Arnhem blues wrote:
Whilst I sympathise, I feel that 'destroying the hopes of young kids' may mean kids are placing their hopes in the wrong places. I think Carlton finishing in the bottom 4 continuously has more impact but in any event I certainly wouldn't want kids to place much weight on the words of footy commentators....
Not the case in our household re what impacts my kids more.
I've read Blue Sombreros post just above, and I am glad to say, I'm there to show my kids the way.
I started barracking for Carlton in 1968 when we won the GF. I've told my kids what a great experience it was being a Carlton suppporter, and what an incredible history the club has: part of the fabric of Aussie sport and culture and the AFL's.
I've taught them how the penalties aour first ever wooden spoon humbled me and how I became a better supporter of the club because of it.
My kids love going to Princes Park, exploring the place like as they would an archeological site or art gallery anywhere in the world. My kids love the rebuild and watching something grow: green shoots. Its the hope and its the heritage that drives them.
The slander towards their team Carlton from the Barretts, Hutchies, afl website, Robbos, Whateleys, Caros, Papers is not reprimanded, or condemned, by the AFL, nor the CFC, nor anyone. The AFL's own website isn't supportive about the rebirth of a once great club, a founder, but more of the same, kicking a club when its down, whilst our club pays millions in equalisation to uphold the existence of other clubs when we are in serious debt.
It is the slander that hurtful for my kids, but they are bigger than that, and may just change their sport to soccer and basketball, or skiing and surfing...but I guess will always love Carlton, because of loyalty (and a differentiator in the Sydney landscape) and maybe remain a member if they see fit.
The bottom line is that this game is the bread and butter of all these hyper critics and yet they are doing nothing to improve and grow the game. Have a look at Barrets list of 10 things to improve AFL, finished off with a loaded questionaire which doesnt allow you to disagree with any of the suggestions. It is rigged. It is the run by the Custodian of the game
If the great Sir Kenneth Lukes knew the AFL was going to treat Carlton as its punching bag, the AFL would never have come to existence, and the VFL, and VFA and smaller suburban teams would not have been destroyed.
Wake up AFL. A strong Carlton, and in fact a strong 18 teams is good for the AFL.
But putting GC and GWS ahead of foundation teams with a huge traditional following (who have been put off since 2002) and allowing all the negative, untrue and detrimental slander to be continued towards Carlton is not the right thing to do. Teams are like children for he AFL. 18 of them. The AFL must defend the defenceless, in this case Carlton.