Hi all,

I read somewhere that someone mentioned the idea of a protest

I know it won't happen but even if we get say 30-40 Melbourne fans all clad in red and blue with signs outside the front of AFL Headquarters with drums and stuff as if it wouldnt get someone to notice us

it would show many things

1)passion

2)the fact that some of us care

3)the fact that, like north, we want to fight to stay alive

4)it would show the club that people notice and we are sticking up for them

just say, it got mentioned once on SEN, we will have made a tiny difference and at least shown the AFL, even in a small way, that Melbourne is [censored] off and we deserve better

its not gonna happen, but out of interest, would people be interested in doing something like this?...

i mean, what bad could come out of it?

i would, be good to show the AFL who we are and what we stand for

I'll go, seriously we should do this

Must get a few there though!

I'll go, seriously we should do this

Must get a few there though!

Make it a Thursday, and I'll be there for sure

I reckon there's more good to be done in 'positive' protests.

Find opportunities to put your commitment to the Demons out there.

The Run to the 'G - get a team together wearing red and blue - it will stand out.

Similarly, the Ride around the Bay.

Another interesting one might be a mini-sponsorship deal, where some kind of tourist/family venue (Zoo, aquarium) offers a discount on a given day to anyone turning up in their Red & Blue gear.

Small things which get people used to the idea of 'getting out there' for the Demons.

THEN, if the AFL still hasn't shown any improvement in it's treatment of Melbourne -

Once that network is built, we can get a proper group together - we'll be able to mobilise a lot more people, and they will be better at keeping a lid on it rather than going stupid as soon as they're in a mob.

we could make it a positive protest outside AFL headquarters

plus, it would have more instant success

and you have to admit, if we had a trumpet or something, could be a lot of fun

On the other hand, without any proper organisation, it could look very poor and in effect have a negative effect.

Yeah, don't want to go off half-cocked when we're actively drawing attention to ourselves.

Here's a thought though - anyone up for a weekly kick-around outside AFL HQ?

There must be a bit of grass or at least flat concrete around there somewhere.

Set up with a few flags, wear the colours, call it a vigil if you like.

It also gets to start very low-key - two guys having a kick would do it - but can grow into something a little more when occassion calls for it.

We could even do a rotation. Imagine if there were a few Demons having a kick outside AFL HQ every frickin day of the week? It'd become part of folklore.

Yeah, don't want to go off half-cocked when we're actively drawing attention to ourselves.

Here's a thought though - anyone up for a weekly kick-around outside AFL HQ?

There must be a bit of grass or at least flat concrete around there somewhere.

Set up with a few flags, wear the colours, call it a vigil if you like.

It also gets to start very low-key - two guys having a kick would do it - but can grow into something a little more when occassion calls for it.

We could even do a rotation. Imagine if there were a few Demons having a kick outside AFL HQ every frickin day of the week? It'd become part of folklore.

i'd be up for it

i should of worked this out before the start of the thread

but where actually is AFL HQ...i thought it was in the docklands but i think thats channel 7

but yes, if a protest failed, it would look horrible

kicking outside HQ though; show them we care

How about a petition as well. We could do this online and have it sent ot AFL house with copies to all all the major newspapers

On the other hand, without any proper organisation, it could look very poor and in effect have a negative effect.

I think 45hotgod has a point here. I think we have to think hard about the most effective way of getting our message across and a handful of people picketing the AFL offices may not have the desired effect.

Given their obvious networks within the media, G Lyon and the Ox should be the "mouthpieces" for such a "protest"

Brayshaw did for North, what 2 of our former greats could do for us now.

May I ask what the intended protest is in aid of???

I am assuming its in relation to what everyone thinks of the draw???

I don't think picketting AFL HQ is the answer. It won't have an effect. The fight back has to be on field and show of support at games. Let the cash registers tick over with improved game attendances.

I think 45hotgod has a point here. I think we have to think hard about the most effective way of getting our message across and a handful of people picketing the AFL offices may not have the desired effect.

Agree. Critics would say we dont turn up to matches and we dont turn up to protest!

Given their obvious networks within the media, G Lyon and the Ox should be the "mouthpieces" for such a "protest"

Brayshaw did for North, what 2 of our former greats could do for us now.

Brayshaw made comments as the President of NM. Ox and Lyon are presently employees of commercial TV stations that are keen to get or keep football rights. They wont be mouthpieces for too long, particularly Ox.

yes, the idea of a protest was about the fixture (forgot to mention that part)

High Tower, getting crowds to games doesnt get noticed by the general AFL public

it is important to get big crowds but we didnt get noticed in 2005

here are some stats

as well, even though we did do very well in attendances in 05, our fixture for 06 was nothing special whatsoever

--we performed as well as any other club when it come to attendances in 2005

we got an averagre home crowd of 39,000 for the HandA season,

plus i think it was a 35,000 crowd agaisnt WC at the G (people wouldnt even think that to be possible for a melbourne west coast game)

-yet no one even cares that hawthorns average home crowd that year was only 30,000, worse than ours this year

cos they are the biggest powershouse in the history of ever these days apparantly (and we should do everything they do)

and geelong have always been a proffesional outfit, just as their average home crowd in 2005 was 27,000 (yes i know that u cant fit a lot into skilled, butu see my point)

that year, we got 65,000 to the QB clash, and a 51,000 home crowd against the cats

in fact, collingwoods average home crowd was only 2000 above ours and they have the anzac clash aswell

so dont, anyone tell me that our home crowd average attendance looks good because we our gifted the Queens Birthday with a cherry on top

-no one noticed then that we had the third highest average home crowd attendance of the Victorian clubs, behind Collingwood and Essendon in 2005...

NO ONE NOTICED and all we get is criticism for here there and everywhere that we suck at getting people to games, even when we are doing well

dont miss my point, getting crowds to games is great and we need big crowds again, but no one notices when it's melbourne

put it simply, no one notices us

we need to try something different to get the message accross to the [censored] at AFL HQ, that we are [censored] off with the draw and the idiotic way that they treat us and put collingwood up on a pedastool

Brayshaw made comments as the President of NM. Ox and Lyon are presently employees of commercial TV stations that are keen to get or keep football rights. They wont be mouthpieces for too long, particularly Ox.

RR,

Brayshaw certainly did comment as NM President, but he ably used his media nous and savvy through the airwaves, to which he had ready access.

G Lyon and the OX don't have to make a meal of it, they just need to utilise their media contacts a little better.

In fact, maybe they don't have to do the talking at all, they just use some other media heavyweight to do the talking for them.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Cheers

Nugget you have just proved that there are lies lies and damn statistics. Unfortunately, your argument is fatally flawed and your recall of history likewise.

Be careful when quoting spectator numbers as it does depend on who where playing. By playing the big supported Clubs like Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton as home games our numbers look good when in truth the great majority are not MFC supporters.

BTW, I dont care to be noticed by the AFL general public. But it is clear if you want that if you want the better times and venues etc for your games, you need supporters to turn up. And yes the 2009 draw is a chicken and egg. However MFC needs to evolve to become a relevant well supported AFL Club. And turning up to games would be a start.

In fact, maybe they don't have to do the talking at all, they just use some other media heavyweight to do the talking for them.

Like who? Big Eddie????

Nugget you have just proved that there are lies lies and damn statistics. Unfortunately, your argument is fatally flawed and your recall of history likewise.

Be careful when quoting spectator numbers as it does depend on who where playing. By playing the big supported Clubs like Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton as home games our numbers look good when in truth the great majority are not MFC supporters.

BTW, I dont care to be noticed by the AFL general public. But it is clear if you want that if you want the better times and venues etc for your games, you need supporters to turn up. And yes the 2009 draw is a chicken and egg. However MFC needs to evolve to become a relevant well supported AFL Club. And turning up to games would be a start.

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/2005.html

i hope ur not calling me a liar rhino

"there are lies lies and damn statistics"

i dont get it

btw, if u scroll down to the "worst crowds" section

we only feature as a home team once, which was a 21,000 crowd for a freo game which is a lot better than the 16000 Carlton Fremantle effort in the same year

yet, we dont see the AFL rolling over them

Like who? Big Eddie????

Anybody who can grab attention.

By the way, I don't think G Lyon has ever been shy when it comes to speaking his mind, if he believes the cause to be a just one.

Cheers

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/2005.html

i hope ur not calling me a liar rhino

"there are lies lies and damn statistics"

i dont get it

Nugget, its an old axiom generally attributed to politicians, when they use statistics in an attempt to back up some less than viable plan.

It was not an attmept to have a go directly at you.

Cheers

Melbourne v Essendon MCG 47849

Melbourne v Geelong MCG 51793

Melbourne v Fremantle MCG 21963

Melbourne v Adelaide MCG 39475

Melbourne v Richmond Telstra Dome 44263

Melbourne v Collingwood MCG 65347

Melbourne v West Coast MCG 35653

Melbourne v Sydney Telstra Dome 28749

Melbourne v St Kilda MCG 39584

Melbourne v Western Bulldogs MCG 32621

going by your theory, when we play teams like essendon, carlton and collingwood, it boosts the numbers

firstly, in 2005, collingwood only pipped us by 2000 and thats including the anzac day clash plus the queens birthday

in bold, are melbourne home games against clubs that are agaisnt interstate sides (i have included doggies cos they dont draw a big crowd)

secondly, we didnt play carlton at home...thirdly, our average crowd of the collingwood and essendon games equal 56,000

take these out, and our home game average (NOT including gabba home game) and our average is around 36000

still is pretty good in comparison to other clubs

and still, our home crowd average against INTERSTATE clubs is 31,000 (still not too shabby) and one of those games was a TD game

now that is still better than hawthorns home crowd average in total of around 30,000

By the way, I don't think G Lyon has ever been shy when it comes to speaking his mind, if he believes the cause to be a just one.

Maybe, MFC are not a fair cause

btw, if u scroll down to the "worst crowds" section

we only feature as a home team once, which was a 21,000 crowd for a freo game which is a lot better than the 16000 Carlton Fremantle effort in the same year

yet, we dont see the AFL rolling over them

Using an interstate game is flawed as only one group of supporters travels across the Nullabor to attend either game.

But compare that when MFC plays NM or WB and its not a first round. Lucky to get 20,000. Its a terrible indictment on the support of those three clubs.

And before people go rattling about NM's financial recovery, here is a team that has had legitimate claims to a top 4 spot in the past two years and they still struggle to get a crowd.

Nugget you need to be careful with your use of stats as its causing you to miss the wood for the trees. No I am not having a go at your sight. Its another axiom!