Richard Pratt

[RPCB]

I was thinking to myself, did he want to wait for the right time to become our president? He become president last year when we were in debt and a shambles off field (and on), so why didnt he run for presidency 3 years ago? I wonder if he wanted to wait for the right time and that was a good 7-8 months before Judd was uncontracted?

 

[Charbzilla]

i DONT think Dick would have been waiting there twiddling his thumbs just laughing at how bad the club was, mate. What a ridiculous thread.

The club was in shambles and he stepped up when needed. That is all.

 

[Marc Shmurf 3]

i reckon he saw the precarious position that we were in and that there was no other viable options to get us out of that position, so he took on the job.

Pratt has been around the club, putting his hands in his pockets for a very long time, this time we needed his guidance/recourses more than his money and he decided to jump on board because "Sticks asked me"...

 

[as0l0]

I remember him saying he waited until he was asked. Nothing more or less calculated or sinister than that.

 

[AlecDuncan]

I was thinking to myself, did he want to wait for the right time to become our president? He become president last year when we were in debt and a shambles off field (and on), so why didnt he run for presidency 3 years ago? I wonder if he wanted to wait for the right time and that was a good 7-8 months before Judd was uncontracted?

I'm sure he wanted clear air and to avoid an election campaign like we had between the Smorgon camp and everyone else. I also reckon there was a lot of personal politics involved and there are some people Dick wouldn't want to be stuck working with <cough>Smorgon<cough>. Big Jack was sitting right next to Dick on Sunday and that should provide a clue to why Pratt would feel the way he did about many on the post-Elliott boards.

The way it's worked out Dick's the undisputed leader of a united board (none of the infighting and leaks we had before). He has the total respect of everyone and what he says goes. Having the money to make any decision go is the key, but just plonking him into our 2003 board wouldn't have achieved anything like what we've got now. Certain directors had to be moved on. I'm sure there'll be more.

Money makes anyone look like a hero, and the previous boards/presidents just didn't have enough of it to make a difference. That's not necessarily their fault and I don't begrudge them for putting their hands up and trying when times were dark.

 

[no. 4]

Didn't he also wait until Smorgon was off the board? He would never had let the club go under or be forced to move. That's all in th past now and we now have good times to look forward to.

 

[HBF]

At the time, I believe he said it was now or never. That if he was ever to be President of the Carlton Footy Club, he had to do it then.

He has bought so much more than money to the club - he's bought professionalism, and he's been able to hire people to do the job previous employees couldn't.

 

[serenityNow]

He didnt like Smorgan, its as simple as that.

 

[AlecDuncan]

He didnt like Smorgan, its as simple as that.

Probably, but it's also a matter of knowing that he couldn't work professionally with him on a daily basis. That can happen even without people disliking each other.

But it helps .

 

[waldo48]

I was thinking to myself, did he want to wait for the right time to become our president? He become president last year when we were in debt and a shambles off field (and on), so why didnt he run for presidency 3 years ago? I wonder if he wanted to wait for the right time and that was a good 7-8 months before Judd was uncontracted?

The fact of the matter is the King Dick is very good friends with Sam Smorgan - Graham's father. Pratt said all along that he was interested but, that he would not contest an election against Graham Smorgan.

When Smorgan was tossed out, the first thing that Sticks did was to flash around to Raheen and ask Dick to take on the Job. Dick immediately said yes and the rest is history. It was all about Smorgan not waiting for the right time.

 

[AlecDuncan]

The fact of the matter is the King Dick is very good friends with Sam Smorgan - Graham's father.

That makes sense. They would have both been on the board at one stage.

It didn't seem to carry over with Graham though. Otherwise the taps would have been turned on for him.

 

[gbatman]

Damn it's good we have a big Dick !!!

 

[blue gunslinger]

Sticks certainly tapped on the man's door. I do wonder how much Jack had to do with that but would not have it any other way

 

[celtic_pride]

Well all we know now is that ---

Raheen >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Dog Shit >>>>>>>>>>>> Cactus on Simpson Desert >>>>>>>>>>> Lexus Centre