I grew up in the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne. When I was a kid, none of the department stores in the general area, like KMart and Target, stocked Melbourne gear. It was pretty much only Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond and North Melbourne gear. Maybe some Fitzroy gear here and there too. But never any Melbourne gear.

I always put this down to the demographics of the area, that these were just the popular teams of the area, so that's who the stores stocked. If I wanted to get anything Melbourne, I had to go into Myers in the CBD and even then there wasn't the best range available.

Now I live about 2 hours drive east of Melbourne, out in the sticks, up in the hills. Today, me and the Missus went down to the Chirnside Park shopping complex, near Lilydale. While the wife occupied herself with shoe shops etc, I went for a look around. I was pretty much wandering aimlessly around KMart when I came across the sports department. I've been thinking about getting a new Melbourne polo shirt, so I thought I would have a look.

But no, there was nothing. No Melbourne gear at all. No jumpers, no shirts, no jackets, no scarves, no beanies, no shorts, no socks. The only thing I could find were a couple of kids sized Melbourne footballs with the the club colours and logo on them. Nothing else. They had Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond, Bulldogs and Hawthorn gear of all sorts and sizes.

I am not one to give much weight to traditional football club demographics. I know I am about as far removed from the MFC stereotype as you can get. But I would have thought that of all places, out in the eastern suburbs, stores like KMart and Target would stock some Melbourne gear. But nope. Nothing.

I think it is a real issue for the club.

In my experience, club gear is incredibly important when getting young kids to take on the club as their own. I was a part-time Melbourne, part-time Fitzroy supporter when I was very young, (Mum-Melbourne, Dad-Fitzroy) and it wasn't until I got my first Melbourne jumper at about age 6 that my support fully swung behind the Dees.

If a kid out in the 'burbs for whatever reason decides to buck the trends and choose Melbourne as their club, but can't get any club gear, the chances of them switching to a club whose gear they can get is high.

I hope the club has gear stocked in stores out in the Casey area.

I am not sure what it is like in other areas and would be interested to hear what other people's experiences have been when trying to get some Demons gear at their local department store.

Is it a decision the stores make themselves? Choosing not to stock clubs that don't sell? Or does the AFL have more influence? Or do clubs have individual deals with stores to stock their gear?

Anyway, thought it was a topic for discussion.

"...........I hope the club has gear stocked in stores out in the Casey area."

Good question.

You'll be pleased to know that Fountain Gate Shopping Centre in Narre Warren , the major complex servicing our new development areas in the Cranbourne and Pakenham region ( City of Casey ) has 2 stores - KMart and AFL store ,that carry an extensive range of Demons' product.

I remarked last year that the manager of the latter remarked to me that our team's jumpers were 3rd after Hawthorn and Collingwood in terms of team support items sold for the year.

It is certainly up to the individual stores to do their own ordering - the AFL cannot have any influence .

I agree..individual stores have different results. Strangely a year or so ago happened to be in the Frankston Rebel Sports. Looking for something entirely different when I noticed very little Dee stuff on racks etc.. Stacks of Freo, Collingwood Crows Carlton etc. Assistant asked if needed any help and I just asked, "why so littel Melourne stuff?" ...answer..."weve just prtety much sold out of it !!". There must be a lot of secret Melbourne followers huh !!!

Mate I grew up in Mooroolbark and there was never much if at all Melbourne stuff out there. So nothings changed in 20 odd years

Mate I grew up in Mooroolbark and there was never much if at all Melbourne stuff out there. So nothings changed in 20 odd years

I'm an ex Morroolbarkina too

Just buy it from the melbournefc megastore so all the profits go to the club.

Its called demand and supply. There is little demand and this little supply.

There is little demand particularly in the blue collar retail store.

Buy it directly from the MFC Megastore. All profits to the Club.

I'm an ex Morroolbarkina too

Must be a top person then

Good to see you too moved from there

Anyway, thought it was a topic for discussion.

Two things you can do to address this situation.

1. Complain to the store manager and ask him to pass on your feedback to their buyers and distributors. It will help if you say you are going to get your gear somewhere else (i.e Big W)

2. Tell the club. I know they we have a good following out in this part of the city and they would be disappointed to hear this.

Ultimately as others have said buy your own gear direct from the club (they can post it out to you) but I do take your point about potential new supporters. I am sure there are kids for whom a decision on support is made, based on what is available.

I don't think I've ever walked into a sports store and seen an extensive range of Melbourne gear.

I always just put it down to have been sold out

I am wondering whether the delay in getting sponsors at the beginning of this season has adversely affected the Club's merchandising. We were well into the season before the MFC Megastore even had football jumpers (with the appropriate logos). As an MFC-tragic wannabe-neverwaza, I regularly buy MFC shorts for jogging, swimming,..almost anything (much to my wife's disgust). There are still no adult shorts on the Megastore website.

With confirmed sponsors in 2010, I hope that the Club will have a full range of products when MFC enjoys increasing success and following.

I am wondering whether the delay in getting sponsors at the beginning of this season has adversely affected the Club's merchandising. We were well into the season before the MFC Megastore even had football jumpers (with the appropriate logos). As an MFC-tragic wannabe-neverwaza, I regularly buy MFC shorts for jogging, swimming,..almost anything (much to my wife's disgust). There are still no adult shorts on the Megastore website.

With confirmed sponsors in 2010, I hope that the Club will have a full range of products when MFC enjoys increasing success and following.

Not the distribution or non distribution of MFC clothing in blue collar stores.

Not the distribution or non distribution of MFC clothing in blue collar stores.

So are you saying the stereotyping of us as a bunch of Range Rover driving down hill skiiers is true RR?

I have not meet many of that type of supporter in my life as a Dees supporter. Most of the supporters I know are your average folk (mixture of middle class and blue collar types), but then again growing up along the Great Ocean road from good farming stock before moving to Geelong sort of kept me out of the jet set lifestyle.

Its called demand and supply. There is little demand and this little supply.

There is little demand particularly in the blue collar retail store.

Buy it directly from the MFC Megastore. All profits to the Club.

Why is they always have plenty of Freo or Adelaide ??

We have to make finals regularly for the stores to stock our brand, it;s simple.

Stores don't simply go "let's stock Essendon products, or let's stock Melbourne products".

Stores, and particularly big chains like Kmart and the AFL Store have stock analysts and buyers who would look at sales history, as well as the team's current performance and exposure before deciding on stock quantities.

Really smart stock analysts (no need to mention names ) will also take into account things like marquee players, key occasions for a club (e.g.- 150th birthday, premierships, AA selections from previous years, Brownlows), membership levels, as well as the geographic distribution and socio-economic profile of supporters

We clearly do not have a huge supporter base and certain areas will sell less Melbourne merchandise. For example I find there is usually Melbourne gear available in Southland Shopping Centre, which does cater for the majority of Bayside suburbs where there is a larger cluster of Melbourne supporters. Go to Highpoint Shopping Centre and you'll struggle to find any Melbourne merchandise.

Interstate merchandise, particularly Freo, West Coast and Port stock is generally merchandise that is left over from minimum stock requirements. In most cases, it will get consolidated interstate at some stage.

I have been looking for those demon footy boot slippers for ages, i just cant find them. Oh and i swear they are for my girlfriend , not me haha

Go to Highpoint Shopping Centre and you'll struggle to find any Melbourne merchandise.

Yeah there is sod all there, but I try NOT to go to Knifepoint.