BRENDAN Fevola's homecoming wasn't a victorious one with Carlton recording a 13-point win over Brisbane in Friday afternoon's NAB Challenge clash at Visy Park.
The Blues trailed at every change but outgunned the Lions in the final stanza to run out 14.9 (93) to 12.8 (80) winners.
Fevola was restricted to just two goals and two marks by former teammate Michael Jamison.
Carlton small forward Eddie Betts was impressive with three goals, while Brisbane skipper Jonathan Brown also booted three majors.
A concern for the Lions will be the fitness of ruckman Jamie Charman who suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter.
Charman will undergo scans on Sunday to determine the extent of the injury.
CARLTON forward Brad Fisher has undergone radical knee surgery in a bid to play a role in the club's 2010 campaign.
Fisher suffered a partial tear of his right ACL in last Saturday night's NAB Cup loss to Sydney.
It was feared that the 25-year-old would require 12 months of rehabiliation but the Blues are hopeful of having him back playing in 12 weeks time after he underwent ligament augmentation and reconstruction surgery.
"Obviously this is positive news for Brad and the club as it will see him return before the second half of the season," Carlton football operations manager Steven Icke said.
"We underwent a thorough investigation as to the best treatment for this injury, understanding that the LARS surgery is not always the most appropriate and are pleased that it was for Brad's injury."
Fisher also spoke with Sydney defender Nick Malceski, who successfully returned to the game within several months following LARS surgery in 2008, before undergoing the procedure.
The pair were teammates at the Eastern Ranges Under-18 team in the TAC Cup Competition.
CARLTON has announced that confectionary giant Mars will be a joint major sponsor of the club for the next three years.
The Mars logo will appear on the Blues' guernsey and on the official apparel for the players and coaching staff.
Carlton chief executive Greg Swann said the deal was significant.
"The MARS Bar is an iconic brand, Carlton is one of the biggest brands in Australian sport and we are delighted with our new association which is a significant commitment by both organisations," Swann said.
The Victorian-based company joins Hyundai as a major sponsor.
"MARS has a long history of supporting sport at both grass roots and elite level and have been involved with AFL players and clubs for many years. This new sponsorship is by far the biggest AFL involvement we have had and it is appropriate that we partner with Carlton, one of the biggest names in Australian sport," Peter West, General Manager Mars Snackfood, said.
"We have been manufacturing MARS Bars in Australia for over 30 years and the heritage of our brand has always been around celebrating active lifestyles as expressed in the Work Rest Play campaign. This partnership is a natural fit for the MARS brand and will further promote an active lifestyle."
The confectionary company's logo will first appear on the Carlton jumper in the Blues' round one NAB Cup clash with Sydney at Blacktown on February 20.
EXCITING young Carlton ruckman Matthew Kreuzer has signed a new two-year deal with the Blues which will see him remain at Visy Park until at least the end of the 2012 season.
Taken with pick one in the 2007 national draft, Kreuzer has played every match since making his AFL debut in round three.
The 20-year-old won Carlton's best first year player award in 2008 and was also a NAB Rising Star nominee.
Last season he finished fifth in the club's best-and-fairest count.
"We are delighted that Matthew has committed to continuing his career with Carlton," Blues football operations manager Steven Icke said.
"He is an outstanding young man and has shown in his first two years in the AFL, where he has had an immediate impact at Carlton and in the competition, that he has a sensational career in front of him."
Kreuzer said it was a 'fantastic time' to be at the Blues.
"Obviously the improvement on the field and playing a final last year was great and I look forward to playing more finals and enjoying success with everyone at Carlton," Kreuzer said.
"Together with the sensational new facilities at Visy Park certainly makes Carlton a great place to be."
Meanwhile, Ryan Houlihan, Andrew Walker and Eddie Betts trained with the senior squad on Monday after completing their month-long bans for their alcohol-fuelled misdemeanours prior to Christmas but they remain ineligible for selection for Carlton's NAB Cup campaign.
THE AFL announced on Friday that it will take no disciplinary action against the Carlton players involved in incidents in the hours after the Blues' infamous pre-Christmas 'booze cruise'.
The league wrote to Carlton on Christmas Eve seeking an explanation regarding the behaviour of several of its players including Ryan Houlihan, Andrew Walker and Eddie Betts and for the club’s failure to keep the AFL properly informed
AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson said he had received a detailed response from the Blues earlier this month outlining the actions it had taken to address the matter.
Carlton fined Houlihan, Walker and Betts $5,000 each, banned them from training with the club for a month and ruled them ineligible for the NAB Cup for their indiscretions in the wake of the drunken cruise.
Houlihan and Walker were thrown out of Crown Casino after getting involved in an altercation with security staff while Betts was arrested for being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
Anderson said the league was satisfied with the explanations provided by the Blues and the action the club took against the players involved.
However, he said Carlton need to implement an effective alcohol policy.
"It is important that the club continues to pursue a culture of responsible use of alcohol," Anderson said.
"The club has already taken steps to improve in this area but the AFL will appoint an appropriate person to consult with the club to further assist it in its approach to responsible use of alcohol."
Failure by the Carlton to address this issue will result in unspecified sanctions.
CARLTON has suspended Andrew Walker, Eddie Betts and Ryan Houlihan from the club for the next month for their drunken and inappropriate behaviour after a boat cruise in December.
Walker and Houlihan were fined $5000 by the Blues before Christmas for getting involved in an altercation with security staff at Crown Casino in the wake of the now infamous cruise while Betts was also fined the same amount after being arrested for being drunk in a public place in the hours after the boat trip.
All three will train with Carlton's VFL affiliate the Northern Bullants for the next four weeks and will take no part in the Blues' NAB Cup campaign.
"We know this will impact on their preparation for the home-and-way season," Carlton president Stephen Kernahan said.
"The players are aware of the embarrassment and negative impact this has placed on the club and everyone connected with the Carlton Football Club.
"Clearly, it was completely unacceptable."
Blues skipper Chris Judd said the playing group took 'full responsibility' for what happened on the cruise.
"We apologise to the various people and organisations associated with the Carlton Football Club and those impacted by the regrettable behaviour," Judd sad.
"We understand the privilege and opportunity that comes with playing AFL football."
"Whilst I can only offer words today, I pledge that our actions in the future will do justice to the commitment we have made to the Club."
Carlton has bolstered its drug and alcohol education program as a result of the misdemeanours.
CARLTON rookie Levi Casboult has survived a head-on crash on Christmas eve that claimed the life of a young man.
It was reported in the Herald Sun on Friday that Casboult was driving in Dandenong when his car was struck by 21-year-old Samir Azemi's vehicle around 10pm.
Police believe Azemi lost control on the slippery road, his Nissan sedan reportedly veering across the Princes Highway median strip and colliding head on with Casboult's car.
Azemi passed away at the scene, becoming Victoria's 298th road fatality of 2009 and 10th during the holiday period.
Casboult escaped serious injury after his airbag deployed.
"He's walked away without a scratch," Casboult's father Leigh told the Herald Sun.
"Levi rang me straight away and I went out and supported him and he made a statement to police."
"It's very fortunate he wasn't hurt. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's very confronting for him to be involved in an accident in which a young man has died."
"Hopefully he'll be okay. He's had a tough week."
Last weekend Casboult was so drunk on the Blues' now infamous cruise that he was barely conscious when his family came to his rescue.
The 19-year-old was allegedly bound or handcuffed to a senior player and urged to drink one-for-one with the player.
TonyK
Cibbuano
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