From the Coach

[Mandragoran]

Did everybody else receive this email last night?

Not much in this edition worth noting but looking forward to it during the season. This sort of direct communication from the coaches to the members is one of the things I mentioned in that feedback survey they conducted last year. Looks like others must have mentioned the same thing.

Dear Luke,

With the pre-season training campaign now behind us, and the opening round of the 2011 AFL home and away season now fast approaching, a tremendous sense of anticipation undoubtedly prevails at Visy Park.

It's patently clear to me that everyone at Carlton – from the President and members of the board, through to the administration and of course the coaches and the players – have seriously committed their energies to what we all hope is a good news story for this Club through 2011.

As Senior Coach and as a former player, I am truly mindful of the great expectations placed upon this great Club by our valued Carlton stakeholders. So it's with genuine keenness that I write to you to advise that of a Monday morning from the opening round onwards expect an email from me reviewing the weekend's match and offering an insight into what is happening in the inner sanctum.

On Saturday night, Etihad Stadium provided the backdrop for the opening round of the NAB Cup, in what doubled as a unique triple-header involving three of the AFL's inner-city strongholds. From my perspective, it was tremendous to see more than 40,000 football people turn out in support.

Though we did open up slowly in the first hit-out against Richmond, we came home strongly to record a comfortable 18-point win. Similarly, we started tardily in the night's third contest, but found a way back into the contest, only to go down by seven points in the finish.

Without doubt, the slow starts cost us - and yet, there were good signs when we started to get our hands on the ball and really got our game going.

A win and a loss over Richmond and Collingwood respectively means that we'll now be participating in the NAB Challenge series, with the next match penciled in for the weekend of February 26/27 - and as NAB Challenge series matches are staged at regional centres around Australia, our players will turn out in either country Victoria or interstate venues in two weeks time.

To that end keep tabs on the Carlton website, which will publicise the details as soon as they're released by the AFL.

Of course, the Carlton Football Club's weekend activities weren't confined to the NAB Cup fixtures alone, with Sunday's Hyundai Blues Family Day attracting 5000 supporters to Visy Park. All senior players were in attendance for the taking of the official Team Photo, and they immersed themselves with the Family Day activities through the day.

The Club also took the opportunity to welcome the fathers and mothers of our newly-listed senior players in what was Carlton's 'parents induction weekend'. Importantly, the weekend afforded the parents the chance to meet with members of the Club's football administration, witness first-hand the state-of-the-art facilities at Visy Park, and, on Saturday evening, take in all the action of the NAB Cup at Etihad Stadium.

Yesterday the players travelled to Benalla for what is a two-day Community Camp, involving a series of community visits and the staging of a super clinic at Benalla Oval on Monday afternoon.

Well, that just about wraps it up for now. Thankyou for taking the time to take in the weekend's events, and I look forward to your on-going support of and interest in all things Blue through 2011.

Speak soon,

Brett Ratten
Member #1018372
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[Sin City]

Yeah I got mine. I look forward to this insight into what is happening at the inner sanctum

 

[Biffinator]

Yeah I got mine. I look forward to this insight into what is happening at the inner sanctum

Well a Carlton supporting friend forwarded the email. I have not read anything to date in terms of how long Sticks intends to be President, but if someone else were to step up to the plate, I suspect there would be implications for Ratten.

 

[Sin City]

Well a Carlton supporting friend forwarded the email. I have not read anything to date in terms of how long Sticks intends to be President, but if someone else were to step up to the plate, I suspect there would be implications for Ratten.

Based on what?

 

[Chism]

I have not read anything to date in terms of how long Sticks intends to be President, but if someone else were to step up to the plate, I suspect there would be implications for Ratten.

I think you are reading into it to much and i am sure you have sufficient material to start a thread on the Bay with this.

What makes you think a new president's stance would be any different to Sticks??

Ratten has allready been told we MUST win a final this year and rightly so IMO as unlike Melbourne we don't accept being around the mark as an o.k season and finals wins are a must.

 

[Poseidon]

Biffinator, pls go.

 

[ESKIE]

Well a Carlton supporting friend forwarded the email. I have not read anything to date in terms of how long Sticks intends to be President, but if someone else were to step up to the plate, I suspect there would be implications for Ratten.

What based on an email.....

You;re a goose

 

[Biffinator]

Based on what?

SC, I think it is always healthy to have some distance between the President and the Coach, or some formality if you like, understanding, of course, that the decision-making process in all clubs nowadays is collective.

 

[ESKIE]

The sticks argument has been done before.

He is winner a pro, I wouldn;t think mates would have anything to do with his decision making.

 

[Blue Ratts]

SC, I think it is always healthy to have some distance between the President and the Coach, or some formality if you like, understanding, of course, that the decision-making process in all clubs nowadays is collective.

Is this some kind of euphemism?

 

[Blue Dawn]

SC, I think it is always healthy to have some distance between the President and the Coach, or some formality if you like, understanding, of course, that the decision-making process in all clubs nowadays is collective.

Funny emphasis Spliff given that it was Sticks initially who firmly put the 'must win a final for the season to be deemed a success' expectation out there to start with.

 

[Sin City]

SC, I think it is always healthy to have some distance between the President and the Coach, or some formality if you like, understanding, of course, that the decision-making process in all clubs nowadays is collective.

A) What exactly do you know of the decision making processes that Pratt or Kernahan have used?

B) What has Ratten done to deserve any implications if there was another president?

 

[Judderson]

Part 2 .

Dear Cristian,

There is always that added pressure in round one. There is a long build up; training commenced in November last year and then the intra-club and pre-season matches. It is always a huge build with great expectations and it was great to start the season with a victory.

The season has now commenced and we have already moved on from last week's game and our focus in on the Gold Coast Suns. We have reviewed the match against Richmond with the team and our training is now geared around being the best prepared we can be for Saturday night at the Gabba in Brisbane. The Gold Coast Suns are playing their first game in the AFL and they will be on an emotional high so it will be a great challenge.

It was great to see a crowd in excess of 60,000 at the MCG last Thursday night and I am sure the weather early in the afternoon deterred a number of people who would have decided to stay home and watch it live on TV. There were a number of real pleasing aspects from the game, particularly early on when we had many opportunities. Unfortunately that good work was not converted and while we dominated getting the ball inside our forward 50 we did not convert our chances and left the opportunity for Richmond to fight back.

Importantly when we were tested by Richmond we rose to the challenge, it was a great challenge for us to start the season. Winning after being headed in the third quarter, when the momentum was certainly in Richmond's favour was character building for the players.

Responding to the challenge showed the players have trust in each other to get it done and enjoy a victory certainly showed the team has great respect for each other. It was also great for the team to have a victory in Heath Scotland's 200th AFL game. 'Scotto' has been tremendous for this club since he moved from Collingwood and his selfless attitude and the manner in which he puts the team first is a wonderful example for his team-mates.

In the rooms after the game the presentation to 'Scotto' was well received as was the special presentation to Eddie Betts. Syd Jackson presented Eddie with a game ball as Eddie broke Syd Jackson's record as the highest Indigenous goalkicker in Carlton's history.

Making it a great first weekend of football for Carlton was the wonderful evening at Crown Palladium on Saturday night at the Carlton Hall of Fame Dinner. Five people were inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame, including my 1995 premiership team-mate, Anthony Koutoufides, and of course the coach David Parkin. In addition Robert Walls was elevated to a Legend of the Club.

It was a great night in our history, an opportunity to celebrate the contributions made to the Carlton Football Club by a number of individuals, and adding to the night was the celebrations of the 30-year reunion of the 1981/82 Carlton premiership sides. The coaches, leadership group and first year players were all in attendance and saw first-hand what the Carlton Football Club is about and why we demand success.

This week we travel to Brisbane on Friday and will have a training run at the Gabba on Friday afternoon to prepare for the game against the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday night. It will be history in the making and adding to the occasion it will be Chris Judd's 200th AFL game.

Speak soon,



Brett Ratten
Member #1018372

 

[Quazza]

clicked into this thread and thought "wtf is mine?" As I was posting something similar, the email appeared in the bottom right corner

*queues X Files music*

 

[Aphrodite]

clicked into this thread and thought "wtf is mine?" As I was posting something similar, the email appeared in the bottom right corner

*queues X Files music*

Same thing happened to me about 1hr ago Quaz

 

[Salaryman]

Sakc aphrodite

 

[Claypigeon]

clicked into this thread and thought "wtf is mine?" As I was posting something similar, the email appeared in the bottom right corner

*queues X Files music*

Mine hasn't arrived yet. .. Do I need to face a mirror and say Sack Ratten 5 times or something?