They don’t want to be in this situation – it is unfamiliar to the Carlton folk and they don’t like it and they don’t know what to do about it. The fans are worried too.

There are so many problems you don’t now where to begin. Perhaps the most logical place to start is the Club’s first wooden spoon in 106 years of VFL/AFL history.  Ok I hear everyone saying – the team was injury depleted – ten of the better players were out for the majority of the season. What else can they do? But the season started off badly when the team lost to St Kilda with only Koutoufides and Whitnall missing! No excuses. And it was only going to get worse when more players did get injured. Only three games won out of a possible 22 – not only did they miss the finals for the first time in a while but they also “won” the first wooden spoon. Not good!

That was only the beginning of the dramas – both on field and off.

Due to the poor showing things had to be changed – something had to be done and some one had to be deemed responsible. That person was the coach Wayne Brittain. Now this was a balls-up.

Apparently the Club had already been talking to other coaches for months and had them in mind. The President, Jack Elliot (we’ll get to him later) had publicly supported Brittain, along with Board Member and Chairman of Selectors, Stephen Kernahan. Publicly Brittain thought he was safe – especially with the backing of these two men. Privately – well who knows?

Then the Club announced that they have signed Kangaroos coach Denis Pagan. The news is all over the TV and in the newspapers. It had been suspected for a while and then confirmed, before the club officially announced to Wayne Brittain that his services were no longer required. Apparently that was the case anyway. The Club says that they told Brittain before it was announced. Allegedly Brittain deemed otherwise.

The team finished last – someone had to be held accountable. Maybe it was the right decision. A lot of people believe that it was. But the manner in which it occurred was unprofessional. Unlike Carlton.

Now we move on to the board. The worst thing that can happen to a club and it happens at Carlton just to add to its woes..... infighting at board level.

Apparently it is just not the coach that should be held accountable, but the person at the top of the hierarchy – President John Elliot. People believe that he has been there long enough. It is time for a change. Big Jack needs to go.

The person who is instigating this is current Colonial Stadium Chief Ian Collins. “Collo” has formed an opposition party, calling themselves ‘Carlton One’. This group has the backing of Carlton great and full back of the Century Stephen Silvagni. Apparently if Jack remains Silvagni walks away.

But on the other side of the ledger if Jack goes so does Kernahan. Or so the rumour goes.

The Carlton One team has some impressive names: alongside Ian Collins there are past players Ken Hunter, David McKay and Silvagni. Other members are Lauraine Diggins, Pokie king Bruce Matheison, Marcus Rose, Graham Smorgon, John Valmorbida and Simon Wilson.

Opinion seems to be split on whether Elliott should remain or whether the new board should take over, bringing in a fresh new team and new ideas on how to improve the club’s situation.

But while each party thinks they are the better man – or men – for the job, until the General Meeting on October 9^th and I daresay for a long while after – no matter what the outcome, the problems at Carlton are set to continue.

If you thought that was the end of the problems you are in for a rude awakening. You would think that “winning” the wooden spoon, infighting and sacked coaches would be enough of a headache for one club. Well add to that alleged salary cap breaches and the chance of losing what Carlton “won” by getting the wooden spoon – the prized first round draft pick.

The word is that there are only a handful of decent kids in this year’s draft – as opposed to the smorgasbord on offer last year. So losing that draft pick would simply add insult to injury, more salt to the wound.

And to top it all off Carlton are believed to be in massive debt this year.

So there you have it – the Club known as one of the power teams of the AFL is in disarray.