The more I think about it these days the more I reckon CFC should be more pro-active in pursuing a greater national identity to increase our supporter base and strengthen our financial/political situation in the AFL.

We currently play 5 “awayâ€

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There's so much I could say...

Controversial ... especially given the ciriticism melbourne received for selling one of their home games to brisbane.

I'm not really sold on the benefits of the Canberra, Tasmania and NT markets ... I just think they are too small to generate any meaningful $$$ in the mid to long-term.

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In WADA we trust

We have a lot of fans in Perth and Sydney but really unless they increase our tv exposure there one extra game is not going to make a difference.

I know it only a hypothetical discussion topic but it better not happen ..........ever.
Do you think Melbourne has made any memebers from Queensland?... I wouldnt think so. I dont think people would buy a membership for 1 game a year.
They would also lose many members in melb because people buy memeberships tho watch footy live not just to show there support. We need to start promoting in Melbourne more before we start promoting in another state. We have so many celebrity Carlton supporters but we are falling behind the Collingwoods and Essesndons.

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"Dont count the games, make the games count"

You've just opened a huge can o'worms, budzy.

I suggested that we sell a "home" game to Sydney every year for the next couple, and the general bitching and moaning from some could be heard here.

Yeah, it sucks only being able to see the team play SEVENTEEN TIMES every season, not to mention training, events, etc. One less time a season...boo-f*cking-hoo.

Sydney fans get to see our team once every 3 or 4 years. If we can build a stronger support base here, with AFL making inroads, now that Sydney are premiers, and membership for the Swans probably being closed off this year, then it can only help.

Selling a home match, especially in Sydney has several benefits.

• Money.
• Guaranteed FTA coverage
• Flexibility in other areas of the scheduling.

I have yet to see a sensible argument against selling a match into Sydney.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Rubbish.


One of the reasons we are behind is because Essendon* have one guaranteed Telstra stadium match every year in Sydney, which is hyped to the hilt in Sydney. Essendon* get on board promoting the game up here. Carlton don't. Sheedy spends time with the Nth Shore Bombers, even coaching one match every year. What do we do? And as a result, Essendon* get the guaranteed soft coverage as a result, and hence deeper support up here. Collingwood the same, but to a lesser extent.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Agreed it is the Perth game we should leverage every year against either West Coast or Fremantle. Our support bases is deep due to the WA connection from the days of Bosustow and Hunter.


And one stage in the early to mid-90s, it was even mooted that Carlton play all its away games in Sydney under the sponsorhip of Tooheys - we were to be known as the "Toohey's Blues". This was when Sydney were travelling very badly - at the time it was howled down.

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

Winston Churchill

Play it at Football Park in Adelaide.

Huge fan base over here. (Thanks to Kernahan, Bradley, McKay)

We can play in Sturts jumper to leverage support from that club (Peter Motley etc etc).

Perhaps we should be playing against Freo here (we'd only generate 15000 in Melb anyway!)

That's a good idea actually especially while we are crap, don't think we that much support in Adelaide though.

Carlton has one of the biggest supporter bases in Adelaide of any club. Come over and you'll see when we play at AAMI.

The roar of the crowd when we hit the front in the draw against Port last year was massive

to be honest though, you won't leverage any support in other states unless you put back into the grassroots by conducting kiddies clinics, meeting the fans, for MORE THAN 45 MINUTES, stuff like that.

Generate the goodwill.

"Build it and they will come" kind of stuff.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Well we must have heaps of fans all over the country, McChins keeps telling us only the pies draw a crowd.

Spot on, the fans we have already in other states are Carlton for life already. It's their kids that we have to convert. It's either footy clinics or hypnotization.

Would that have been any Crow supporters jumping on our bandwagon when we hit the front??

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

Winston Churchill

How bout we get our shit together onfield in Melbourne and reap the rewards in membership numbers, increased television coverage and long-term lucrative sponsorship deals????

Well, that's supposed to be happening from now on. Isn't it?

The club HAS to look beyond next week, FFS! Plant the seeds now, and the Club will reap the rewards tenfold when our shit is together.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.