel it out' rather than people who remember how footy was and are smashing their heads against the wall.

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

Time will tell I guess. Right now I'm not even convinced there's a challenge. I'm not a member, so will leave it to those that are.

You have a point. Either go down the Collingwood route (which recovered from being a basket case in 1999 on its own without AFL assistance) or go down the Melbourne/North Melbourne route of obtaining millions from the AFL- what is better?)

This article is basically about how Melbourne makes a profit...wow!! without ever being honest enough to tell you how they did it.
how did they do it? was it anything like how North Melbourne made a profit? I wonder..

That article deciphered and re-written without all the glowing spin of Melbourne's miraculous rise being due to their excellent management is:-

AFL pays for CEO Peter Jackson to run their club
AFL "lifeline" of equalisation money from clubs such as Carlton (which is over 5 million in debt)
AFL pays for Paul Roos' multi-million dollar contract.
Melbourne gets 5.8 million in extra funding between 2012-14 etc

Collingwood is interesting.
Their rise co-incides with Eddie's rise to power as their pres and the front man of the footy show.
The way I see it, the Collingwood rise was on the back of shameless payola and free advertising for Collingwood sponsors which made it more attractive to other sponsors knowing they would get free ads lasting for minutes on the top rating show in the country.
If Eddie spent five minutes a week talking about Lexus, Emirates, Yakka and Spicers, (which he did, making sure their execs had front row seats and introducing them on the show, showing off the new flight attendants' uniforms and so on) they got millions in free ads a year. They sponsored Eddie's club, which just happened to be Collingwood for a percentage of the money they were saving on ads and were miles in front in the process. Collingwood had access to the best sponsors because they knew they would get their free prime time air time. Chicken or egg? It doesn't matter, it happened.

Of course this is pure speculation on my part but to me the appearance of those sponsors week in and week out ont he footy show can not be a co-incidence. I don't believe in co-incdences.

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

One 'well known' company is currently chasing an Italian soccer partner...

I'd suggest that's uninformed generalising that adds little to the debate Jim.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Robert Walls is on SEN now. He said he was at the meeting recently with Trigg and he said he was impressed with the younger business people there. Many in their 30's and he said that the club is not in dire trouble but doesnt want to have the AFL having any control over the club.

Get [REDACTED] AFL.

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dane's trolling again

Le vin de Bordeaux est allé au cerveau de Robert.