Tom Elliott wants to know which direction the new Carlton president will take the club before deciding whether to run for the top job, possibly with the help of disgruntled former premiership player Fraser Brown.
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Businessman Mark LoGiudice, with the support of pokies king and Blues powerbroker Bruce Mathieson, is expected to replace president Stephen Kernahan in the next fortnight.
"As a Carlton supporter, I would love to see Carlton in a more successful era than what it is in right now. Things are not good at the moment," Elliott said on Tuesday night.
"But can I make it absolutely clear, I have no great ambition to go on the board at Carlton or be the president. But I am looking to the next few weeks to what happens.
"We all know that 'Sticks' [Kernahan] has to step down as president this year. He made it clear a few days ago that there is a succession plan in place and whoever is the presidential candidate, I would want to hear what they have to say fairly soon to, as a supporter, be confident about the immediate future."
Elliott told Fairfax Media on Monday that he had not ruled out running for the key job.
Elliott revealed on 3AW on Tuesday he had met with Brown, a 1995 premiership player and successful developer, last year.
Asked about suggestions Brown, who is close with former Carlton coach Brett Ratten, was disgruntled with what was happening at the club, Elliott said: "I had a coffee with him last year, the best part of six months ago. He made those sorts of feelings apparent ... just a general upsetness that Carlton is not winning.''
Elliott said he had spoken to many other former Carlton players since then.
Brown did return calls on Tuesday.
Elliott would almost certainly require a spill of the board later in the season for him and his ticket to win a seat on what will be a reduced board, with the 12-member group set to be cut by at least three.
Elliott said his issues with the Blues were not financial or about training facilities. "Carlton is in pretty good shape financially. Whatever needs to be done at the club has got much more to do with the footy department, players on the field, those sorts of issues.
"It's not merely about chucking the money around. The best thing Bruce did was buy all those poker machine licences when the Victorian government stuffed up their auction and sold them too cheaply. That has guaranteed Carlton a revenue stream for the foreseeable future. That's a very valuable asset."
Asked what it would take for him to run for the top job, Elliott said: "I don't know, the complete implosion of the current board, I just don't know. I was approached about this in 2006 when the former president looked as if he was struggling a bit. Dick Pratt came in after that and did a marvellous job getting the club back on its feet."
