Nor I the dull bleating of the easily impressed.

Perhaps you should be a little more understanding of your fellow supporters. Three weeks ago the club had no major sponsors, was endlessly in the media for the wrong reasons, and was the source of regular barbs from opposition supporters. Talk of dieing, merging, or relocation was a constant diet.

The club has much work to do, no doubt, but the alliance with the City of Casey; which is the fastest growing demographic in Australia, together with the MCC reunification, provides an abundance of opportunities that now need to be capitalised upon. Yes, they're still early steps, but very important ones. Add the 3 new sponsorships which, if Demetriou is to be believed, places us at the top of the middle tier of sponsorships in the AFL - say around 5th ? - and over $3mil of debt reduced by supporters, then there's every reason for the worried faithful to take a moment to recognise some not so insignificant achievements over the last 6 months.

Naturally the not so "easliy pleased" such as yourself, snigger at the satisfaction gained by plebians rejoicing in such relatively trivial gains. Or, maybe you could have said: "Great news, but still lots more work to do to ensure our long-term viability". That would have been balanced and reasonable, but you chose the 'hero worship' angle because it made you seem so superior.

Hope you're smug.

I think you might be chasing your tail WYL,

I'm firmly behind what Stynes has done so far. Let's just hold a little longer for a grander judgement on the sizeable job in hand. So far, so good. Saved? No.

Perhaps you should be a little more understanding of your fellow supporters.

Hope you're smug.

Coming from you H...

I'm not sniggering at satisfaction gained from what are hardly 'trivial gains'.

And don't try and paint me into a corner of your own making by tartly listing all the achievements the board has made of late and pretend I'm anything but impressed with them. I'm aware of them and as happy as anyone they've been made. This is the club I give significant amounts of my time, energy and money to.

You're right, maybe in the original post I should have summed up with a line such as "great news, but still plenty to do..." However, I feel I've made that point sufficently in my following posts.

Coming from you H...

I'm not sniggering at satisfaction gained from what are hardly 'trivial gains'.

I have nothng but warmth and kindness for my fellow supporters.

Peraps it was your "Nor I the dull bleating of the easily impressed." that provided my 'misunderstanding'. Please forgive me.

I think you might be chasing your tail WYL,

I'm firmly behind what Stynes has done so far. Let's just hold a little longer for a grander judgement on the sizeable job in hand. So far, so good. Saved? No.

Once the MCC deal is set in Stone this club aint going Nowhere. So i say Saved-Yes, as long as the Hard work is Done cleverly.

We supporters wiped off 3 Mill of debt last year, once we actually knew it was there. This Club starts winning Games with all the new Facilities this Ground has now got-the crowds will come. Just Having access to the MCC Membership Data Base is a Huge positive.

Chasing my tail-i think not.

I have nothng but warmth and kindness for my fellow supporters.

Peraps it was your "Nor I the dull bleating of the easily impressed." that provided my 'misunderstanding'. Please forgive me.

Forgiven.

The quote above wasn't aimed at those people simply satisfied with the progress made, but I can see how it could have been interpreted. The lessons of the throw-away line...

Once the MCC deal is set in Stone this club aint going Nowhere. So i say Saved-Yes, as long as the Hard work is Done cleverly.

We supporters wiped off 3 Mill of debt last year, once we actually knew it was there. This Club starts winning Games with all the new Facilities this Ground has now got-the crowds will come. Just Having access to the MCC Membership Data Base is a Huge positive.

Chasing my tail-i think not.

Ok. You're in the Club Has Been Saved camp. Noted. Permit me to join once I feel more confident.

Once the MCC deal is set in Stone this club aint going Nowhere. So i say Saved-Yes, as long as the Hard work is Done cleverly.

We supporters wiped off 3 Mill of debt last year, once we actually knew it was there. This Club starts winning Games with all the new Facilities this Ground has now got-the crowds will come. Just Having access to the MCC Membership Data Base is a Huge positive.

Chasing my tail-i think not.

thats not correct, we still have to turn up to games and buy memberships, you cant just rely on the MCC, as for the data base, thats a huge advantage.

thats not correct, we still have to turn up to games and buy memberships, you cant just rely on the MCC, as for the data base, thats a huge advantage.

I Did say that the Hard Work must continue. The Moment this club stands still we will fall back to mediocraty. Yes the football club should aim for 50-60.000 members in 10 years as i have said on this thread earlier. We have the seating capacity to be able to do it.

And that Data Base is a Great start,

Ok. You're in the Club Has Been Saved camp. Noted. Permit me to join once I feel more confident.

I Don't Live in Camps, so please don't be so condescending. What is your alternative to the present situation as thats clearly where you are heading??

Correct, we can't stand independent - however, we might be able to stand independently.

I was referring more to AFL financial assistance. And please don't bother diverting into lengthy discourse about why the club needs such assistance. I understand.

The club however will never be safe (let alone saved as so many of the millenarian-inclined here love to believe has already occured) until we are able to significantly reduce the need for financial injections from the AFL. That will be a long and difficult road. To begin with, we need to be able to consistently make profits given the assistance we already receive. Whilst the current proclamations broadcasted from the AFL are 10-team-Melbourne-friendly, I'm not banking on that be a constant.

And yes for the record, the MCC agreement is a great move, even if it is only symbolic (it may take a while to figure out what it translates to in a material sense).

The AFL currently gives us $1 million in "suck on this draw" assistance. The renegotiations with the MCC have stalled with us already $900,000 better off. I'd say we'll be telling the AFL to hold the handouts sooner than you think. That's without the improved draw that comes as we climb the ladder.

The AFL currently gives us $1 million in "suck on this draw" assistance.

Great call

The AFL currently gives us $1 million in "suck on this draw" assistance. The renegotiations with the MCC have stalled with us already $900,000 better off. I'd say we'll be telling the AFL to hold the handouts sooner than you think. That's without the improved draw that comes as we climb the ladder.

I hope you're right and ultimately that's the greatest potenital payoff from this realignment.

Though I would think it would need to be appreciably more than $900,000. It will be interesting to watch the AFL's and MCC's responding moves.

Good thread - heaps of valid points raised.

I think what Jimmy did was give supporters a chance to save the club. By being completely transparent about our problems and engaging the membership base he has been able to harness tremendous support.

The turnaround has been amazing but if we can keep building this momentum while we aren't winning it might explode Hawthorn style when we do. I think it's critical to get the priority picks this year. I know that will annoy a lot of people but we have to give outselves the best chance before the raped and pillage draft in 2010.

I hope you're right and ultimately that's the greatest potenital payoff from this realignment.

Though I would think it would need to be appreciably more than $900,000. It will be interesting to watch the AFL's and MCC's responding moves.

I agree with you there Ho Chi, but once this club starts to Roll, we will Generate far more than $900,000 a Year via the MCC. The MCC will want The Football club to do well, Big Crowds Pay off their debt quicker for all the Renovations. That's why yesterday was so important. Its Win Win. The Football club has got to work hard signing up members & offering a Top Standard on the field.

$900,000 is just for the next few years i would guess. I Have Been an MCC Member for 17 years & have seen such a change over that time. Big Dollars are Generated now.

I'm interested in the Stadium Deals argument.

Presumably this argument is between the AFL, on behalf of its 5 MCG tenants, and the MCC. There is also a battle(but ? less intense) between the AFL and Docklands Stadium on behalf of its tenants(who ?don't fare so badly).

If the MCC decides to favour the MFC, where does it leave the other tenants?

Are we, the MFC on the MCC's side against the AFL and the other tenants?

The MCC is in a strong bargaining position, owning the biggest stadium, but most of the income comes from TV rights, and it doesn't look good on TV with half empty stadia(even when we know there's 45000 in them). The AFL likes the idea of a boutique stadium. So does the MFC(???Casey). I see potential conflicts arising.

Don't get me wrong,I'm rapt that we're in with the MCC, but I'm glad Jimmy's got such a savvy group together to tackle the complicated scenarios which will undoubtedly evolve.

I'm interested in the Stadium Deals argument.

Presumably this argument is between the AFL, on behalf of its 5 MCG tenants, and the MCC. There is also a battle(but ? less intense) between the AFL and Docklands Stadium on behalf of its tenants(who ?don't fare so badly).

If the MCC decides to favour the MFC, where does it leave the other tenants?

Are we, the MFC on the MCC's side against the AFL and the other tenants?

The MCC is in a strong bargaining position, owning the biggest stadium, but most of the income comes from TV rights, and it doesn't look good on TV with half empty stadia(even when we know there's 45000 in them). The AFL likes the idea of a boutique stadium. So does the MFC(???Casey). I see potential conflicts arising.

Don't get me wrong,I'm rapt that we're in with the MCC, but I'm glad Jimmy's got such a savvy group together to tackle the complicated scenarios which will undoubtedly evolve.

I Gathered it was the Teams at Docklands (Not Counting Essendon) who have the worst deal 30%. Do we know the MCG Percentage $ Ratio. That's what it comes down to.

The demons can't say to much at present i would guess, but we have done the right thing. The MCG is the equivellent of other clubs Suburbs.

Forgiven.

The quote above wasn't aimed at those people simply satisfied with the progress made, but I can see how it could have been interpreted. The lessons of the throw-away line...

I can understand your reluctance to be caught praising the completion of a job not done, however, sometimes I just feel that when good news comes there are those that begin the race to be the 'considered voice,' portraying themselves as the lonely light of reality in a room full of easily gratified fools.

I think that is where people get annoyed.

I can understand your reluctance to be caught praising the completion of a job not done, however, sometimes I just feel that when good news comes there are those that begin the race to be the 'considered voice,' portraying themselves as the lonely light of reality in a room full of easily gratified fools.

I think that is where people get annoyed.

Spot on. I'd really like it if we could just enjoy the good news for say 14 days before it degenerates into a "how much good news is it really" discussion.

Told you in an earlier topic that this was to happen!

$3m raised through debt demolition

2 major sponsors, albeit late, whose total contribution was larger than a mooted as a potential sponsor

Increased membership

Demon Heartland

Youth and Demon Summits, where ideas were listened to and acted on

AFL and MCC funding kept in place for the club

Past Presidents brought together to unite the club

Home established at Casey, and the Casey area utilized as a tool for growth

The club gaining an administrative homebase at the MCG

The club realigning itself with the biggest sporting club in the world, the MCC

Added on: Mates of Melbourne initiative

Have I missed anything? All in 8 and a half months.

This club is going places. Thank you Jim Stynes. But times like this cannot even be cruelled by "anti-Stynes sentiments" because this is now about all of us. This is not one man in control, this is not a detached board helping the club, this is about the Melbourne Football Club and all it's followed coming together and turning round a club that was literally going down the gurgler, into a future powerhouse.

This is an amazing time, don't forget this time people, it's this time that we will be relating to our friends/kids/grandkids for years to come

GO THE DEES

Nice summary and post 45.