The seemingly endless wait is over and it's time for life to begin again, football's back. Yes I said football. Call it what you like, but bear in mind that when I'm talking football it's the round ball variety.
The start of the season is always a special time, full of hope and expectation of the year to come. This season is a make or break one for us. Success off the field is as essential as is it is on it. We need both to secure our long term future.
On-field things are looking great for Carlton. The new coach has brought in some great talent and has a good blend of youth and experience. The new boys look fantastic. None of the overseas imports are here for a holiday, they have high standards and are sticking to them. Stuart Slater is the best player I've seen in a Carlton shirt, his performances have been superb, but he says he can do better... brace yourselves for some brilliance on the left wing!
The influence of the new blood on the rest of the squad can be clearly seen, Tricky has been great on the right wing, Lubo and Stabber have also had an impressive pre-season and will be vital to our success. It's also been superb to see Markovski back with the Blues and full of commitment for the shirt. The squad has gelled together really well over the close season. There has been much talk of the excellent team spirit at the club, which augurs well for the coming season.
The area that fills me with trepidation is the off-field side of things. It's that same old problem of bums on seats. We can be the best team on the field but we need the support off it too. Ma see the AFL as a major obstruction to the success of the beautiful game in Victoria. Although the AFL can't stand in the way of progress forever, it does seem to constantly throw spanners in the works. The scheduling of the Australia v. Ireland match on the night of our opening game has to be a big blow to us. I wonder if Perth Glory and Northern Spirit suffer similar problems?
On the positive side of the off-field activities is the AMEX sponsorship deal. Well done to all those involved in lining up that deal, it should go a long way to raising our profile. My Blue Heaven has also secured sponsorship this season. Big cheers to the Charles Dickens Tavern for their commitment to the fanzine, by becoming our major sponsor. Welcome aboard! If you're sitting there reading this and looking for somewhere effective to advertise your company, be it Johns Market Stall or ...AMEX, drop us a line, we need all the financial help we can get!
Finally all the best to Simon for his full recovery. Let's ensure he's not forgotten during his long journey back to fitness. He may not be able to take the field this season but he's one of our finest and deserves our support.
Let the football begin!
Sal