There's a lot of speculation about the shape and potential of the Carlton team with the Fevola fiasco, possible Trades, the last uncompromised Draft for a few years (with GC17 2010 and West Sydney concessions), the PSD, and possible retirement of Stevens.

What seems to have gone amiss in all this discussion of our potential is that we have been rebuilding since the 2002 Black Friday penalties.

At the time the penalties were reportedly too harsh for a team which had its first wooden spoon in its proud history, and that they put us back reportedly 5 and up to 10 years, let alone imposing a fine we were not in a position to pay.

We lost our Draft picks, we were in a sense 'bankrupt' (without the AFL assistance), we had a divided Board and there was talk of us relocating or folding and we lost our home ground advantage.

We have come a long way since then, but it is still recent history and we are still getting on our feet.

Our hopes rested on youth and draft picks starting with Walker who started in 2004 and is now a veteran of the team at 23 yo.
With the inclusion of 3 No 1 picks (Murphy in 2006, now 21 yo, Gibbs in 2007 now 20 yo and Kreuzer in 2008 now 20 yo) our hopes started to pick up.
The Judd coup on a 6 year contract
Rookies and low draft picks moving forward better than their slection number

That 5 year delay didn't set us up to win a flag in 5 years, but served to put us where we were a competitive force again.

Lets get real. We have collated a very healthy but very young list. We played finals for the first time since 2001. We are back.

If our gun FF in Fevola and our experienced VC in Stevens are not playing in 2010, the group we have been putting together in the first decade of the new century I believe is so good that it does give us a good chance to win the next of many flags moving forward.

Furthermore, lets not underestimate the positive impact on the 'kids' to have had with the taste of finals and finals disappointment in 2009, and the positive impact another preseason under their belt, and most importantly a new game plan in 2010 will have on CFC.

Most important to all the doomsdayers who seem to have forgotten what disaster means, don't forget Dick Pratt's influence. He must not be forgotten and he would be turning in his grave to hear of memberships not being renewed and that we are going backwards.

He hired the best, He turned us around, and He encouraged best practise across the board and helped us get the BEST in the business in Judd, Swan, Icke, the new elite training facilities, development staff, psychologist, doctors, the very best trainers....

Dick left his legacy on this team and it is a team that will continue to improve because of his efforts. Thank goodness Jeannie Pratt continues to stand by the side of her/our great team.
Don't forget that we are on the right path to live our dream for the 17th flag and put Carlron in its rightful spot as a regular finals campaigner with the most Cups in Trophy Caninet.

I just cannot be pessemistic about the future of Carlton (even if I try) when I look at our list:

The number is the players age in 2010 (or thereabouts)

B: Armfield (23) Jamison (23) Thornton (27)
HB: Bower (22) Austin (22) Russell (23)
C: Simpson (25) Gibbs (21) Walker (24)
HF: Waite (27) Setanta (27) Houlihan (28)
F: Betts (23) Kreuzer (21) Yarran (19)

R: Warnock (23) Brock (24) Judd (27)

Interchange from the following fantastic players:

Rucks: Hampson (22) Jacobs (22)
Mid seniors: Carrazzo (27) Hadley (27)
Mid kids: Joseph (21) Murphy (23) Robinson (21) Garlett (21)

Then there's other good ones too:

Grigg (Grigg (21) Anderson (22) Browne (21) Johnson (22) Cloke (26)

I have deliberately left out

Fevola (29) because....
Stevens (30) because...
Scotland (30) because he's getting on
O'Keefe because he's still developing hios game
Tiller because he's still a fledgling player

Haven't included the following because they are potential trades/ delisted:

Hartlett
Edwards
Bannister
Bentick
Fisher
Wiggins

Now the addition of Brock is great and there will be a couple more inclusions from the Draft and a probable good Trade for Fevola or Fev stays.

I can't help but look forward to the team showing off their development over the years and over the BIG preseason in 2010. I doubt 2010 will see a repeat of the devastating injuries we suffered to our best players who are still on our list (but some have forgottn).

It's a young list and the future of our TEAM for the next 5-10 years looks very very promising.

Our future is secure. Thos of us who still feel the pain of 2001 know where we would prefer our great team to be.

The Carlton list in 2010 is the envy of all other teams with or without our experienced players Fevola, Stevens, Scotland, Fisher and Wiggins missing from the 2010 list (if it happens).

The glass is full of class.

Back the Carlton team; it's a good bet.

GO BLUEBAGGERS

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

None of the betting agencies have changed our premiership odds since the clubs come out that Fev will be traded.

Gee, we're flying if our B&F runner up cant get on the ground.
No offence Bondi but I'd be playing Murphy before Walker and Hoops.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Excellent post, I am exited about our future with or without Fev. For the life of me I cannot understand these claims that we are stuffed without Fev, this irrational nonsense is a denigration of our player list.

I hope none of our young players read this site. It would be disheartening for them to read that there are some "supporters" that think we are stuffed without him. It makes me think that the chicken littles have a very low opinion of the rest of our list.

I am excited about our future prospects and can't wait for 2010 to roll around.

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Hooked on The Blues

Best post all week!!!

Awesome work BB

unfortunately that team wont win us a premiership !

Multipronged forward line looks the goods. Loved fev. He was entertainment value which will be hard to replace but onfield i cant see us taking too long to replace him. I am sure we will still be able to 14 -20 goals a game.
The bad fev wont be missed on field and after game evenings where the players go out to a nice place for a meal and a few wines will be a nice change from all night piss ups chasing chicks.

Go Blues !

a full beer of class ... I'll drink to that

just wondering who this Carlron mob are though

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NG
S M C , S F L

I knew that would come up, but yeah, so would I BV.

I did it for a reason and I am prepared to back it:

My response is to use a quote from Bomber Thompson when asked why he starts Selwood on the bench every game, and he said, "you've got to rotate class with class in the midfield", he went on and said that Ablett wouldn't have a bar of it and neither would Corey (starting on ther bench), and that's why Corey sometimes starts on the HBF.Ultimately due to rotations they do have a spell on the bench.

I like to start my teams with great players on the bench and then see who fits where for the same reason as Bomber. More about our depth than my preference.

The point is that we have a very good list and some supporters are forgetting that. Furthermore, every year we are becoming a better club, not only in this decade but in comparison to the 90's as well.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

That says something.

I'm a betting man samboy and it has made no difference to me either.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Actually the market has us at slightly longer odds now - but that's beside the point...Great post Bondi...Your team isn't quite the same as my lineup - however, I'm still pretty positive going forward...you'll be adding to that team in the not too distant future.

Says who?

Whatever, it doesn't matter too much because there's no guarantees with premierships.

Geelong lost last year, and Saints lost this year and they were the best teams in those seasons.

Carlton hasn't won a flag since 1995, and everyone keeps telling me how great we were before 2002.

Most suggested Hawks wouldn't win in 2008, and in 1993 the Baby Bombers had no chance.

Footy is a funny game. Never say never.

8 weeks ago Hindmarsh thought Parramatta would be wooden spooners. This Sunday Parramatta play The Melbourne Storm in the GF. Hindmarsh was asked why the change, and he says everyday "[I don't know, we continued to work hard, play for each other and share the responsibilty, and for some reason it all clicked and won 8 out of 9 and now we're playing for the premiership]"

Reminds me of Hawks 08.

No guarantees, but have a good look at our list, their quality and their age. Have a look if the kids are improving and ask yourself if there's upside. If the answer is 'no upside', that's OK, but you're not going to bring me down Mr Cloudy Day. If your answer is yes, then like all opportunities there's potential to win a flag. At the very least we want to play finals. Every year there's 8 teams and their supporters there that wish they did. We just did for the first time since 2001 so we've got to be grateful but typically we see human frailty at its best with disappointed and negative supporters. That's life.

We are a far better organisation and team than we have been for the last decade. Agree?

When was the last time a Carlton side with an average age of 22 made the finals? We're not as bad as some choose to think.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Sydney Blue presented a really good assessment post Fev in a really great post yesterday.

That forwardline is just the forwardline on paper, if we learn to throw other potential players in the forwardline and take the upper hand by being proactive, we have planety of forwards and x factor types to really do some damage as opposed to our predictable one dimensional strategy. I agree, and I think that Ratten and the MC will have to do something different, and it just may be for the better.

I still want Fev to be retained unless we are offered a damn good salivating offer.

Lets aim to kick 16-20 goals a game. We were the only ones who did against St Kilda in 2009, so why not when we are a better team in 2010?

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Nice post Bondi.
A couple of comments:
- Judd is only 26 next year. He turns 27 in September.
- Hopefully we will secure a quality player as part of the Fev trade.
- Providing Grigg has a good pre-season I think he'll be a regular in our 22 next year.

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There is no footy god

Cheers Humpers.

That's the beauty about this list. Realistically Judd is 26 all year in 2010. The team is not old and has a long window of opportunity ahead of it (with more to add over the next decade. More new players means more competition for spots mneans the bar lifts. That could happen in 2010.

Grigg started the 09 season in sensational form against the Cats in the NAB; just sensational. But he will be competing for his spot in the 22. As you mentioned there should be another ready made good player from a Fev trade.

Grigg will be up against Carrazzo, Hadley, Scotland, Armfield, Russell, Robinson, Anderson, Johnson, and to a lesser extent Browne, Yarran and Garltt (positional difference) and maybe Stevens, Brock, Wiggins and the new blokes from trades.

A lot of pressure for spots. All the kids will step up next year, some will have breakthrough year, like Russell, Joseph and Armfield did in 09. It's going to be tough for Grigg (pick 19 in 06) to cement a spot in 2010 imo.

There's a strong message in all that. The list is strong and gaining in strength by the day. 6 months before season 2010 starts. We look the goods imo.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Its great to be optimistic and positive but come on lets get serious and in the real world. With that team we are looking at possibly making the 8 and thats about it !

I think it comes down to how much the kids improve.
Kreuzer and Yarran might become 40 goal/year forwards next year. Combine that with a fit and in form Waite and Betts and our forward line looks pretty good.
Robbo and Garlett will also improve.
What if Hampson's attempted marks start sticking......he would cause all sorts of trouble to the opposition.
McLean in the guts will allow Murphy to spend more time up forward.

In defence I really hope Jamison can stay injury free and Austin continues to improve. Fingers crossed we can pick up someone like Nathan Brown with the Fev trade. A "gorilla" in defence would be a huge boost.

Remember St Kilda weren't given much hope at the start of this year and the Hawks won the 2008 flag ahead of schedule. Confidence can be an amazing thing....especially with younger players.

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There is no footy god

great post Bondi......positive - as always, brimming to the lip without ever bubbling over the side.....luv it!

(in addition to natural growth, they'll get an pick up 5% improvement through attitude and club discipline ie potential unfortunate departure of Fevola).

And Fev is in career best fo...

Oh damnit....

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Formerly: Ackland the Wonderkid / Army the Wonderkid / quivering mess / molsey / Tony Lynn Fan Club

Fev hasn't gone yet ! !

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Get the facts first.
Then you can distort them at your leisure.