If Elliot has any sense, he'll accept RP's invitation but stay in the background and keep his mouth shut. If he wants the Elliot legacy read a little better in 20 years, he'd be advised to do all he can to help his son become a worthy board member.

Elliot back at the club: yes, but only if he stays in the background and doesn't try to be a defacto mouthpiece of the club.

OK, so the election is behind us, we have a fantastic new president, a young and committed board behind him and for the first time in a long time a real positive feeling surrounding all things Navy Blue.

But still the media can't help itself, and wants to touch on John Elliott and whether or not he'll be welcomed back to the club. Richard Pratt gave his view yesterday; however I still have reservations about whether it is time yet for Elliott to be re-embraced into Carlton's inner sanctum? Regardless of one's views about his reign and the way it ended, my concern is not about the man himself but more the potential for his return to draw attention away from the positive publicity that we finally have.

My view: Elliott is still to repent for what he did and how he ran our club into the ground. Yes we had some great success under his reign, but (as much as I don't want to go back in the past) there is no doubt that we are still paying for his sins. For him to be re-accepted into the fold I would want to see some acknowledgement that some of the decisions made in his time could have been better (that's as far as I'll go here..), and for him to stop taking pot shots at our current administration and/or playing group for the sake a cheap headline.

So, what do you think it will take for Elliott to be welcomed back to the club? And do you think now is the right time?

NB: Been a very long time since I've posted on TC, but I've been monitoring the site daily and actively reading and appreciating the passion and thought that goes into TC posters views over the last few months. Thanks everyone!

"Those who forget the past are bound to repeat it", or something like that.

I don't have an issue with JE coming back to club functions, or being friends with Pratt or whatever. If he really cared about the club he'd refused any and all media interviews, but I can't see that happening.

However, we should never, ever forget the damage he did to the club. It may have been with the best intentions, but he made some monumental blunders. Building the legends stand without a watertight guarantee that PP would get the usage required to make it viable?

The game changed and JE didn't pick that up. Rather than recognising where the future lay, he continued living in the past. A poor effort that left us in the position we are now.

And waldo, if you honestly believe that the club wasn't in a dire financial position when Elliot was booted out then you're deluded. I guess if what's come to light since then doesn't convince you then nothing I say will, but JE left us in a terrible position (on and off field) in 2002 and there can be no doubt whatsoever about that.

Maybe if left in power he would have fought the penalties, and his mates may have kicked in the cash to keep us afloat, but in the end his house of cards would have come crashing down.

waldo JE doesn't need any slack to be cut. He bought this club to it's knee's and that is a simple FACT. Never ever forget it. FACT, FACT, FACT.

If he and Wes now want to work behind the scenes to put something back into a club they both nearly killed off them good luck to them. It is the very least they could do after the mess they made. If DP wants him to come along to a Presidents meeting then that is his choice but JE should never be allowed to forget what he did to this club due to his blind arrogance and ego.

Regards Cazzesman