Both papers this morning carried articles suggesting that the MCC does not intend to do anything tangible to help sustain the MFC. Perhaps there is no substance to these stories - and perhaps I can be criticised for taking them at face value without knowledge of the facts. But the stories are consistant with the minimalist support the MCC has given us for decades

How quickly they forget. The power and prestige that comes from being an MCC trustee was built on the back of the AFL and the MFC. In cold hard commercial terms , the MCC may be able to do better with its money than to help the AFL sustain the MFC - but for as long as it markets the tradition of the ground and attracts visitors with walls covered with MFC memorabilia the MCC will remain indebted to the MFC.

Cameron Schwab was recently quoted as saying that the MFC ranked 16th on every AFL performance indicator - except one : "Tradition". Right now ,the MCC seems happy to cash in on our one asset while sitting back and watching us die.

Now I know we can't take possesion of our trophy cabinet because we have no place to put it - but this only adds to the debt.

Unfortunately Jimmy and his team can't come out and attack the MCC - because they have to preserve whatever sceric of a relationship remains. Perhaps it up to us supporters and the media to call for justice.

I totally disagree. Whilst I have been very vocal in MCC members who free load off our club, I see the MCC as an organisation as a critical part of our club now and in the future. Any media pressure, suporter backlash etc can only damage us for the future. We should be embrasing the MCC in every way that we can. The way things are shaping up, they are likely to be our major sponsor for a while! Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

I've said it a few times and I'll say it again

I support the Casey direction but we MUST have a stake in it/some equity or history will repeat itself over again

  montasaurus said:

I totally disagree. Whilst I have been very vocal in MCC members who free load off our club, I see the MCC as an organisation as a critical part of our club now and in the future. Any media pressure, suporter backlash etc can only damage us for the future. We should be embrasing the MCC in every way that we can. The way things are shaping up, they are likely to be our major sponsor for a while! Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

I would like to agree with you - but if this morning's papers are correct, the hand is not going to give us enough food to stay alive.

Do you agree that we need the MCC?

Do you agree that the MCC owes us something?

Do you believe that the MCC will give us the support we need without some sort of public pressure?

We continue to watch the MCC give other clubs better ground sharing arrangements than they give us. If I was confident that the MCC would give us more than just token sponsorship, I would be the last person to criticise them.

We are desperate - Jim has clearly explained to them how desperate we are - and yet they are resisting a request to match AFL's support $ for $.

Our viability is very much in question right NOW.I hope you don't think we will keep rolling along without fundamental change in the nature of MCC support. What is going to change them - if not some public pressure.?

  hoopla said:

I would like to agree with you - but if this morning's papers are correct, the hand is not going to give us enough food to stay alive.

Do you agree that we need the MCC?

Do you agree that the MCC owes us something?

Do you believe that the MCC will give us the support we need without some sort of public pressure?

We continue to watch the MCC give other clubs better ground sharing arrangements than they give us. If I was confident that the MCC would give us more than just token sponsorship, I would be the last person to criticise them.

We are desperate - Jim has clearly explained to them how desperate we are - and yet they are resisting a request to match AFL's support $ for $.

Our viability is very much in question right NOW.I hope you don't think we will keep rolling along without fundamental change in the nature of MCC support. What is going to change them - if not some public pressure.?

I can see where your coming from and I agree personally that we need the $$ and they do owe us.

However from a MCC point of view....

Do they believe they owe us something - Playing with fire here, I think it is more likely seen as good will rather then a debt owed and I would hate to see the MCC pushed too hard, but this could well be a case of dammed if you do, even worse if you don't

Will they support us with/without public pressure. Make no mistake this is a professional business therefore I think public pressure is very unlikely. What I would like to see is what can the MFC do for the MCC in return of the good will similar to a sponser/business partner type arrangement rather then a charity type arrangement. Ideas could be for players after some games to be available in the MCC area rather then post match club functions etc.

  montasaurus said:

I can see where your coming from and I agree personally that we need the $$ and they do owe us.

However from a MCC point of view....

Do they believe they owe us something - Playing with fire here, I think it is more likely seen as good will rather then a debt owed and I would hate to see the MCC pushed too hard, but this could well be a case of dammed if you do, even worse if you don't

Will they support us with/without public pressure. Make no mistake this is a professional business therefore I think public pressure is very unlikely. What I would like to see is what can the MFC do for the MCC in return of the good will similar to a sponser/business partner type arrangement rather then a charity type arrangement. Ideas could be for players after some games to be available in the MCC area rather then post match club functions etc.

I like that idea to help bond us with the MCC.

Hoopla, that was one of the best posts I have read. I totally agree thats our viability is at stake right now, and we need to voice strongly the MCC may regret not bailing us out.

At least Gough has not ruled out the assistance point blank and is still talking. Lets wait and see but it's a shame this is seen as basically a commercial decision, because the Melbourne F C have no leverage in those terms. we have little to offer the MCC that they do not already have.

We just need someone to get the big dollars out of them. Maybe the AFL just only know the bullying way to get things done.

  montasaurus said:

Do they believe they owe us something - Playing with fire here, I think it is more likely seen as good will rather then a debt owed and I would hate to see the MCC pushed too hard, but this could well be a case of dammed if you do, even worse if you don't

Interesting..."damned if you do , even worse if you don't".I guess I'm at the "even worse if you don't"stage.

You are probably right - they don't believe they owe us something - which is why I wanted to draw attention to some tangible evidence ie the trophy cabinet. Perhaps some of the trustees need to think beyond their 'balance sheet".

You are of course correct in saying that the MFC must do all it can to reciprocate. I suspect that we have offered just about everything we've got in terms of access to players etc already. "There's none so deaf as those who will not hear"

We are on the edge. All the wining and dining and soft-selling and professionalism we can muster has not delivered us anything like a satisfactory outcome.

Perhaps we'd get more sympathy from the football world and more membership - if a journo or two started to say " Hang on .... you guys parade the history of the MFC to every person who pays you for a guided tour - and you won't even give them $1m to keep them alive"

This probably is "playing with fire"...................... but the flames are closing in around us anyway.

  hoopla said:

but if this morning's papers are correct,

They are not correct. We have been getting assistance from the MFC for years and will continue to do so.

There is a dispute at the moment between the AFL and the MCC over ground receipts and that is what this is all about. We are not a party to that dispute.

I am confident the relationship between us and the MCC will strengthen in due course.

  Redleg said:

There is a dispute at the moment between the AFL and the MCC over ground receipts and that is what this is all about. We are not a party to that dispute.

Correct.

  Bay Riffin said:

Hoopla, that was one of the best posts I have read. I

Bay..gotta thank you for your comments.

Just hope there is someone with a very loud voice ( outside the club) to take up the cudgels.

Over the years the AFL has been able to successfully bully just about everyone -except the MCC.

As you say, at least Gough "is still talking'

  Redleg said:

They are not correct. We have been getting assistance from the MFC for years and will continue to do so.

There is a dispute at the moment between the AFL and the MCC over ground receipts and that is what this is all about. We are not a party to that dispute.

I am confident the relationship between us and the MCC will strengthen in due course.

.....

Unfortunately such help as they have given us is not enough!

Anyway............... I hope you are right

THanks