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.
The AFL has asked Carlton for a 'please explain' regarding the behaviour of its players during and after a boat cruise last weekend.
Early in the week Blues duo Ryan Houlihan and Andrew Walker were disciplined and fined $5000 each by the club after being involved in a fight in the early hours of Sunday morning at Crown Casino.
Houlihan and Walker have been banned from the venue for five years.
Then on Wednesday Carlton confirmed small forward Eddie Betts was arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour in central Melbourne on Sunday morning.
Betts has also been discplined and fined $5000 by the Blues.
On Thursday it was reported that 19-year-old rookie Levi Casboult was so drunk on the cruise that he was barely conscious when his family came to his rescue.
The league has asked Carlton to provide a summary of what it was doing to deal with the situation.
The Blues have also been asked to detail why they had failed to keep the AFL properly informed of a number of recent incidents.
"The AFL is particularly concerned by the most recent claims of a young player being forced to drink excessive amounts of alcohol by senior players," AFL Operations Manager Adrian Anderson said in a statement.
"There has been an extraordinary amount of work done by the AFL, clubs and the AFLPA to educate players about responsible drinking and the vast majority of players have heeded that message. That's why it is so disappointing to hear of this sort of behaviour (within the playing group of Carlton)."
Carlton has until January 11 to respond to the AFL's inquiries.
CARLTON small forward Eddie Betts has become the third Blue in just two days to be fined and disciplined for poor behaviour after the club's end-of-year boat cruise.
Betts was arrested in central Melbourne by Victoria Police for being drunk and disorderly on Sunday morning and was locked up.
He was released after four hours and was fined $234. The 23-year-old has been fined $5000 by Carlton.
The news of Betts' arrest comes in the wake of a fight between teammates Adam Houlihan and Andrew Walker which resulted in the pair being banned from Crown Casino.
Houlihan and Walker were also fined $5000 each and disciplined by the club.
Blues chief executive Greg Swann issued a statement this afternoon regarding Betts' behaviour.
"The Victoria Police have dealt with this incident as they would with any member of the community. While Eddie Betts was officially on leave he still has a responsibility, like all players, to maintain the standards that are required of all Carlton players and on this occasion he has not done so. As a result he will be disciplined and fined the maximum penalty on his return from leave in January," Swann said.
"This is the second incident that has been brought to the Club's attention as a direct result of the players' unofficial end of year celebrations on Saturday. We understand a number of players drank excessively during a cruise in the afternoon. This is clearly the most disappointing manner to end the year as the Club has embarked on a number of initiatives and programs with the playing group outlining the negative effects of binge drinking in the community."
"This issue will be readdressed by the Club with the players and the AFLPA when all players return to commence pre-season training."
"It is unfortunate that the actions of a few players have had such a negative impact on the Carlton Football Club and all associated with the Club."
Meanwhile, promising youngster Mitch Robinson has vehemently denied being involved in an altercation in Tasmania over the weekend.
CARLTON duo Ryan Houlihan and Andrew Walker have been fined and discplined by the club following an incident at Crown Casino in Melbourne in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Houlihan and Walker were both fined the maximum penalty ($5000) under the AFL/AFLPA Code of Conduct following a brawl with hotel staff.
It has been reported one of the players was arguing with a woman staying at the hotel before a fight broke out between Houlihan and Walker - one of whom was wearing just underpants.
Hotel staff became involved in the altercation before police were eventually called and the fight was brought under control.
Walker was escorted off the premises while Houlihan was sent back to his room.
No charges were laid against the pair but they are banned from Crown Casino.
Blues chief executive Greg Swann labelled the incident as 'unacceptable' and a 'poor reflection' on the club.
"It is an even greater disappointment to have this type of behaviour at a time when we are making considerable improvements to the club on and off the field," Swann said in a statement.
"We have introduced new programs in the training and education areas and will be moving into the new state of the art training facilities in the New Year."
Houlihan and Walker may face further sanctions when players and coaching staff return from leave in the New Year.
The incident comes just a few months after Brendan Fevola's drunken antics on Brownlow medal night at the same venue prompted Carlton to trade him to Brisbane.
DISCARDED St Kilda defender Matt Maguire's chances of re-igniting his stalled career at Carlton have been bolstered by the axing of utility Cameron Cloke last Friday.
Maguire, who was restricted to just 14 matches between 2007-2008 due to a serious leg injury and stress fractures in his foot, is doing pre-season training with the Blues in a bid to be picked up in December's pre-season draft.
The 25-year-old was left stranded on 99 AFL games after failing to break into the Saints side this season despite playing some good football with Sandringham in the VFL where he spent some time up forward.
Speaking ahead of Carlton's first skills session at Visy Park on Monday, Blues coach Brett Ratten believes Maguire still has something to offer at the elite level.
"His body seems not too bad. I've had a couple of chats with him and it's been pretty low key, but he seems a quality kid and he's still got that burning desire to make his name as an AFL player again and maybe our club might be a good fit," Ratten said.
"His versatility really is something that you look at to think, you know, that could really help us."
Ratten admitted the decision to delist Cloke wasn't an easy one but said it had to be done as Carlton needed another draft pick.
"It was a very hard decision but that's a view that we took with match committee and (it was) probably more list management," he said.
Meanwhile, Ratten ruled out the possibility of recruiting delisted Melbourne forward Russell Robertson.
Ratten said the goal kicking void left by spearhead Brendan Fevola who was traded to Brisbane would be filled by several players already on the club's list, including Jarrad Waite who is recovering from a serious knee injury suffered in May.
The Blues coach was optimistic that Waite would be available for selection come round one next year.
"With Jarrad, he started his pre-season about a month ago and he's put in some pretty big steps forward," Ratten said.
"He'll be really close, I think it's all about does he have any hurdles along the way."
"I think at the moment you probably would say yes, but we all know about rehabilitation and how it all goes."
"We've got a plan in place and hopefully all the boxes are ticked every month that it's all going well."
CARLTON has delisted utility Cameron Cloke.
The 24-year-old joined the Blues at the end of 2006 after a stint with Collingwood.
Injuries ruined Cloke's first year at Visy Park but he bounced back to play 20 matches in 2008.
However, he struggled to break into the side this season, managing just 10 games - the last of which was the elimination final loss to Brisbane.
Cloke was recalled to the side for that match after serving a club-imposed one-match suspension for being late to a recovery session.
Taken as a father-son selection in 2002, Cloke made his AFL debut in 2004 and played 21 matches for the Magpies before managing 36 games with Carlton.
Meanwhile, Fremantle has dumped midfielder Andrew Foster.
The 24-year-old, who played five of his nine games in 2009, will continue training with the Dockers in the hope of being redrafted.
TonyK
Cibbuano
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