You actually think you are doing the club a favour by taking some sort of stand against the scheduling of games done by the AFL? Oh dear!

The only thing supporters who choose not to turn up do, is cost the club money we simply cannot afford to lose.

The AFL is only going to punish us further for [censored] crowds. They are not looking at yesterday's game and saying "oh wow, Melbourne supporters are so angry, we better not give them anymore Twilight games". No, they are rubbing their hands in delight because yesterday's turnout justifies their position on our club and the scheduling of our games.

Perhaps you hit the nail on the head albeit inadvertantly. You put up with mediocrity and are happy to take any morsel that is doled out to you. Expect the best, how else will the team ever win a flag if it embraces mediocrity?

BTW. I'm a full MCC menber and choose to buy premium Demon membership to support the club. I've done this for over ten years.

UJ

But if the crowd numbers for Sunday twilight games are always low, and not just for our club, then the experiment will be abandoned.

The facts are that regardless of the timing, the weather forecast wording included "storms", "storm force winds and gales to 130kmh", "snow on the alps", "graziers warnings", "thunderstorms" and "rain". Hard to imagine anything more bleak. In the end it didn't rain, but I travelled 100km to the game, sat through four quarters of tedious error-infested football, froze and shivered my way through the match with five layers of clothing, a hat and a scarf, and travelled 100km home again. I can't blame anyone, especially with kids, for not going out to watch that.

Everyone has different circumstances, and I wouldn't expect people to drag young kids to these sorts of games.

However, you made the effort, and if more supporters were willing to sacrifice a bit of warmth in order to attend matches, we would be a hell of a lot better off.

We get the draw very early on, so it's not as if people can't do a bit of advanced planning.

Yes twilight games are stupid, and no doubt they'll be abandoned, but in general, our poor crowd numbers do nothing but support the AFL's stance on the club.

I wonder what the excuse will be in Rounds 14 and 15, when we play West Coast and Port respectively, but at the usual 2.10 timeslot (we play West Coast on SATURDAY too! ). Would it be too cold? too dark? too sunny? What excuse will people have in July that we haven't already heard?

By the way, the excuse of it being a poor game is irrelevant. Nobody would have known that pre-game. In fact, it was within the realms of possibility that we might even win yesterday. But not to worry, I'm sure supporters won't come on Sunday because they know we're going to lose to Geelong, so what's the point?

Perhaps you hit the nail on the head albeit inadvertantly. You put up with mediocrity and are happy to take any morsel that is doled out to you. Expect the best, how else will the team ever win a flag if it embraces mediocrity?

Awesome. Lets not turn up to any games played on Sunday, Sunday evening, Saturday night when it's cold, Saturday afternoon when it's sunny, and maybe then the AFL will schedule us with Friday night matches and nothing else!

And what the hell does the scheduling of games have to do with winning a flag? Never heard of a team not winning because they play on Sunday.

If people turned up to games, and we weren't forking out $50,000 for poor crowds, we might have more money to put into the footy department, which would only make us a better team and increase our chances of winning. Ever thought of that?

Jaded,

The AFL will not change their stance on us as a Club until we have a number of years of sustained good crowd performance.

Blind Freddy could see that this game would struggle to crack 20,000. MFC budgeted that it would not. MFC- Adelaide games have no atmosphere and 4pm Sunday is a time to suit Foxtel TV loungerooms not at ground attendances.

Its self serving to suggest its the stick the AFL will use on our back. They have far more compelling and weighty evidence on that.

Sunday twilight games are shocking. It sucks that the break even is still set at 20,000 for those matches. I went along and brought two tourists with me, what a bad introduction to AFL!!

I reckon our fixturing is bottoming out this year, the AFL will give us better timeslots as our membership numbers and on field performances improve. I would imagine that Jimmy and prob also the MCC will help us out as far as improving our fixture is concerned.

Its self serving to suggest its the stick the AFL will use on our back. They have far more compelling and weighty evidence on that.

They will use anything and everything.

They schedule these games for us because they don't care if we fail. It seems a lot of supporters don't care either.

I hate that we prove the [censored] at AFL House right.

They will use anything and everything.

They schedule these games for us because they don't care if we fail. It seems a lot of supporters don't care either.

I hate that we prove the [censored] at AFL House right.

Your carry on about this game is a mountain out of a molehill.

Adelaide supporters wont come across for a Sunday night clash. So it is up to MFC supporters. Even if we had double that at the ground. Big deal. We struggle to get that number of MFC supporters to the QBW game. (Dont fool yourself Collingwood outrank us at that game by alt least 2 to 1).

It was a game time to suit TV commitments.

Myself and my partner were there, freezing with the other six people in the Ponsford, supporters support and turn up, that is what your membership is for.........make sure you have no other commitments, excuses......if as the future predicts the people who sit at home in the warm will be the first ones to bleat if they don't get finals tickets.........

I do not understand the mentality behind the timeslot, please can someone make me understand it? Is it designed for TV audiences? Radio? Is there some benefit to the 'game' that I am missing?

The AFL should at least provide an explanation, and not one that blames Melbourne fans (although yes it was a poor effort by many demon fans yesterday), they are at least partly responsible for such a farce.

On Sundays you will notice that there is an 'early' game (1pm), a 'normal' game (2pm) and a 'late' game (4:30pm). The 'normal' game goes on free-to-air TV and the other two are shown LIVE back-to-back on Foxtel.

By the way, the excuse of it being a poor game is irrelevant. Nobody would have known that pre-game.

Yes they would. People know that Melbourne games, in our current state, are going to be error-infested.

Combine that with the weather forecast, the twilight timing and the interstate opposition ... four good reasons why the crowd was pathetic.

Your carry on about this game is a mountain out of a molehill.

Adelaide supporters wont come across for a Sunday night clash. So it is up to MFC supporters. Even if we had double that at the ground. Big deal. We struggle to get that number of MFC supporters to the QBW game. (Dont fool yourself Collingwood outrank us at that game by alt least 2 to 1).

It was a game time to suit TV commitments.

You do realise that your argument makes no sense.

Yes, it is up to MFC supporters, yes it is a good TV timeslot, yes we struggle to get numbers to games... thanks for agreeing with me!

Everyone has different circumstances, and I wouldn't expect people to drag young kids to these sorts of games.

However, you made the effort, and if more supporters were willing to sacrifice a bit of warmth in order to attend matches, we would be a hell of a lot better off.

We get the draw very early on, so it's not as if people can't do a bit of advanced planning.

Yes twilight games are stupid, and no doubt they'll be abandoned, but in general, our poor crowd numbers do nothing but support the AFL's stance on the club.

I wonder what the excuse will be in Rounds 14 and 15, when we play West Coast and Port respectively, but at the usual 2.10 timeslot (we play West Coast on SATURDAY too! ). Would it be too cold? too dark? too sunny? What excuse will people have in July that we haven't already heard?

By the way, the excuse of it being a poor game is irrelevant. Nobody would have known that pre-game. In fact, it was within the realms of possibility that we might even win yesterday. But not to worry, I'm sure supporters won't come on Sunday because they know we're going to lose to Geelong, so what's the point?

Awesome. Lets not turn up to any games played on Sunday, Sunday evening, Saturday night when it's cold, Saturday afternoon when it's sunny, and maybe then the AFL will schedule us with Friday night matches and nothing else!

And what the hell does the scheduling of games have to do with winning a flag? Never heard of a team not winning because they play on Sunday.

If people turned up to games, and we weren't forking out $50,000 for poor crowds, we might have more money to put into the footy department, which would only make us a better team and increase our chances of winning. Ever thought of that?

Ah, the classic what comes first the chicken or the egg? This is in reality a very difficult question. The MFC has a product to sell. Sadly this product is broken and has been for quite a time. Initiatives, whilst they may come from the ranks, are put into action by the people who run the organisation. You address the issue from the bottom up and this is admirable it is only a temporary solution if the product is broken. Jimma and his boys are doing a great job and it is going to take time (and I suspect that it will take longer than we think and hope). People will come when the product is fixed. Will they come before it is fixed? Hopefully yes but realistically. no.

Uj

Sunday twilight games are shocking. It sucks that the break even is still set at 20,000 for those matches. I went along and brought two tourists with me, what a bad introduction to AFL!!

I reckon our fixturing is bottoming out this year, the AFL will give us better timeslots as our membership numbers and on field performances improve. I would imagine that Jimmy and prob also the MCC will help us out as far as improving our fixture is concerned.

What a great wake-up call for the AFL!

Twighlight games (4:40pm) on a Sunday against a interstate side........doesn't work.

I wanted to take my wife and kids. Whilst the weather was a major factor, we decided because they had school on Monday (today) we realised we wouldn't get back until 8:30pm or so. So I went instead.

Many kids wouldn't have gone. (No wonder it seemed eerie). It's fair to say alot of their parents wouldn't have gone either. There's probably 10,000 alone. It's no wonder the attendance was 14,129.

The answer, simple: Don't fixture a Sunday twilight game with Melbourne and an interstate side.

The answer, simple: Don't fixture a Sunday twilight game with Melbourne and an interstate side.

Which makes the round 9 clash with Hawthorn (their home game) interesting.

May 24 is another Sunday night game, against Hawthorn. Have learnt my lesson. Not going to drive 2 hours each way to freeze my nuts off!!

PS - What was Jimmy doing outside the Punt Road end before the game. Walked past but he'd finished and was signing autographs

Supposedly many of the changes the AFL in recent times have been geared towards Mums and Kids (and their dollars). What on EARTH would appeal to them about a 4.40pm Sunday game? (Leaving aside the particulars of yesterdays weather.) Can anyone name one thing?

You do realise that your argument makes no sense.

Yes, it is up to MFC supporters, yes it is a good TV timeslot, yes we struggle to get numbers to games... thanks for agreeing with me!

It doesn't when you havent followed it.

I promise to make it simpler if I can next time.

It doesn't when you havent followed it.

I promise to make it simpler if I can next time.

You should know better than to try and patronise me, when you know I don't buy into your whole bravado act.

Go bully someone else, I'm bored of this now

I'm sure supporters won't come on Sunday because they know we're going to lose to Geelong, so what's the point?

Personally I won't be there on Sunday because we are currently playing crap, slow, dreary, stupid handball. It has nothing to do with the expected result. If we lost by 15 goals but played in a manner that suggested there was light at the end of this long, long tunnel then I would walk out of the ground with a glimmer of hope. After yesterday's performance I cannot see one thing that suggests we will play finals football under Bailey in the next 3 years. For me it is all about how and not about how much, and currently how we are playing is god-awful.

On another, slightly related topic. Does anyone actually KNOW what the DIRECT financial implications are toward the home club if a CLUB MEMBER goes to a game? If I scan my membership and walk into the ground does that directly impact MFC's financial result for the day or not?

On another, slightly related topic. Does anyone actually KNOW what the DIRECT financial implications are toward the home club if a CLUB MEMBER goes to a game? If I scan my membership and walk into the ground does that directly impact MFC's financial result for the day or not?

At a guess (nothing more) I would have though that you scanning your membership ticket does nothing for the MFC directly in financial terms as you have already paid your membership. It's more to do with sponsors, catering and the chance of the MFC getting good times to play from the AFL in the future.

One thing the game did highlight is the need for a "boutique" stadium (hopefully at Casey Fields) for low crowd games.

You should know better than to try and patronise me, when you know I don't buy into your whole bravado act.

Go bully someone else, I'm bored of this now

I didn't.

You take the crown and sceptre in your avatar too seriously, miss bossy boots.

My only highlight was almost getting into a blue with a [censored] Melbourne supporter who was kicking the crap out of the mesh fence behind where people sit in front of the walkway and standing area on the MCC steps.

Clown.

If we lost by 15 goals but played in a manner that suggested there was light at the end of this long, long tunnel then I would walk out of the ground with a glimmer of hope.

I actually thought that the way we moved the ball at times through the midfield was the light at the end of the tunnel. The problem was that sooner or later there'd be a skill error, and the chain would come undone with a turnover.

We need to get games and experience into our kids. We've got half a team of beginners with developing bodies.

And, of course, somehow find a forward line that is capable of both offensive and defensive pressure. Watching the Crows put up to five players behind the one running out of the backline with possession, while all our players just ran downfield to flood or zone at our own defensive end, was unaccountable.

Numbers were terrible and I'll admitt to not being there. Dragged out by the other half to look at wedding venues and then her brother in-laws birthday. And I do feel bad for not attending.

But fact of the matter is, sunday game, late start, bad weather and interstate side. Even if it were a balmy evening we'd of only got 20,000 tops.

The sunday twilight games should all be played in Perth as 4:40 here means 2:40 there. Almost same time as usual fot them. By having a late start on a sunday your cutting out a large number of your outer suburban supporters from Frankston and Geelong outwards as they don't want to be getting home at 9:30pm on a sunday with work the next day.

In future all late start sunday matches should be played in Perth, sunday matches in Melbourne should start no later then the usual 2:10pm time.

Im not sure anyone noticed but the Geelong - Lions game only got 15580 people...

I was there at the MCG and heard Jimma speek. Terrible game, but the Kangas - Richmond game was just as bad.

The real test of metal is getting along to watch the game next week when there is a smaller hope of a win. Its a home game, lets hope that geelong fans are interested as well!

I agree, the numbers that turned up to the game were shocking.

Weather can seriously not be an excuse. Apart from being a tad cold, it was not too bad. Rug the f@@k up, i had multiple layers on and was fine (should have taken a beanie though) I'm pretty sure that it's colder at the snow than what it is at the 'G. And footy is meant to be played in the winter, get used to it.

Time of game cannot be used as an excuse either. Sure it's a Sunday night, but the game finished at around 7.15, there's nothing decent on tv on a sunday night anyway.

All in all, we are meant to have nearly 30,000 members and only a third would have shown up yesterday (if that). It was a pathetic showing from our supporters, especially after we had just had a win.

Support is unconditional, how we as supporters can have a go at players for under performing (ie Bate) whilst we ourselves do not turn up to games is unbelievable. Apologies and kudos to those who did show up to the game, we need more supporters like you.