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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!

Been on a driving holiday on the way to Melbourne with the family.
On the radio, it's Carlton Carlton Carlton...for the wrong reasons.

My thoughts reflected the old saying 'where there's smoke, there's fire', but I thought I better err on the side of caution and find out the other side of the media stories.

History tells me with the media that where's there's smoke, there's a small spark, and fabrication usually goes hand in hand with journalistic license...for the purpose of sensationalism...and of course stories to sell. Reminds me of the English tabloids.

In the HUN, negative reports on Carlton players and the FC are made on page 1, 5, 56 (editorial), page 86....over the break up party where no one got hurt, when there's more important things going on than footballers lives. FFS HUN. Yeah I realise I'm in Melbourne, but I also realise there's a lot of BS, guesswork, inuendo and sensationalism going on with the reporting, let alone blatant lies.

Regardless, the whole episode is disappointing. I know what I'm going to hear about over the next 2 weeks in Melbourne. It all starts today at xmas lunch. I better get my creative juices flowing to give a version of events with my own journalistic license. They are all innocent till proven guilty. Betts was caught loitering drunk. He's been caught. The police report verifies this. He's in trouble.

The players are innocent until proven guilty. The Levi episode suggesting the near blackout condition, I'm left to wonder, which doctor suggested that? Was he one drink away from oblivion? Two?

The brawl between players (Houla and Walks) is not what I'm hearing, but what I'm reading.

Eddie walking around Queen st in a drunk state is certainly unprofessional, but not a serious violation against the community.

I need to know more facts before jumping on the hysteria train.

If we assume that there has been serious misdemeanors made by players, what should be done about it?

$5000 fines. Big deal. That's all the power an AFL club has been given by the AFLPA and any other action seems to hurt the club more. To suspend the players with pay, means we lose a player for no return, and we pay for their actions. It's not the club's fault. It is the players' responsibility.

If we sack the player, the opposition just pick them up for nothing in the next draft. The club loses. The player continues to get paid.

A club should be allowed to suspend players without pay. A club should be able to protect itself from player misdemeanors. The player pulls the trigger and the club pays for it. It's all wrong. The players are adults and they make their own decisions. Decisions they have to live with and should pay the consequences of THEIR decisions like you and I would have to.

Player priveleges should be affected by the penalties. Pay and play should be taken away from the players. Someone has to protect the club, the competition and the sponsors from the players' actions.

I f the players are in the wrong, then I agree the players involved should be making the apology to the members and supporters of this great club. It is a privelege for these players to be playing for Carlton.

If, and mean if, they players have breached any team rules or laws and affected the club's reputation, then I would not hesitate imposing a lengthy suspension on players in the first rounds of 2010 (3, 6, 11...I don't know or worry about that). There's competition for spots, and frankly, we have the depth to cover Walker, Houla and Betts. If they should be penalised, then their position on field should be. They have to earn the right to have spot in the first 22 of this great club.

Personally, I think the leadership group, with the support of the rest of the list should declare an alcohol free year, and make a statement against binge drinking and change the popularising of a drinking culture. Admit that alcohol is not condusive to a healthy outcome for mind, body and soul, and is certainly not what a professional athlete should consider abusing. Lets turn this negative into a positive. I remember the year Fev declared an alcohol free year, he was trouble free and won his first Coleman. Imagine what an alcohol free year could do for the club on and off the feild. A sponsors dream.

Lastly, I don't know why, Swanny, Sticks, Ratts and the rest of the Carlton family who work closely with the club can't have a break from the media circus and enjoy this special period with their families. Similarly to the way Robbo has flown back to Tassie to enjoy being in the bossom of his family in anonimity.

Move over English tabloids, the Aussie media circus can more than match you now days.

Don't believe the hype.

Merry Xmas to all Carltonians and I hope you all have a safe and healthy vacation. Turn the page, and lets look forward to a great New Year in 2010.

Time heals all wounds. Lets get on the program Carlton players...do whatever it takes to give your members a flag or 2 or 3. That's what we want from you, and until you do that, you are servants of this club and its members.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Been a blitz in the city leading up till christmas. Zero tolerance by police. If Eddy was only loitering drunk IMO its been dealt with. Time to move on.

Carlton face warath of AFL over booze uncidents

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/c ... 5813289684

Ho Hum

The silly Incompetent cauliflower at the Hun can't even spell

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Cheats never prosper (except in the AFL)

I know I'm in the minority but I think there's been a bit of an overreaction to what seems a pretty standard end of season piss up. I know we'd all like the boys to abstain but we don't own them and if they want to get blind drunk during their break it's their choice whether we like it or not. Yes they're well-paid, professional athletes but they're also young yobbos susceptible to the same vices and self-destructive behaviours as the rest of us. Holding them to a higher standard than the rest of us will only lead to disappointment.

there is one recurring theme in these incidents TOTAL FU#$@#% ALCOHOL BAN NOW! top to bottom, were not the local bloody cricket club! time to get serious

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"Then joked and said he (Jack himself) probably wouldn't even need to play until round 2 against Collingwood."

You reckon if I offered you $500,000 to stay off the beer for 12 months, you'd take it...???

The next thing you'd want me to do is call you "professional"...

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"...that's the thing about opinion - you don't have to know anything to have one..." Andre Agassi commenting on Pat Cash 2004
"...the less you know - the more you believe..." - Bono 2006

So the Hun photoshopped a ciggie and a drink in Eddies hands?

Legal action?

forget 12 months, lets try 3 years for starters

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"Then joked and said he (Jack himself) probably wouldn't even need to play until round 2 against Collingwood."

I have had a few days to process what has happened.

What really upsets me about the behaviour of the entire playing group - yes the entire group - is that they are not committed.

Other clubs are.

The talent level at these clubs is no greater but the commitment is. They want it more. So when it counts they will win. Simple as that.

The club will not win #17 until the playing group wakes up to themselves. Individual commitment is not enough, it is never enough.

You don't give up a 5 goal lead in a final by "bad luck".

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Get comfortable being uncomfortable

Not too sure about that one. Have been studying both photos. The one with the ciggie and drink have Eddie with an earing. The ones without have no earing. Eddie always has an earing in both ears. Something tells me the photo sans drink/ciggie is the photoshop fake.

But im no expert.

But I am very bored

The Age have identified the photo as being from the end of season trip to Vegas...

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

I don't know anyone who wants them to abstain.

Behave, yes. Drink responsibly, yes. Don't act like F^&*wits, yes.

While they are under contract to Carlton, they might have "time off", but they are still representatives of OUR club, and of US. And when it comes about that the drunken F^&*wittery came about because of a "club-sanctioned" booze up, then they most definitely are acting as representatives of the club.

I'm getting more sick of more and more stories of the players acting like f^&*ing children let loose with a fake ID at schoolies.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

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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.

Given that this has a way to run, partly because of the inept way the club has handled it, and given that we may have several more players unavailable at the start of the season due to club sanctions, as well as Judd and Fev, if you look at our draw we would be less than a 50/50 chance in every game to round 7 apart from the Tiges. If we are 1/6 at round 8 the pressure will really be on.

Sticks is looking a bit of a scape goat, but he just doesn't come across as a president. He wants to be one of the boys, he wants to be in the coaches box, and he doesn't seem to project authority when dealing with a crisis. He is only president because of Dick Pratt's untimely demise and because of his friendship with him. It is time for him to stand down and for us to get a real president who can handle the media, who is not matey - matey with the coaches and players and who can play the game at the corporate level. Sticks was on TV threatening the riot act on jan 4, just as he did after the Fev incident. A totally ineffectice response. If we have anyone on the committee with genuine ability they should come to an agreement that Stciks will stand down from the presidency in March.

It seems to much like the Elliott culture of the pres being drinking buddies with the players has continued on. The Carlton 'culture' is paraded as a virtue, but is it really? We have won two flags in 27 years. before elliott we had presidents who were distant from the team-Rice, Harris (who was more tyrant than mate) Rhort who was too nice but was a totally different generation to the players. And despite the 70s/80s culture at the club we had strong leaders who stomped on players who didn't do the team thing. At the end of 1982 we were indisoutably the greatest sporting club in the country. Elliott presided over a long decline where our bad culture has festered without the strong characters to keep it in check. And since 1982, despite some time in the sun, we have been really unsuccessful, in fact more unsuccessful than any other 27 year period in our history. Sticks has great loyalty and is a genuine Carltoin man, and because of that he needs to understand that he is not the man to lead us to the promiseed land. Too much of the bad things of the past still exits at the club.

We need several other changes too.

I guess I have never been a fan of Lappin's appointment, but to me he doesn't command respect because he wasn't always the most dedicated player, and he played with these guys. Fev took no notice of him and probably so do few of his ex team mates. Ratts has shown some guts in letting Fev go, but clearly hasn't been able to sort out the rest of the group. The outsiders we have - HArves and Monty may well be good but don't come across as guys who have imposing personalities, and our captain, great as he is, seems to be a do as i do guy, who doesn't want to be a babysitter for immature players.

The biggest loser out of this may be Ratts. If we have a bad year this year and Kerna's imnfluence is weakened then the knives will be out. Whereas if he is strong and disciplines the slackers and idiots and still gets us to the 8 he may well have taken a huge step with his coaching

The pity of all this is that having an end of year function is good. How was ot allowed to become so bad. Why woudl you let anyone who arrived drunk even get on the boat in the first place?

Soemthing else will overtake it in the papers but that doesn't mean the problem has gone away.

Nice post, gerry.

I think you've summed it up perfectly.

That's all i want, but it appears we can't do it so now everyone suffers as a result.

Maybe the writer is a Kiwi

Where was the AFL's please explain and/or punishment on the AFL players that have committed violent acts against women? What did they do about Nathan Bock, Brendan Fevola or (alleged) serial offender Andrew Lovett?

Hypocrites of the highest order.

And as for the Herald Sun, what would you expect from a Murdoch publication. They make Today Tonight look highbrow and moral.

Fevola beat up a girl?