To secure a worthwhile sponsor, we need to demonstrate to the market that Melbourne generates news.

In the past week, Melbourne has had two newsworthy events

- Support for the Red Cross on our jumper in Tassie

- the Youth Summit

Yet all the press has been interested in is Bl- Ben Cousins!!!. Are we issuing press releases - and being ignored? or are we neglecting our media liaison activities?

Leigh Newton was our media liaison man last year ( amonst other support roles)- and from all accounts he was popular with a number of journos.Has anybody been assigned that specific responsibility this year ?- or we relying on Jim's press links to save costs?

The Age has implanted Martin Flanigan in the club for a year - which provides fodder for the ocasional interesting article such as the one about David Bridie and his mates last Saturday. But what about TV and radio? We get diddley-squat.... and most of what we do get is negative ( thanks Dwayne!)

We are in a 'Catch 22'. By holding back our season launch until we get a sponsor - we are not in the news.And it's because we are not in the news that we are finding it difficulkt to get a sponsor.

Geard Healey, Gary Lyon and David Schwarz - we need you right now. Gerard generate such support for Ben Cousins on his radio show - that Richmond had no choice but to take him. OK Gerard - now start pumping up the Dees!You don't just need to pump us up on the field (which is a bit hard anyway) - you need to pump up the marketing potential of an association with our heritage.

Geard Healey, Gary Lyon and David Schwarz - we need you right now. Gerard generate such support for Ben Cousins on his radio show - that Richmond had no choice but to take him. OK Gerard - now start pumping up the Dees!You don't just need to pump us up on the field (which is a bit hard anyway) - you need to pump up the marketing potential of an association with our heritage.

I just wonder what sort of press and sponsor opportunities we would have recieved had we picked Cousins? We didn't have a sponsor to say "no" to that fact, so wonder what the reasoning was as to why we didn't. I know we are obviously targeting the younger brigade and that he wouldn't fit that mix, but for attracting a million bucks a year.........?

Club Sponsors at two other clubs had indicated that they did not want Cousins representing their brand.

Cousins is a media circus that comes with potential high end risks and well documented downside risks as well.

In this whole saga including the Polak rehab, I am not sure Richmond has bathed itself in any off field glory whatsoever.

FWIW, I think the Club has been pro active on getting the good news out in 2009.

I note Supreme Demon posted about the Demons donating football gear and time to the Kinglake Demons. I further note not one poster offer recognition for the Club for the gesture. I guess its just easy to have an anonymous ping at the Club without the facts.

Club Sponsors at two other clubs had indicated that they did not want Cousins representing their brand.

Cousins is a media circus that comes with potential high end risks and well documented downside risks as well.

In this whole saga including the Polak rehab, I am not sure Richmond has bathed itself in any off field glory whatsoever.

FWIW, I think the Club has been pro active on getting the good news out in 2009.

I note Supreme Demon posted about the Demons donating football gear and time to the Kinglake Demons. I further note not one poster offer recognition for the Club for the gesture. I guess its just easy to have an anonymous ping at the Club without the facts.

Good point Rhino. The meek shall inherit the earth, but not in my lifetime.

The whole Cousins saga is a bit like the Underbelly series, there's an unfortunate fascination with the 'glamour' associated with such things. I note that Tom Hafey was fairly forthright in his comments today.

All that aside the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, I've no doubt that Cousins will be a more than handy acquisition for the Tigers if he can stay out on the field, there's also the fairly distinct possibility that the whole thing could blow up in their face.

cousins has already paid his way probably 5 times over , the tigers win, our loss.

The Age is one of our second or third tier sponsors. That would be why Martin Flanagan is 'embedded' in the club this year. By my reckoning, Melbourne had just as much, if not more newspaper coverage over summer than the other clubs (Cousins aside). I wouldn't be surprised if part of our deal with The Age is to have a minimum number of Melbourne stories per year. If it's not then it should be.

Cousins is a media circus that comes with potential high end risks and well documented downside risks as well.

In this whole saga including the Polak rehab, I am not sure Richmond has bathed itself in any off field glory whatsoever.

The drafting of Cousins was list management by mob rule.

I have a feeling that this will somehow backfire on Richmond.

The drafting of Cousins was list management by mob rule.

I have a feeling that this will somehow backfire on Richmond.

Me too.

The reason why our profile has reduced is that they made Leigh Newton redundant. He’s now at the Hawks. Any of the media pack will tell you that “Juice” was the best at his craft of any of the AFL club media staffers.

The reason why our profile has reduced is that they made Leigh Newton redundant. He’s now at the Hawks. Any of the media pack will tell you that “Juice” was the best at his craft of any of the AFL club media staffers.

That's funny, because I think supporters have been complaining about our lack of press for years.

I also think we've been getting a decent run in the press lately.

I just wonder what sort of press and sponsor opportunities we would have recieved had we picked Cousins? We didn't have a sponsor to say "no" to that fact, so wonder what the reasoning was as to why we didn't. I know we are obviously targeting the younger brigade and that he wouldn't fit that mix, but for attracting a million bucks a year.........?

List decisions shouldn't be compromised for publicity.

It's a short-term view that's recipe for long-term pain.

I have to disagree, being the wooden spooners and unlikely to play finals this year I think we have had a heap of press. Stories during the preseason the equal of almost any other club, Drouble page last sat age. H/S had 2 articles as well. Had have we won on SAT there probably would have been a bit more this week as well. Fact is the side let a prime opportunity slip last sat. I would suggest that the loss probably equallys 2,000+ less memberships sold this week. Imagine marketing a Melb V Carl game this week.

Instead expect little exposure until RD1. Thats the way it is.

Re Cousins, to those who were against him, at this stage - we told you so! lets see where he and the tigers are at in 12 weeks!

2,000 plus memberships less sold this week?

You're joking aren't you, you honestly think we'd sell 2000 in a week? At that rate we'd be over 30,000 by Round 1 - Not going to happen. Carlton are playing the reigining Premier and I've hardly heard didley squat - You mustn't forget the game is being shown on Foxtel not free to air.

2,000 plus memberships less sold this week?

You're joking aren't you, you honestly think we'd sell 2000 in a week? At that rate we'd be over 30,000 by Round 1 - Not going to happen. Carlton are playing the reigining Premier and I've hardly heard didley squat - You mustn't forget the game is being shown on Foxtel not free to air.

A win over the reigning premier is a win over the reigning premier. I would have included memberships sold on the night as well. We sold nearly that figure in a single week before xmas from memory. Maybe I'm a little over but I think it still a big missed oportunity for us.

A win over the reigning premier is a win over the reigning premier. I would have included memberships sold on the night as well. We sold nearly that figure in a single week before xmas from memory. Maybe I'm a little over but I think it still a big missed oportunity for us.

In a meaningless competition with contrived rules where the premier had a number of top players out. Hawthorn were capable opposition but not a reigning premier.

I think you are more than a little over.....

cousins has already paid his way probably 5 times over , the tigers win, our loss.

You are talking in terms of the extra couple thousand memberships.

But what if he doesn't stay on the wagon?

Imagine the sh!t we would be in with a new, reluctant (as we can see from the delay) sponsor if Cousins did what he has done for the past 5 years?

As a player, he is very good. But he has a 31 yr old body and a recent history of soft tissue problems.

He'll be gone a lot sooner than Liam Jurrah.

The Media will only give us High Rotation exposure if we start winning games or Start to really disintergrate. Unlike Collingwood where by if Dale Thomas blows his nose its Back page of the Hun, they don't care when Melbourne players blow there nose at present. We must win games to get Bums on seats.

The Age is one of our second or third tier sponsors. That would be why Martin Flanagan is 'embedded' in the club this year. By my reckoning, Melbourne had just as much, if not more newspaper coverage over summer than the other clubs (Cousins aside). I wouldn't be surprised if part of our deal with The Age is to have a minimum number of Melbourne stories per year. If it's not then it should be.

At the Youth Summit, they actually asked what we thought of the way MFC was portrayed in the media.

The question was asked "What about the Martin Flanagan articles? Do you think they are good for the club??"

Without it being spelled out, I'd say there is an agreement there. And its a bloody good journalist we've been allocated, too.

In the past week, Melbourne has had two newsworthy events

- Support for the Red Cross on our jumper in Tassie

- the Youth Summit

hang on, almost every club in victoria has helped out the red cross. i hardly see it as just our club. Big news, NO WAY!

Martin Flanagan is a piece of gold. He is a good journalist who knows how to write-His pen takes the reader to alll the necessary places. His writing shows flair & passion. I didn't realize he was "Assigned" to us until now. That is great news. Good One MFC....

By my reckoning we've had some excellent exposure in the two Melbourne papers in the last fortnight.

Let's face it, there's usually not a whole lot to write about the Wooden Spooner from the previous year. Although that in itself is an angle for a hungry journo.

We've done okay.

Re Cousins, to those who were against him, at this stage - we told you so! lets see where he and the tigers are at in 12 weeks!

'Told us so' how? He's played zero games. He'll be playing zero games when we next have a crack at a flag (while kids we give opportunities to instead will be carrying us there).

My February nomination = Worst Poster - Occo (Yet to see any basis in any interesting subject matter as of yet, with no hope for future content)

You are talking in terms of the extra couple thousand memberships.

But what if he doesn't stay on the wagon?

Imagine the sh!t we would be in with a new, reluctant (as we can see from the delay) sponsor if Cousins did what he has done for the past 5 years?

As a player, he is very good. But he has a 31 yr old body and a recent history of soft tissue problems.

He'll be gone a lot sooner than Liam Jurrah.

Agree totally. I would have been furious if we had have picked Cousins for some cheap publicity and the hope he could give us two good seasons. All he would have done is hold up the development of a good midfield kid. The PR machine also works both ways - if Cuz relapses/stuffs up then the Tigers will be on the receiving end of an almighty bashing by the media and the public, along with all the sponsership problems that go with it. Not worth 2000 members IMO

I think we all need to stop bringing up us not recruiting cousins, there is nothing we can do about it now so we may as well forget it.

The most concerning thing is that we may have to do a West Ham United in the English Premier League and wear our numbers on the front of the jumpers because we have no sponsor. That is the most concerning thing, as well as the fact that the Melbourne Fc board is quiet as usual which gives no hope or even optimism.

Agree totally. I would have been furious if we had have picked Cousins for some cheap publicity and the hope he could give us two good seasons. All he would have done is hold up the development of a good midfield kid. The PR machine also works both ways - if Cuz relapses/stuffs up then the Tigers will be on the receiving end of an almighty bashing by the media and the public, along with all the sponsership problems that go with it. Not worth 2000 members IMO

Why would they cop a bashing? They have made an attempt to help a guy who was in personal trouble, who also was a premiership player and brownlow medalist, if he relapses he will cop the bashing, not Richmond.

In saying that, I'm happy we didnt recruit him