Interesting article in The Age...

"Cats think big on venue plans"

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/real ... 22331.html

Interesting on two counts:

1. They want to shift their Telstra Dome games to the MCG - but Carlton couldn't and/or can't get any more games there.

2. Who they want to play these games against...


Along with the Collingwood MCG deal, anyone feeling like we're getting done over?

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NOW YOU'RE JUST SOME CLUB THAT I USED TO KNOW.

It all comes down to the simple fact that Carlton dont have pull anymore.

Cats are near the top of the ladder, playing a good brand of footy with high membership numbers, clashes with big name sides WILL draw big numbers.

Carlton v Collingwood, Carlton v Essendon*, will always draw good numbers, but i'm pretty sure the attendance for these games has certainly dropped over the last few years. (Jarusa, can u verify???)

When Carlton has a successful team playing winning footy that people want to watch, sure, we will have more chance to do this sort of thing, but until then, we have to wait.

its all about the cash money bling bling.

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Back like a raging case of pubic lice

We have still had 70,000 to 80,000 at some of these games over the past few seasons no matter how bad we have been travelling.

The reason that these games have dropped off in attendance is the ticketing - walkups are no longer allowed by the AFL - you have to buy reserved tickets in advance. People buy their tickets and dont turn up on the day for a variety of reasons, weather, sickness, work committments.

You decide to go on the day and you just go - this is why you will find the attendances for these games were much higher in the late 80s early 90s. Its not to do with these clubs relative position on the ladder.

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

Winston Churchill

In 3 or 4 years, when the tables are turned, and St Kilda are back in the cellar where they deserve to be, and Geelong are on the downturn, let's see what crowds they pull then.

If it weren't for Carlton, Essendon*, Collingwood and Richmond, I'm convinced those clubs wouldn't pull crowds bigger than 40K.

To try and claim that they are somehow "blockbuster" teams simply for a little success is grasping.

True, we don't have the same pull we used to, but there is a "rusted on" core of support for us that other clubs simply don't have.

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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.

No way I'm going to a Geelong v St.Kilda game. That's a hotbed of Hep C and ringworm.

It's only 3 games that they are moving, and they currently don't have a deal with any venue, there are downsides to that though

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Time to go: Smorgon, Pagan

Exactly, The Saints are the Bangladesh of the AFL and should know their place

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end of message

Does that mean they want to play against us at KP? 45,000 attended the game between us last year.

Again, they're only moving their Telstra Dome games to the MCG, so if we were one of the Telstra Dome games last year and this year we'd be an MCG game next year

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Time to go: Smorgon, Pagan

Incorrect.

I think you'll find that we may have been replaced by St Kilda for their preferred opponents for Melbourne-based games.

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NOW YOU'RE JUST SOME CLUB THAT I USED TO KNOW.

AFAIK they play 8 at KP, 3 in Melb so if we're not in the 3 they want to play in Melb we could have to play at KP. This year they don't play a home game against us. We only play them once and it's our home game. I think it was the same last year. Last time they had a home game against us was 2004 round 17 at TD. Their 3 Melb games this year are Essendon*, St Kilda & W Bulldogs.

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"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot about puppies." - Gene Hill

Smorgon, please poach Brian Cook

Are you suggesting Michael Malouf is not up to it and shouldn't continue as CEO?

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There's so much I could say...

I think Brian Cook is a good operator and have said so for a while...likes a challenge as well..if the Cats win the flag he might be up for a new challenge...dont know enough about Malouf to make a real judgement but Cook has the score on the board at both eagles and the cats....

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

erm, no it was more of a smart arse comment, hence the smiley, but since you asked...

I rate Brian Cook, he always seemed like a smart operator over here for the Weagles, and he got lots of exposure as the Weagles and Frockers do here. I'm prepared to admit that setting up the Eagles as the first franchise over here might not have been the toughest gig in town.

But his work with Geelong you can't ignore. He took a team with a significant debt, struggling for sponsors and turned it around. He got the team back on its feet, and secured the clubs finances. In short, he's twice proved he's a smart operator at running a footy club, and once in a situation not dissimilar to the one that we find ourselves in.

I don't know much about Malouf, so I'm not going to put the boot in. It amazes me though, with all the talk about the board on this forum that the CEO has basically escaped attention. Yes, the board set the agenda, but the club's management are responsible for implementing it, and helping to guide the board as to the priorities.

There are things that concern me about the way the club is being run, and a lot of this are smaller things that are management responsibilities and not board level. However, he's been working with a restrictions because of our financial position, and its natural to prioritise (ie getting a full complement of ground sponsors and getting funding for ground redevelopment).

I'm prepared to continue cutting Malouf slack until the end of the season, but if the ground situation hasn't been resolved by then (and i mean simply signing off on it, not implementing anything) its will be time to start asking questions. Unfortunately, someone posted here that his contract is up in June, so the decision at board level needs to be taken sooner rather than later, and I suspect that given Smorgon's remarks, and the fact that it is almost May, he'll be reappointed.