The AFL again, through its fixturing, has slapped the MFC and some other recipients of AFL handouts, squarely in the face, just as a school yard bully would.

This fixturing fiasco, which has been going on for years on end, continues to widen the gap between the “haves” and “have nots”. In essence the AFL will not allow these clubs to build their membership base. I have a brother who used to attend all games, who now only attends a few games due to kids sporting commitments on Sundays.

It is extremely difficult, especially in today’s economic climate, to attract new sponsorship, making us more and more reliant on AFL hand outs. This in turn renders the MFC unable to fight for their right as an equal franchise holder in the competition in fear of reprisals from the school yard bully (the AFL).

The inequalities that are created by the AFL are done for a purpose and that is so it can have its power which would otherwise be questioned on many fronts.

Why is it that the AFL is in competition with its member clubs on the sponsorship issue?

As the supposed custodian of the games financial health and growth, isn’t it beneficial to ensure that all member clubs are treated financially equally.

When will we ever see EQUALITY agian?

Proberbly when we start winning games again.

As much as I do hate the draw, It certainly wasnt un expected.

I mean, lets face it. Why would the AFL shedual 'prime time' games for a club that cold barely string 3 wins together?

It's not about prime time games. We have only one Friday night... which is stupid. It's about having a fair slice of Saturday games, which we don't have. Punishing teams for losing by limiting their ability to get corporates only worsens things... Try explaining that to Vlad though...

While I agree that we had a bad year this year, in the last few years we have made finals a couple of times (even if we got knocked out in the first round!) and yet we always draw a bad fixture. We always seem to travel a heap more than the black & white princelings, and sometimes got back to back interstate trips. It's clearly all about money (who can draw the biggest crowd) and therefore nothing will change until we get bigger crowds. Unfortunately the high number of Sunday games is a deterrent to that - if you are on a budget and have commitments for Sundays (kids sport etc...) you aren't going to bother taking out a membership if you can get to less than half the games. The bad fixture is self perpetuating, until we get something more 'even' we will be struggling. Then the AFL will use the fact we are struggling as a justification to keep giving us bad fixtures.

It's a win win deal for Demetriou and his cronies - they can keep stomping on us because the very act of stomping gives them excuses to continue.

Nice piece cheech. Exactly bloody right!

WE're getting rogered senseless and I think this is probably not very new. In fact i wonder if the new board ismore vulnerable because they don't 'know' (or have been 'known by) Vlad.

Nice piece cheech. Exactly bloody right!

WE're getting rogered senseless and I think this is probably not very new. In fact i wonder if the new board ismore vulnerable because they don't 'know' (or have been 'known by) Vlad.

The screwing over was doubly distasteful because Demetriou led us to believe he approved of the Stynes-led board and would work with them to help the club out of it's difficulties. The help turned out to be more of a hinderance than anything else.

We have been a joke for almost 50 years.

Truth is we should have been given 22 Sunday games.

We have been a joke for almost 50 years.

Truth is we should have been given 22 Sunday games.

Instead of repling with your one liners, face reality, we are being done over by the AFL.

Maybe you think we aren't?

The AFL are certainly making it hard for us - which makes me worry that we are in the gun for a relocation.

They've given us a bit of money over the last few years and we've blown it. ..... but what do they expect with scummy draws and inequitable ground sharing arrngements

The worst thing about the draw is that it doesn't offer our sponsors prime time TV coverage. We really need a sponsor with a name that will attract young people. I'd actually sacrifice a bit of short term money for a long term association with the "right name".Given the draw we've been given big spending sponsors are unlikely to come on board anyway

One thing we should try to do is to take on the Tasie Hawks with a Tourism Victoria logo.Tourists want somthing to do on Sunday afternoons

When we win a premiship!

That's what it all comes down to fellas