2005 will be a second time of darkness for us, but it will be the last period of darkness before the new blues are truly reborn.

I feel that we do become a football power again and perhaps more importantly, we do win another premiership again.

We win a flag at a time when nobody expects us to do it, with a very young team and from a low spot in the final 8.

Everyone is angered that we effectively pinch a flag, but we do win the match fair and square.

This flag is won during a time when there is a bad war going on and everyone is suffering the effects of this war, both in an emotional and physical sense.

I dont believe that time is all that far away from us.

I think that Pagan will be a coach that puts the building blocks in place, but there could be another very young coach that triumphs in his first year at the club.

It may be that Pagan departs in controversial circumstances and a new coach is appointed, who is untried and unknown.

For all his faults though Denis will have done all of the hard work and the new man will capitalise on this.

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My Blue Heaven

Pagan will have changed a poisoned culture.
I had the pleasure of being in the company of the great Ronald Dale Barassi for an extended period the other night.
Said that the man who really turned Carlton around was George Harris and not himself.
Said what he himself did bring to the club was success and knowing how to win.Said that John Nicholls would probably not get drafted or play a game today but was by far the best leader he had ever seen(on and off the ground)
Said that this club was blessed with some of the best players the game had ever seen... and leaders.
Spoke about the draft and the salary cap as musts and said theyre there for clubs like Carlton today... and the future of North....
Said that were in the best hands possible (Denis)
Intimated that he loves Melbourne, Carlton , North and Sydney but you can tell he is a Melbourne man....

Roda Ashman said.. that footballers are drilled and lack footy nouse these days.. (which i agree with) He said that it used to be that footballers were footballers.. then they became footballers who were trained to be athletes... and now we have athletes trained to be footballers.
He reckons clubs are losing the plot with what theyre looking for. thats why the football is becoming boring and predictable.
there will never be another Bosustow because he would be left off a TAC list for not doing the ppercentage stuff.

Sobering thoughts... but i agree with everything he said.

Problem with whats happening to Andrew Walker is he has been shackled to become a modern day footballer.

Id love to see 1AW given free reign to enjoy his footy this year and told "Go out there and do what you do best Walkz"

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I think you summed Walker up pretty well Synbad. He is only 19 let him play with a free spirit, instead of tagging superstars. Walker will always be a match winner, not a defensive tagger.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

no, I agree with Denis, what we do not want is another bloody midfielder who never learnt how to be accountable! Work the arse off him for this year and maybe next, then slowly let him loose and he'll still be damaging but he'll also know how to stop his man. Andrew will get there its just we, like in everything else with the club at the moment have to be patient.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

the thing with AW is he is accountable but like Wiggo, Sporn, Livo etc wont enjoy playing fopoty because theyre all in a crap side with unaccountable leaders .
Kids need to enjoy going out there and playing free, romantic, sexy footy... especially kidslike Betts and 1AW.
I know Walker is accountable cos i have sen him in the lower comp... i dont need to want him to become too defensive conscious.
Walker is a McLeod type of player when his head is free of clutter.

Leave that kind of stuff to the hacks.. in the meantime.. im sure Walker wont hide from defensive duties.
He was an AA hbf as a kid...
But his main strength was to attack..... best form of defense is offense

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

"The ox is slow, but the earth is patient"

thanks 'Mick'

yeah you may be right Synbad but I never want to see a bloody carlton side again that hasmidfeilders who cannot man up!

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

Dannyboy, trust me and im sure Cazzesman will agree.. he has a strong work ethic.
I dont want his brilliance being stripped away with the real blue collar stuff.
If 1 AW lacked work ethic id be all for it.. but he doesnt.

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

AW's confidence is shot at the moment. When he kicked that goal, we both said "he really needed that" not "the team needed that".

He just needs a few more moments like that to get up and running and he will be fine.