CARLTON President Mark LoGiudice has acknowledged the Blues' strong supporter base in what has been a difficult year for on-field performances in the third year of the Club’s rebuild.
“We did rip the bandaid off and said we were going to rebuild the list. It’s what we’ve done and we’re sticking to our strategy,” LoGiudice told Triple M on Wednesday morning.
“It’s tough and this year has been tough. There’s no doubt about that. It’s been hard and at times hard to watch. I feel it, our members feel it, the supporters feel it.
“We all want to belong to a football club and we have very passionate members, including myself, who want to see success. We haven’t had as much success as we’ve wanted but that’s why we’ve committed to a rebuild and we’re going to stick to our plan and our strategies.
“Losing is unacceptable and I get that but we need to all stick together and we will see, and reap the rewards, of what we’re doing now, in the future …. Whatever we do is always in the best interests of the Carlton Football Club.”
While acknowledging the inconsistencies regarding the Blues’ on-field performances in 2018, LoGiudice also highlighted the strength and growth of the organisation off-field.
“The off-field is just as important as the on-field. Obviously, the on-field is what we go to the footy each week to watch and see and we don’t accept losing," he said.
“But outside of the football performances, we have been building a very strong football club. All our major sponsors are signed up, we’re putting together our masterplan for Ikon Park where we have just received $20 million from the State Government, and our corporate network is continually very strong.
“We have the best corporate network in the competition but all of the off-field side of the things is part of preparing the football club for success.”
Despite external criticism of an apparent “invisibility to media” this season, LoGiudice stressed that his priority was having a touchpoint with the Blues’ membership base as opposed to the media in the very first instance.
“My obligation is to our members. I make myself available to our members on a very regular basis,” LoGiudice said.
“As far as the media is concerned, I don’t see the reason or need to speak weekly about the performance of the football club. There’s lot of great people at our club who speak on behalf of the football program. Our CEO in Cain Liddle, Our Football Director in Chris Judd, our coach Brendon Bolton speaks weekly and our players are rolled out weekly too.
“So I speak to the media as and when necessary, hence why I am out there today.”
LoGiudice also reiterated his and the Carlton Football Club Board’s emphatic support of coach Brendon Bolton, saying he would see out the remainder of the year as coach irrespective of results.
“I came out publicly and said Brendon is definitely the coach of the football club. Irrespective of what happens for the remainder of the year, and we know losing is unacceptable, of course we go out to win every single week and we will continue to do that.
“But irrespective of what happens for the remainder of the season, Brendon will be coaching this football club.”
