This time two years ago, Brendan Fevola was in disgrace for urinating on the window of a bar in Prahran. In the face of considerable criticism, Carlton allowed him to play in their season-opening encounter with Richmond but the Fev failed to rain on the Tigers' parade. He managed only two goals as the Blues were well beaten. It was a confronting occasion for Carlton folk. The team's lack of attacking support for its talented but wayward spearhead was embarrassingly exposed under the MCG floodlights.

Since that dark night of the soul, Brett Ratten hasn't coached the Blues in a home-and-away game without Fevola in the sticks. Across two seasons, in unpredictable fits and starts, the oafish full forward kicked 188 goals from 45 games. No one else in the competition scored as many. Fevola achieved successive finishes of third and fourth in the club's Best and Fairest award. He climbed above Alex Jesaulenko as the third-greatest goal-kicker in Carlton's history. And now he is gone, sent packing to Brisbane.

And what are the Blues left with up forward? Well, there's Eddie Betts, a pint-sized goal-sneak who's kicked a total of 63 goals over the last two years. Then there's Marc Murphy, a mid-fielder who snagged 31 last year. Jarrad Waite's returning from a knee reco - he kicked 28 goals back in '07, and don't forget Bryce Gibbs and Kade Simpson who got 15 each last year. Then there are all the new possibilities, like Matthew Kreuzer and ... well, perhaps Bret Thornton could add to his career tally of four.

In other words, Carlton and its third-year coach, who is still seeking to convince the doubters, have an enormous headache. While the decision to trade its full-forward was the only one a self-respecting club could take, and has been given further vindication by Fevola's link to the Lara Bingle shower-photo, it's going to hurt. There could be two steps back before even one is made in the right direction.

The upside is that the slate is clean. Carlton's playing personnel can now go about the task of making something of their club without the lurking certainty that a loose cannon is about to explode somewhere in their midst. On the field, they can be safe in the knowledge that there isn't one among them who will consistently succumb to his ego and let the rest down.

Such virtuous arrangements, though, don't necessarily win football matches and they certainly don't protect unproven coaches from the wrath of impatient fans and administrators. Ratten is contracted until the end of the 2011 season and is likely to need every bit of two years to have his team higher than the 7th spot the Blues claimed in 2009.

He may now be living in Brisbane, but the dark shadow of Brendan Fevola is likely to hover over the Carlton Football Club for some time yet. Certainly, the loss of his goal-kicking skill will be keenly felt this year. Should that absence cause a serious downturn in the Blues' fortunes, it's possible that Fevola's reign of terror might cause Brett Ratten many sleepless nights over the next two seasons.