Getting rid of the $4.5 million dollar debt?

[deestroyers 0]

How about if Volvo donate a car to the MFC for a raffle. Say 10,000 tickets at $500 each?

Sorry to rain on your parade, but its been done, and is actually happening right now. Its the $200 donation raffle. Only 2000 tickets. First prize is a choice of $40000 or a S40 Volvo.

Go to the Megastore at melbournefc.com.au and click on raffles.

EVERYBODY BUY A TICKET!!!!!!

[Keepin up with the Joneses 48]

Quite valid points about the business going forward...but you've got to paddle out of the deep water before slithering up the beach, turning your fins into limbs, and starting to crawl, walk and run.

Slapping down $161.00 in one hit will be too much to ask for many supporters, and so you would be in la-la land if you expected a 100% take-up.

However you could get better success if it were spread over 8 monthly instalments of $20 [ = half a bucket of chips at the darklands].

These are all great ideas, and they could legitimately wipe our debt, and quickly, but it doesn't address any of the issues that continue to drive us further into debt.

The business this year will operate at a loss of over 1 million.

If we want to survive, we need to teach all our Melbourne supporting friends who are not members, that being a member of this club is something to be proud of, win lose or getting hammered, and that it is important that you become a member. Not to become a member when we win a sufficient enough amount of games which means that you will go to maybe 5 or 6 and then it is beneficial financially to buy a membership.

Basically, we are suggesting to sustain ourselves into the future, we should base ourselves on 28,000 members paying $320, instead of $160

Remember we are the club that cant convince the majority of our MCC members to take out a full membership instead of the $40 half arse crap.

FWIW I would happily donate more money, I just want our club to be sustainable.

[Rogue 585]

You're definitely right regarding sustainability - on here or Demonology someone pulled out the old 'give a man a fish' chestnut.

I think most posters recognise that while donations would help, they won't address underlying financial issues.

However, without the debt it's going to make it easier for the Club to move forward.

At the same time what do you deserve from the club? I'm not having a dig at you personally, I'm just wondering what we "deserve" to recieve from the club besides winning flags and keeping the club afloat (tow things the club has been miserable at).

I think members deserve to be engaged by their Club, and the Club should certainly make good on any offers - ie. this guy deserves his brick

[Cards13 9,117]

I think members deserve to be engaged by their Club, and the Club should certainly make good on any offers - ie. this guy deserves his brick

Completely agree with More Juice and you Rogue.... That is why I said we have a hang over from previous poor deliver from the off field administration and asked aloud if there is any kind of working group with members/supporters currently happening.

I think that brick might be being used to prop up the portables the coaching staff use at the Junction Oval....

[Rogue 585]

I think that brick might be being used to prop up the portables the coaching staff use at the Junction Oval....

Hehe

On a serious note, it'd probably be worth chasing up your 'brick'. It's been reported that we've had massive staff turnover, so perhaps it just got lost in the cracks. Even if it's gone, the Club might be able to help you out in some other way. Don't lose faith in the Club because of an administrative issue - the Club's bigger than that.

edit:

Some sort of 'arm chair' 'membership' would be good - I think the Roos may have had one. Basically, it'd be to target people who may want to help out the Dees and feel like part of the Club, but don't go to the footy and/or can't justify the cost of an 11-game membership.

It'd essentially be a donation, and probably couldn't be counted in our official AFL membership tally, but it'd help get these people on board with the Club (able to market to, possible to convert into a 'full price' member in future years, etc). I'd price it at under $100, send out the Demons mag, perhaps the membership gift, and say a 2-match home game entry pass.

The Club wins, as they get money they wouldn't otherwise get, plus a Dees fan to market to (sponsorship stuff, raffle tickets or whatever, full-price membership in future, etc). The fan wins, as they're engaged by the Club when they otherwise wouldn't.

[Wolfmother 182]

There a many many ways it could be administered as well... one group of double memberships could be used to take school kids to games, another set we could use to take some of the kids at Jimmy's Reach program, another set to refugees another set to underprivileged, another set to disabled... The options are there, I guess the question is can you actually do that with a membership? Allow someone else to use it for a game if you're not going? I know with AFL memberships you can't but everyone does it....

Cards13.... I don't know who at the club we have to contact but I'm happy to throw my support behind it. I have created a website/online business which is about to be complete the task you mention above. The site is creating a secondary ticket market which allows people to sell tickets to games they are not going too. The site has a guarantee on tickets provided and takes the details of both the seller and buyer etc etc (I won't go into the business plan). If your in london ManU and Chelsea have just signed on with viagogo which is the same concept as my site.

I meet with the AFL in Feb and I had a meeting with Telstra Dome last week. I have put a proposal to them about which allows for the AFL club membership ticket (mainly reserve seats) to be released in electronic form.... that ticket can then be sold on my site or given away etc etc. My main effort is for Telstra Dome and Essendon due to their size.

I am happy to do the work for Melbourne to help the double membership group, the club needs to get ticketmaster to release the ticket but that is done now my Geelong and West Coast. Adelaide have this system in place with BASS so it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I can do the release of the ticket and my company can handle all administration in getting the tickets to groups nominated by MFC (my company only makes money when tickets are sold but that is not viable for MFC). I am also happy to do some marketing work to get the double membership group off the ground (although I feel like I am a double member beingMFC/MCC )

If anyone knows who to contact at the club PM and I will send my email address etc etc

I have attached one of the mock up pages we did not the Telstra Dome proposal.. obviously it has Essendon rather than Melbourne

[Rogue 585]

Interesting idea. Good luck with it.

I've PM'd you some details.

[Jaded No More 58,614]

Remember we are the club that cant convince the majority of our MCC members to take out a full membership instead of the $40 half arse crap.

FWIW I would happily donate more money, I just want our club to be sustainable.

This is a key issue!

We need to turn the 10,000 plus MCC members who barrack for Melbourne into full members, or at the very least make them pay more for a duel membership.

If scaring them is the way to go, than so be it. After all, they pay their MCC membership to go to games and watch Melbourne play. If Melbourne relocated, folded or moved their home games to TD or Casey, a great deal of their membership money would be wasted. I find it difficult to stomach the fact that people will pay hundreds of dollars for an MCC membership, but won't fork out $120 odd for a full membership of their club.

The MCC also needs to realise that they're likely to lose a lot of long time members if the MFC ceased to exist in its current form.

If you choose to give your money to a rich organisation that has all but turned its back on our club, but you won't give your money to our club, than what sort of supporters are you? I understand that MCC memberships give you various benefits that an MFC membership never will, but it does NOT support our club and at the end of the day why do you go the football? To sit at the MCG or to watch the Melbourne Football Club!

We need to turn MCC members into MFC members. That should be the number one priority of the new administration going forward.

[Cards13 9,117]

Cards13.... I don't know who at the club we have to contact but I'm happy to throw my support behind it. I have created a website/online business which is about to be complete the task you mention above. The site is creating a secondary ticket market which allows people to sell tickets to games they are not going too. The site has a guarantee on tickets provided and takes the details of both the seller and buyer etc etc (I won't go into the business plan). If your in london ManU and Chelsea have just signed on with viagogo which is the same concept as my site.

I meet with the AFL in Feb and I had a meeting with Telstra Dome last week. I have put a proposal to them about which allows for the AFL club membership ticket (mainly reserve seats) to be released in electronic form.... that ticket can then be sold on my site or given away etc etc. My main effort is for Telstra Dome and Essendon due to their size.

I am happy to do the work for Melbourne to help the double membership group, the club needs to get ticketmaster to release the ticket but that is done now my Geelong and West Coast. Adelaide have this system in place with BASS so it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I can do the release of the ticket and my company can handle all administration in getting the tickets to groups nominated by MFC (my company only makes money when tickets are sold but that is not viable for MFC). I am also happy to do some marketing work to get the double membership group off the ground (although I feel like I am a double member beingMFC/MCC )

If anyone knows who to contact at the club PM and I will send my email address etc etc

I have attached one of the mock up pages we did not the Telstra Dome proposal.. obviously it has Essendon rather than Melbourne

Tip of the cap to you good man, great business idea.

My idea is more along the lines of MFC members tickets and double memberships being used for benefit of parties other than $$ benefit. If we could us our excess member tickets for others who can't afford to go to the footy, who are new to this country or who are in vulnerable situations (suicide prevention, foster children, people trying to overcome addictions or abuse) we are then helping others in our community that need it as well as proving greater numbers at our games. win/win

I'd much rather see the tickets used for benefit than profit but it is a godd concept on your behalf and will hopefully make you some good $$.

Cards

[Cards13 9,117]

This is a key issue!

We need to turn the 10,000 plus MCC members who barrack for Melbourne into full members, or at the very least make them pay more for a duel membership.

If scaring them is the way to go, than so be it. After all, they pay their MCC membership to go to games and watch Melbourne play. If Melbourne relocated, folded or moved their home games to TD or Casey, a great deal of their membership money would be wasted. I find it difficult to stomach the fact that people will pay hundreds of dollars for an MCC membership, but won't fork out $120 odd for a full membership of their club.

The MCC also needs to realise that they're likely to lose a lot of long time members if the MFC ceased to exist in its current form.

If you choose to give your money to a rich organisation that has all but turned its back on our club, but you won't give your money to our club, than what sort of supporters are you? I understand that MCC memberships give you various benefits that an MFC membership never will, but it does NOT support our club and at the end of the day why do you go the football? To sit at the MCG or to watch the Melbourne Football Club!

We need to turn MCC members into MFC members. That should be the number one priority of the new administration going forward.

True again Jaded, how are the MFC supposed to do this? What has been tried in the past? What will work in getting them over???

The problem is we have 4 or 5 No1 priorites that need prioritising

[beelzebub 22,259]

Here we go...rollig out the ol' barrel of ..why dont those bastard MCC members pay up !! I personally am sick to death of this one. Get over it. Its a legacy indeed of our legacy ( well..it is..lol ) Its not going to change today..very unlikely to change tomorrow..and in all reality why ought it change. They , whomever, are MCC members of their own choice..so bloody be it. Getting a few to double dip all the time out of misguided moral blackmail does absolutely nothing to resolve a problem going forward.

Instead of wringing everry last ounce of blood out of some supposed well-offs.. lets develop a desire for the beast that is the MFC to exist into the future. If generous benefactors come to the party , indeed jump on board..then thats bloody marvellous but they can only occupy so many seats at a game

To go forward will need unlashing of the past.. For crying ot loud dispense with this rubbish of the MCC having to do this or that. Its time the club grew up and really stood on its own two feet. Strangely enough parents are even more inclined to give a helping hand when they know their offspring can hack it and actually make a go of it. Until then you dont trust too much that things will automatically turn out ok.

The club needs to develop an identity that instills teh want to participate and the where with all to sustain its own destiny.This may require some lateral thinking and some bloody mindedness to al lthings that ARENT in the best interests of this club. People liek to support a team that exudes strength of character, even if thats strength in the face of defeat.

Tine for the club to get a bit tough. Reinstitutung the DEMON and some fire into our nature is a start... The stopping of all crying would be another.

The MCC arent our problem..the thinking that they are IS !!

[45HG 1,539]

Bub, thank God you said it!

[Rogue 585]

My idea is more along the lines of MFC members tickets and double memberships being used for benefit of parties other than $$ benefit. If we could us our excess member tickets for others who can't afford to go to the footy, who are new to this country or who are in vulnerable situations (suicide prevention, foster children, people trying to overcome addictions or abuse) we are then helping others in our community that need it as well as proving greater numbers at our games. win/win

Wolfmother recognises this, and has simply given some background on his business venture in order to show that he has the capability to do this. He asserted that he'd do this on a not-for-profit basis.

[Wolfmother 182]

Tip of the cap to you good man, great business idea.

My idea is more along the lines of MFC members tickets and double memberships being used for benefit of parties other than $$ benefit. If we could us our excess member tickets for others who can't afford to go to the footy, who are new to this country or who are in vulnerable situations (suicide prevention, foster children, people trying to overcome addictions or abuse) we are then helping others in our community that need it as well as proving greater numbers at our games. win/win

I'd much rather see the tickets used for benefit than profit but it is a godd concept on your behalf and will hopefully make you some good $$.

Cards

That is the business idea which will hopefully be making me money...

But I can use our site to assist the club... when the ticket is released it doesn't have to be sold, that is only an option on the sell that I'm hoping members of big clubs will take up... The ticket can be returned to the member who can give it away... I can build in an object to the site which allows that ticket to be donated to the MFC, so double members gave donate a ticket to the people in vulnerable situations. I will then coordinate this donation and print the tickets out and have them delivered to the appropriate person in charge of the groups mentioned (suicide prevention, foster childrens, reach foundation etc etc). The groups would be coordinated by the MFC who would need to give me a contact name, address and how many tickets they needed. I'm sure I could coordinate a reply from the groups/article/photos that could then be posted on the MFC site and sent to the double members in an email to show them the enjoyment of their donation

[Wolfmother 182]

Bubs

I agree and it pissing me off that people think it is...

I will give my case as an example and hope that some non MCC may start to understand that we are not the problem.

I have been a member on and off for the last 19 years... I'm only 28 now so the 'off' years were through the late teenage years.

I have been a member of the MCC for seven years as well as the club for about eight.

I purchase a MFC/MCC full membership and a social club membership... it costs me $250. I have never used the ticket to go in to a match as I go to the members, I have never attended any social functions... In fact I get no benefits from the membership at all besides and email and that I want to donate my money to the MFC as I love the club... how is me paying $250 any different from any of these ideas to pay $200 to the club 18.58 per fortnight, $150 for another 150....

I pay $400 for the MCC and I am not a well off toff as I had a normal job so really I just donated some money because I felt like it...

Besides the benefit of knowing you support the club what incentive is there to buy a membership.... there has been other discussions on this.... but as I mentioned last time something as simple as a ticket to a MFC function with all players attending for MFC/MCC full members only that cost $50 (cover costs) at crown (I know its $120 a ticket but some of that can be taken from the membership) would see members upgrade there tickets from $40 and the club could make an extra $40.

Sorry about the RANT...

[Cards13 9,117]

Wolfmother recognises this, and has simply given some background on his business venture in order to show that he has the capability to do this. He asserted that he'd do this on a not-for-profit basis.

That is the business idea which will hopefully be making me money...

But I can use our site to assist the club... when the ticket is released it doesn't have to be sold, that is only an option on the sell that I'm hoping members of big clubs will take up... The ticket can be returned to the member who can give it away... I can build in an object to the site which allows that ticket to be donated to the MFC, so double members gave donate a ticket to the people in vulnerable situations. I will then coordinate this donation and print the tickets out and have them delivered to the appropriate person in charge of the groups mentioned (suicide prevention, foster childrens, reach foundation etc etc). The groups would be coordinated by the MFC who would need to give me a contact name, address and how many tickets they needed. I'm sure I could coordinate a reply from the groups/article/photos that could then be posted on the MFC site and sent to the double members in an email to show them the enjoyment of their donation

ap ap ap ap, I apologise from my response, I was on the way out when I read your intial response Wolfm and skimmed the rest.... As I mentioned in the original post it is a great business venture and if we can use it to benefit the club, even with the on sell function, then even better.

[Guest MFC4Life]

Here we go...rollig out the ol' barrel of ..why dont those bastard MCC members pay up !! I personally am sick to death of this one. Get over it. Its a legacy indeed of our legacy ( well..it is..lol ) Its not going to change today..very unlikely to change tomorrow..and in all reality why ought it change. They , whomever, are MCC members of their own choice..so bloody be it. Getting a few to double dip all the time out of misguided moral blackmail does absolutely nothing to resolve a problem going forward.

Instead of wringing everry last ounce of blood out of some supposed well-offs.. lets develop a desire for the beast that is the MFC to exist into the future. If generous benefactors come to the party , indeed jump on board..then thats bloody marvellous but they can only occupy so many seats at a game

To go forward will need unlashing of the past.. For crying ot loud dispense with this rubbish of the MCC having to do this or that. Its time the club grew up and really stood on its own two feet. Strangely enough parents are even more inclined to give a helping hand when they know their offspring can hack it and actually make a go of it. Until then you dont trust too much that things will automatically turn out ok.

The club needs to develop an identity that instills teh want to participate and the where with all to sustain its own destiny.This may require some lateral thinking and some bloody mindedness to al lthings that ARENT in the best interests of this club. People liek to support a team that exudes strength of character, even if thats strength in the face of defeat.

Tine for the club to get a bit tough. Reinstitutung the DEMON and some fire into our nature is a start... The stopping of all crying would be another.

The MCC arent our problem..the thinking that they are IS !!

I admire your fire BB. But there are certain realities that have to be faced.

Firstly, whether people like it or not, this club IS the MCC. It was born of it and has found itself in a de facto relationship for several decades. It is a massive problem the club faces. MCC members pay money that really they are forced to keep paying otherwise risking waiting another decade to regain membership.

As far as I'm concerned the club will have to deal with the MCC. We have over 20,000 people who are MCC and support Melbourne. What possible incentive do MCC Members have for buying a full membership when they get to see 14 games at the MCG?

The Fremantle game this year is a case in point. There were bugger all people in the AFL members and the public areas to be blunt. The majority were situated in the MCC. Why? Becasue most MFC supporters do not buy public seats or afl memberships. Why? Becasue most of them are MCC members or Melbourne members.

Talk about the annexation of the MCC is absurd. It is all well and good to concentrate on non MCC people to sign up but the problem is that these people are simply ghosts walking in shadows. To build up a supporter base of 30,000 people with no connection to the MFC would take a decade to achieve. The way the club is performing on and off field unfortunatley does not allow such a timeframe.

I've heard rumours that are largely unfounded and nothing other than fanciful thinking. But I hope we simply amalgamate with the MCC again. Unfortunatley I can't see anything else that will fix our problems.

[Junior 46]

There seems to be an obsession with eradicating this debt....but all good businesses carry debt. I would have thought it's more important to achieve sustainable earnings growth rather than focussing on one-off donations to pay down debt.

[Stromberg45 0]

i will gladly pay $161

[The Emblem 1]

There seems to be an obsession with eradicating this debt....but all good businesses carry debt. I would have thought it's more important to achieve sustainable earnings growth rather than focussing on one-off donations to pay down debt.

We are currently not a good business and debt needs to be serviced. Eradicating it will allow the administration to go onto the front foot and build us into a good business.

[Weedster 174]

We are currently not a good business and debt needs to be serviced. Eradicating it will allow the administration to go onto the front foot and build us into a good business.

I think the debt needs to be eradicated as a stepping stone to the future. Time to galvanise some of the ideas on this post to show we are fair dinkum - enough is enough.. time for us to stand up

[leucopogon 1,472]

How about an incentive program where people put in if the team can start winning a few games, or winning quarters, or kicking over a certain score threshold each week. Might be a way to gee up the playing group and coaching team into being more competitive.

[Timmuns 16]

i will gladly pay $161

As will I

[deanox 8,715]

if a donation is done as either a once off..or a direct debit setup, then an admin type is going to only really expend "so many minutes;" doint that.. With membership..theres teh silly ltter..teh stuuf they send etc etc. I conced we arent talking hours per person..but it al ladds up.

I see very little to be gained by false numbering our membership, its a perception with no real marketing clout.. Its , i feel, where inlays a danger for say Nth Melbourne. A false reality will come back to bite you.

i agree re extra members. i dont think fake members is the way to go...

[deanox 8,715]

i will gladly pay $161

well go for it then son. call the club today! or send it to the demonland/demonology 150 club...