Thought this being the off-season, it might be nice to spend some time telling everyone in the TC community about your history supporting the Blues.

Feel free to write long posts if you have time.

Why do you go for the Baggers? How long have you supported them? Who are your favourite players? What are your most treasured CFC moments? Why do you love the CFC? What is the essence of the CFC for you?

That sort of stuff.

In other words, how deep is your passion and why is that so?

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It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

it all began in a galaxy far,far,away....no....ummm...it was a blisteringly cold winter that year in Siberia...the potatoes were stored...the wood chopped....no....
Alright...but it is rather mundane.
My grandparents immigrated here before 2nd WW and landed in Carlton.
Grandpa was a member of the anti football league..an odious crime worthy of any Dostoyevski classic..but Gran'ma, and her friends and rellies all went, and were passionate..then mum and her sisters and rellies went, and then me and my brothers went...so that makes me 3rd gen,and my girl a 4th gen...not to mention the pets...a long line of blues supporters..although Katie Bell the cat was looking pointedly at that 2nd Geelong flag..so I've allowed her a 2nd team.
A game that stays is being up high at th MCG for the infamous Coll/Carlton GF in which we made a comeback courtesy of Teddy Hopkins whom I mention a bit in related posts.
My Auntie was so nervous that day,that she took to applying lipstick everytime we went for goal.
That game is forged in my memory..and i think was the day i became part of the team for life.
My brother was in the cheersquad back then, and i used to go along as a shy little scruff.They were an hilarious witty bunch...high gay fraternity back then,and I got quite an education.
They would shout out things like...'your mother's a tram ticket' and they all worshipped David Bowie.
Anyway...I went away...I admired from o'seas, interstate....but I came back...it's in the blood dontchaknow.
Favorite players were back then...Doull and Jezza,and then McKay and Southeby...and later..Big Red, and Lappin,..but most of 'em really..then Hoops....cos he did clever things, and looked like a native american..and then....again, just about the whole team..I love these boys.These are the ones...I'll see a few flags as an adult,with friends and family..like those before me did..and I can't wait!!!
ps.I ended up in a share house in Prahran in my early twenties...and guess who ran the place which had a printing setup in the front room??
Ha ha..It was one T.Hopkins and his beautiful wife and daughter.
So...there ya go.

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

It all started in 1967 in Launceston Tasmania. As an impressionable Grade 7 student, I watched a young god running, jumping and doing amazing things at an athletic meet, one Brent Crosswell. So when he went to Carlton in 1968, there was no other team and hasn't been any other team since.

Go Blues!

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"our electorate seeks less to be informed and more to be validated." Sad times.

I am a South Australian who attended a Victorian boarding school. The SA-Vic rivalry was quite strong, as you can imagine, and there were three big arrivals during my boarding school days that made me see blue.

I had a bit of a wayward supporting past it has to be said, due mostly to following the SANFL as much as the VFL and changing schools a a couple of times and wanting to fit in I guess.

But 1986 sealed the deal for me - Kernahan, Bradley and Motley. Blue forever now. I loved Kernahan's work for SA, but as a Port supporter it was my birth right to hate all things Glenelg! Luckily Carlton made me see the error of my ways.

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The Blues have been in my blood since I was born and indeed there are plenty of photos of me as a little tacker in my Carlton jumper with a scarf hanging to the ground and my beanie. It started with my grandparents - who actually went on their first date to Princes Park to watch the Blues. One of my favourite stories is that one day down there, my grandma actually leaned over the fence and whacked the Collingwood full-back with her umbrella. She was a fiesty one.

The fanatacism skipped a generation - with my Dad and his brother and sister all Carlton supporters, but will very rarely actually attend games. Mostly I think because my Dad gets too nervous watching them. My brother, my two cousins and I have all picked up the slack go and are mad Blues supporters. Have travelled interstate many times to watch them - my first interstate trip being to Sydney in 1995 (great choice dont you think?), went with my grandma and actually got on TV for that 'crowd commentating' segment they had on Four Quarters (old footy show on Channel 7). Generally have had pretty good success when going interstate to see the boys though - have seen us flog the Lions at the Gabba when Lance kicked 9, saw us smash the Dockers at Subi, was there during our come-from behind win against the Power in 2008 and loved every minute of it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) didnt get up to Brisbane for the final this year, but had my phone signed into Skype and next to the TV so that my brother could follow the game from the UK (he moved there after Rd 22).

My favourite player when I was growing up was our current coach, Ratts - wearing my lucky number 7 and sharing the same first name, was pretty much a shoe-in. Remember being devastated when he dislocated his elbow against the Cats at Optus Oval the week before the finals started and then being wowed by Jimmy Plunkett the next week. Current favourite player is Murph - the guy is a freak and will win a Brownlow one day I reckon.

One of the glorious aspects to being a Blues supporter is that there are so many great memories to cherish.

It was my Great Aunt Mary who told me with a tone of murderous intent I was going to be a Carlton supporter.

That was 1968.

Since then it's been a joy, even through the darkest times. Coincidentally, I received a copy of the 1979 Grand Final 'Record' in the mail today, that I bought on eBay. I was at the game, in the old Ladies Members Stand, having queued since the middle of the night so I could get a reasonable seat.

What a day! A constant drip of water on my head that would do Chinese water torture proud, lasted all day, but I was so totally rapt in the game, a nuclear device could've gone of next to me, and I wouldn't have been moved from my spot.

The sense of elation at the end of that game will live with me forever.

Now I'm all teary eyed...

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"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything." Oscar Wilde

The Hookers across the road took me to my first game when I was 4 out at VFL Park.

They gave me a jumper with 25 on it and the scratchy little plastic logo on the front (the one that fell apart and ended up looking weird little white tapeworms).

I don't remember who we were playing but Jezza stood on some poor bugger's head and that was that.

Carlton for life.





Except for 1980 when my best mate convinced me to follow the Tiges. I've never admitted that publicly before. Oh my God - I think I just outed myself...Nevermind I did get to watch 4 flags in a row which is not particularly common an occurence...Can't believe I'm about to hit submit on this one...Oh @#$%&!...

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

[quote="GWS"]The Hookers across the road took me to my first game when I was 4 out at VFL Park.(quote)



ok..just to clear this up...was it a brothel,an estate agents,or just a regular family that lived across the road from you?

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

Bugger, I was gonna use that line

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It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

A little supporter synchronicity?

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That’s not a political statement — it’s a harsh reality, and we must act,” she said. “He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”

Um...Mr & Mrs Hooker and their kids...?

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

I was fortunate to hit the magical age of 7-8 (when the penny drops for many kids and they suddenly love footy!) in the glory days of 1980-1982. As a result, I grew up watching the Blues win Flags and have developed into a horribly spoilt adult who thinks it is our God given right to win Flags (which it is of course !!).

I was fortunate also to be taken to the 1981 GF as an 8 year old, and I also attended the 1995 GF (which I celebrated with about 20 people at the Kent in Nth Carlton).

My earliest recollection of the CFC believe it or not is a footy card featuring Vin Catoggio (must have been the hair that stood out).

I was a complete CFC nutter as a child. Had the blue jacket with about 20 players' badges on it. I used to wear no.14 (Ashers) on my jumper. My favourite all time player though is SOS.

I was lucky also when I was young, as a family friend worked high up in the club's administration, which meant for a couple years there I often got into the change rooms after games (mind you at that age it wasn't all it was cracked up to be - you were too young to appreciate it for what it was, and all you saw was 20 naked blokes walking around - hmm, nuff said !).

Fondest memories are the 1995 GF; also the other (semi?) final that year in the rain at the G where we toweled Pagan's North; Bradles' goal against WC at PP (I had a great view of it in the Legends Stand); Kouta's remarkable game against Sydney at PP where he did just about everything everywhere everyhow; the Buzz's glorious mark against the Cats (I was behind the goals); and the countless Saturday afternoon's at PP watching a sea of navy blue in the Heatley Stand as the Blues banged home yet another goal (usually by the mosquito fleet).

I went through a period when I was little where I was so obsessed with the club I sometimes went to PP on the Sunday after a Saturday game, and just walked around the ground, trying to re-live the memories of the previous day - I know it's a terrible cliche but you could almost hear the crowd roar. In hindsight that was a pointless exercise, though I did find half a $5 note once in amongst all the rubbish

I will admit too that when I was around 19-21 and heavily into the hedonistic partying days of university life, I (and this is the only time this has happened to me since I was 7) for a brief moment was quite uninterested in footy and the Blues. The girls and the parties and the girls and the booze and the girls and the girls took over my life. I still checked the results each week and knew were we stood in the comp, but I wouldn't go to games religiously and sometimes when I saw games on tv I would say to myself 'who is that player?". Of course those days are long gone, and I'm now a complete CFC tragic typing away on a keyboard about the Blues and the Blues and the Blues

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It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it

The dark side is revealed.

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"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything." Oscar Wilde

It's okay - I only need to bend over to counter it...

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

That's better, I couldn't read it properly before.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

dad migrated from italy in 1970 and lived across the road from princes park as most of the Italian community did in those days and his first game of footy was the 1970 grand final, person that sponsored him to come to australia barracked for carlton and took my old man to the G, so from there the old man loved carlton and every one in our family had no choice , barrack for carlton or my old man would disown u lol nah not that bad but i was born into a carlton family, and my old man took me to every game he could with my 2 brosthers and i have been goin ever since.
love the blues and get more enjoyment outta watching them then anything else in this world
go blue boys!!!!

Right - so the higher the number the bigger the font!

I thought it might be like draft picks.

Silly me...

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

Well mum was Fitzroy and dad was StKilda I have 6 siblings and not all of them inherited the Lions or the Saints. My two eldest brothers were hitting that age during the late 60's early 70's and they both ended up choosing their team from that era, one chose Carlton and the other Richmond.

All the while my sister was StKilda she was my favourite sister...although 12 years older I adored her so I was StKilda for my younger years....she bought me a Stkilda clown when I was little and so on.

When I reached about 7 or 8, Carlton were going great and My eldest brother had previously convinced Paf to barrack for the Blues and basically I'm told, around the 87' GF they ganged up and convinced me to barrack for the Blues...thank the lord! If I had have turned out as a Saints or Tigers supporter...I dunno what I'd be doing right now.

My first real memory of Carlton when i was actually interested would have been the 93' GF, I was in QLD with mum and dad and remember watching a replay of that final we won....I was sporting Carlton gear in and around Hervey Bay thinking I was good....then we lost the GF and I was pretty down. So many songs from the charts of that year remind me of this GF....Rain by Madonna, The Journey by Tommy Emmanual, Numb by U2....depressing stuff.

95 was my year....I converted every single one of my girlfriends to barrack for Carlton. The Boys came to Echuca for a training camp the girls fell in love with Kouta, SOS and Ang and the club as a whole. We would spend that year so close to the club, we'd go to most games every second thursday training session and follow the poor buggers everywhere they went, it was nothing short of an exhilarating year for 5 15 yr old girls.

I love the CFC, it's part of me.

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The problem will be made. for the solution to be sold, to your face before your eyes, tolerance is now the new danger

1985. I was 12 years old and had the Number 4 sewn on the back of my Duffel Coat with "KERNAHAN" stretching out from shoulder to shoulder, along with all the other paraphernalia that one had on a coat. I'd venture down to Glenelg Oval every second week with my Mum, and watch my hero, Sticks carve them up. Playing at CHF, he was a machine. I remember after a game, my Mum was having a chat to her friends by the players race at the Bay Oval, and Sticks came out. He saw my Number 4 coat and came over and said hello. I was gob smacked and just stood there like a mute. I watched Sticks all season, and saw it culminate in a Glenelg premiership, where he kicked 7 and won the medal. Then the news that broke my heart. Sticks is leaving Glenelg. The Bay, the Tigers. No more Sticks. Some mob I'd never really heard of called Carlton had poached him. After the disappointment of realising I wouldn't see Sticks in the Black and Gold again, I started following the VFL, and more importantly one man. Stephen Kernahan. I stuck with the Blues from that time on, and when the Crows came into the AFL, they decimated the Glenelg Football Club, and I hated those pricks. Got my first Carlton membership the year the Crows joined.

After Sticks, came Dooza then Macca and now Gibblet & Stricker. Go the Blues & go the Bays !!

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Go to http://www.snoutslouts.org/ for a look at the mighty GFC...

I'm lucky enough to have BOTH sides of my family as Carlton supporters all the way back so I was never going to be anything but a blue

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#23: Lachlan Henderson