Read the address to Members from Carlton President Stephen Kernahan from the Inside Carlton magazine.

When Richard Pratt became President of the Carlton Football Club we all set about the task of building an awesome foundation for excellence on and off the field. The resurgence of the Club was our priority and there is no doubt that 2008 was a foundation year for Carlton.

This has come about through the hard work of many, but there is one person we must thank and acknowledge for making it happen, for giving inspiration, leadership and above-all else, belief: Richard Pratt.

Richard has restored the belief and confidence to everyone at the Carlton Football Club. While Richard’s time as President ended during the season and he no longer has the role of a director, his influence has been, and will continue to be, profound as he maintains his loyal and outstanding support of the Carlton Football Club.

A new coach (Brett Ratten) and a new captain (Chris Judd) provided a new-look team in 2008 and winning ten games was an important step for the future. What was even more exciting was the development and improvement of the youngest team in the AFL. The confidence and belief was displayed on a number of occasions when the team came from behind to win matches and help the rebuilding of Carlton on the ground.

Off the ground the development in 2008 has been an even greater achievement and confirms what is possible when Carlton people work together. A record membership of 40,764 is a reflection on the loyalty of Carlton supporters around Australia.

For the first time in our history over one million people attended our games during the home and away season, the second highest in the AFL. Adding to the growth of the Club was the increase in the number of people watching Carlton on television, an increase of almost 30% compared to the previous year.

If there was any doubt that the ‘sleeping giant’ that was the Carlton Football Club has woken, these figures disperse that doubt. What is very pleasing is that it is members and supporters who are making sure the resurgence continues, for it is not just about the players and coaches - we are all in this together.

Adding to the excitement that has been generated during 2008 was the naming rights of our home base, Visy Park, and of course the redevelopment that is under construction. The $18million redevelopment will provide state of the art facilities for our players that will further assist their development. The new facilities will also provide a resource for the community and importantly there is an emphasis on sustainability as part of our objective to be the most environmentally-friendly club in the AFL.

And so the foundations have been laid for an exciting future, after a year of real progress at the Carlton Football Club in 2008. However the challenge is ahead of us to continue the progress to ensure we are back playing finals football and our growth off the field also continues.

The resurgence has commenced but there is still much to be done, and with your support we continue to rebuild the culture which helped make Carlton the most successful club in the AFL.

We Are Coming….now we must work even harder to ensure we get there.