Dear Mr. Schwab,

Today I took a day off work to make the 3 hour round trip to Cranbourne to see the Demons train although when i arrived at Casey fields I was greeted by a small group of angry supporters and some humoured construction workers; not a MFC player or official in sight. It seems as though contary to the website listing training as being at 9am at Casey fields, training was not on. Others had travelled even further than I, some had even called the club late last week and been told training was definately on, the construction workers claimed training had not been there on a Monday for weeks!

This is an absolutely pathetic effort and for me, sours all the good work the club has been doing in recent times. If the club cant get the little things right how can it expect to achieve the ultimate in the short and long term. As members we are crying out for accessibility to the club, we want to be a part of what is building at the Melbourne football club, this sends the message that deep down the club couldnt care less about its members and the only thing of concern is our membership dollar.

AFL clubs, including this great club are continually pushing the "community spirit" line which has died with the growing professionalism of the AFL, incidents like this drive a wedge between the club and the everyday supporter. How can you expect us to put into the club when we are treated this way? How do you think we feel about the Casey agreement when this happens?

I didnt ring SEN as i drove down the Monash, i will renew my membership for 2010, I will make the 3 hour trip to training in the future but, i am dissapointed and do question whether all the positive news we have been fed over recent times is a true reflection on where the club is actually at. As much as it pains me to recognise, this would not happen at the Collingwood football club, thats the reality.

Yours sincerely

**** *******

I was there as well and have emailed the club about it, still will try to get down there again in the New Year.

This is simply not good enough. Like the vast majority here, I don't attend training. That does not mean that I do not read all of the threads from the posters here and on 'ology that do attend, even though I know that they are written by people wearing rose coloured glasses.

Schwabby had better get onto this really quickly; never [censored] in your own nest!

On a seperate matter, how is the construction going at Casey?

This is simply not good enough. Like the vast majority here, I don't attend training. That does not mean that I do not read all of the threads from the posters here and on 'ology that do attend, even though I know that they are written by people wearing rose coloured glasses.

Schwabby had better get onto this really quickly; never [censored] in your own nest!

On a seperate matter, how is the construction going at Casey?

I was there too. It happened last week as well. Sent an email to all and sundry at the club including CC.CS,DB and the communications area Also vented my anger by phone.

My email:

I have just returned from the long trek out to Casey to watch the team train. For the second week in a row I have gone to Casey on the Monday to watch training and guess what NO training.

I checked the website this morning 8-30am and it had training listed today at Casey. This was the same last week.

Whilst training can change without notice I know that training times and venues are set well in advance.

3 weeks ago I spoke to a football staff member at training and he mentioned that there would be no training at Casey on 7 December. However, because the website said that there was I assumed that there was a change, so I went down to Casey this morning.

Of course there were at least a dozen other poor souls waiting there to see the team train. These are some of the most loyal supporters who go to training most weeks as I do.

I am happy to give money through debt demolition and the Red & Blue Foundation. All I ask is that this great football club communicate in a more professional manner with it's own staff and supporters.

I did notice that when I returned home the website deleted today's training session.

MFC Reply

xxxx

Thanks for your email regarding the change to training times. We've let you, and the other supporters who attended training at Casey, down here and I'm very sorry for that. It was not good enough by our team. Whilst there are occasionally unforeseeable changes, the issues of the last couple of weeks should have been correct on our website.

We are very determined to ensure the training times and locations are accurate in the future.

Again please accept my sincerest apologies for these errors and for the inconvenience you experienced today and last week.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this further.

Regards, Jennifer

Jennifer Watt çGeneral Manager, Marketing and Communications

Edited December 7, 200915 yr by Theo

Thats pretty ordinary, while not anything to tear up your membership over which a couple of you have said they will not which is great, it is a pretty simple thing to keep the members up to date.

Fair reply from the club though, all you can ask of anyone is to admit they made a mistake.

Dear Mr. Schwab,

Today I took a day off work to make the 3 hour round trip to Cranbourne to see the Demons train although when i arrived at Casey fields I was greeted by a small group of angry supporters and some humoured construction workers; not a MFC player or official in sight. It seems as though contary to the website listing training as being at 9am at Casey fields, training was not on. Others had travelled even further than I, some had even called the club late last week and been told training was definately on, the construction workers claimed training had not been there on a Monday for weeks!

This is an absolutely pathetic effort and for me, sours all the good work the club has been doing in recent times. If the club cant get the little things right how can it expect to achieve the ultimate in the short and long term. As members we are crying out for accessibility to the club, we want to be a part of what is building at the Melbourne football club, this sends the message that deep down the club couldnt care less about its members and the only thing of concern is our membership dollar.

AFL clubs, including this great club are continually pushing the "community spirit" line which has died with the growing professionalism of the AFL, incidents like this drive a wedge between the club and the everyday supporter. How can you expect us to put into the club when we are treated this way? How do you think we feel about the Casey agreement when this happens?

I didnt ring SEN as i drove down the Monash, i will renew my membership for 2010, I will make the 3 hour trip to training in the future but, i am dissapointed and do question whether all the positive news we have been fed over recent times is a true reflection on where the club is actually at. As much as it pains me to recognise, this would not happen at the Collingwood football club, thats the reality.

Yours sincerely

**** *******

I am another that went today.I also went last Monday - also no show. I rang the club this morning and as told it had been cancelled. I travelled from Ballarat- to me this is rude and unacceptable conduct to us stake holders in the club as well as setting a community standard in saying they would train at Casey over the last two weeks and it be cancelled with no mention accordingly on our website. As some of you know- I set up a thread - Communication Nework complaining re the attitude of our football club-this is just another poor example- over 30 people were abused this morning and it is indeed not good enough.I have emailed Cameron Schwab with a formal complaint- I believe the least that can be done is to have someone at the club give a formal apology on our MFC website. It just wastes our time and money going and following our team with this pathetic attitude. If they cann ot get the basics right - what hope have we. This lack of respect to us members and supporters has gone on for years. It is about time it is corrected

I am another that went today.I also went last Monday - also no show. I rang the club this morning and as told it had been cancelled. I travelled from Ballarat- to me this is rude and unacceptable conduct to us stake holders in the club as well as setting a community standard in saying they would train at Casey over the last two weeks and it be cancelled with no mention accordingly on our website. As some of you know- I set up a thread - Communication Nework complaining re the attitude of our football club-this is just another poor example- over 30 people were abused this morning and it is indeed not good enough.I have emailed Cameron Schwab with a formal complaint- I believe the least that can be done is to have someone at the club give a formal apology on our MFC website. It just wastes our time and money going and following our team with this pathetic attitude. If they cann ot get the basics right - what hope have we. This lack of respect to us members and supporters has gone on for years. It is about time it is corrected

i went this morning to, but seeing i live 2mins away it didnt really affect me, now jcb if you went last monday and no one was there you shouldv been a bit skeptical about going this morning, hopefully CS sends you an apology and a bunch of flowers, now iv been to traing about 10 times now and im preety sure they havnt trained there on a monday since they started, but i could be wrong.

Yeah. Me too. I got caught. I had rung the MFC last Thursday to check the times and dates. So I rang the MFC this arvo and they were deeply apologetic. It's one of the hassles of training at multiple venues. They advised they had received a number of emails and were very keen to ensure the website is updated correctly.

As the Dalek said the the dustbin .. 'everyone makes mistakes'.

Edited December 7, 200915 yr by DirtyDees DDC

i went this morning to, but seeing i live 2mins away it didnt really affect me, now jcb if you went last monday and no one was there you shouldv been a bit skeptical about going this morning, hopefully CS sends you an apology and a bunch of flowers, now iv been to traing about 10 times now and im preety sure they havnt trained there on a monday since they started, but i could be wrong.

Thanks for your thoughts- please note I rang & others rang the club as late as Friday evening and it showed training to be at Casey today @ 9am.This was confirmed by Sarah Baker today via phone.However very interesting your comment that they have not trained on Mondays.Very interesting indeed.

Thanks for your thoughts- please note I rang & others rang the club as late as Friday evening and it showed training to be at Casey today @ 9am.This was confirmed by Sarah Baker today via phone.However very interesting your comment that they have not trained on Mondays.Very interesting indeed.

i could be wrong about mondays, but i cant recall them training on that day, if you rang the friday evening , that is indeed poor form from the club.

On a brighter note the club is pleased to report that not a single player reported an injury as a result of today's training session.

On a brighter note the club is pleased to report that not a single player reported an injury as a result of today's training session.

Where was this reported,as they never ever report training on our website ,read the report on Ology-that said nothing re injuries - I know they went for a run around the tan- must have been arranged some time ago-the only injuries was to us mugs that went to training- both time and money.

Edited December 7, 200915 yr by jayceebee31

Its a shame that there was the miscommunication, but good of the club to respond to emails about the issue apologising.

12 months plus ago, no one would have got an answer.

Hopefully the club is able to rectify the issue and move forwards. They've been pretty good at making improvements in recent times.

Hi Guys,

Are you lot sure the communication problem is with the club.

Seriously, I looked at the website on Saturday evening:

Casey Fields Wed 9th

Friday 11th

Not sure how you got Monday the 7th. Monday, they are normally always up at the Junction.

Make sure you turn up Friday - they having a barbie.

As for not happening at Collingwood, well that happens all the time there.

Where was this reported,as they never ever report training on our website ,read the report on Ology-that said nothing re injuries - I know they went for a run around the tan- must have been arranged some time ago-the only injuries was to us mugs that went to training- both time and money.

"That was a joke Joyce." ( A phrase used by Graham Kennedy on his TV show In Melbourne Tonight ). Chelly was being a little sarcastic with a joke.

Make sure you turn up Friday - they having a barbie.

I planned to make the trek for the barbie on Friday - but I'm not sure that I'll take the risk now. If you can't believe official club communications on training times etc .... how can you believe official club communications on 'meet the player' barbies?

The suggestion that the team always trains at the Junction Oval on Mondays doesn't wash with me. The club has widely publicised the fact that Casey is now its summer home

I really don't want to drive to Berwick to have a snag with the Construction Workers Union - it's probably a safer bet to head for the Junction Oval and park along the tan.

OK - sarcasm is the lowest form of wit - but the slackness of the club in failing to communicate fully with its most dedicated supporters is indefensible - and worrying!

Hi Guys,

Are you lot sure the communication problem is with the club.

Seriously, I looked at the website on Saturday evening:

Casey Fields Wed 9th

Friday 11th

Not sure how you got Monday the 7th. Monday, they are normally always up at the Junction.

Make sure you turn up Friday - they having a barbie.

As for not happening at Collingwood, well that happens all the time there.

Yes the date of Monday the 7th was on the web site, and by the way folks I sent an email to the club about this at 11.30 this morning when I got home from there and still no reply..........

"That was a joke Joyce." ( A phrase used by Graham Kennedy on his TV show In Melbourne Tonight ). Chelly was being a little sarcastic with a joke.

Thank for your explanation- I'm a bit hot under the collar presently. The club just sent mean email- fully accepting responsibility- but I reminded them, this happens year after year-in previous years it was due to a training facility.Actually, another thing upset me was on the way home I went to the Junction oval- I was going to face Connolly- no onw was there from the club- a junior cricket match was being played. Ruddy frustrating- however you brightened up a little with the statenent -Joke JOYCE - I did remember it from the g.k SHOW Showing my age .

It's a stuff up.

Website maintenance with information like that is one of those things that keeps getting overlooked by so many organisations, but it's a shame it's happend to us here.

With the barbeque coming up on friday, maybe the club could make a point of directly contacting all those who got dudded the last two mondays and inviting them personally, confirming that it'll be on and by making a little effort offering a little respect to the guys who have been let down.

I mean, that's the point here - the time isn't a dramatic loss but being stood up always feels like disrespect. I worry that in the burst of emails and calls that would have come through that morning, not everyone will get a relpy too.

Hopefully the club reads this and you'll all get a couple of sausages and a beer for the trouble.

always pays to ring the club !!

always pays to ring the club !!

It also pays to read the previous replies to a thread- people did RING.

Not quite sure what you saw Agent Orange, but on my computer late on Sunday evening and again early today before 8 am, the website DEFINITELY stated training to be at Casey this morning at 9 am. I, too, went home spitting chips "AGAIN!" :angry:

There are simply no excuses for this shabby treatment.

Saying that training can be changed, altered , cancelled etc at a moments notice is a pi55 poor excuse and a dead set cop out. Communication......bullsh17. :angry:

I will not accept, that they didn't know on Friday, that training was not at Casey this morning.

How about treating your followers with a bit of respect?.......after all, we pay some of your wages indirectly.

Maybe just give us all the coaches' mobile number so we can all save petrol and be sure when training occurs. :angry:

always pays to ring the club !!

Gee how does one do that if you live an 1-1 1/2 hours away from the venue, the club is not even open then !!!!! think about it eh???

I planned to make the trek for the barbie on Friday - but I'm not sure that I'll take the risk now. If you can't believe official club communications on training times etc .... how can you believe official club communications on 'meet the player' barbies?

The suggestion that the team always trains at the Junction Oval on Mondays doesn't wash with me. The club has widely publicised the fact that Casey is now its summer home

I really don't want to drive to Berwick to have a snag with the Construction Workers Union - it's probably a safer bet to head for the Junction Oval and park along the tan.

OK - sarcasm is the lowest form of wit - but the slackness of the club in failing to communicate fully with its most dedicated supporters is indefensible - and worrying!

You should go to Casey to watch the Ds train -unless that is you have upset some players there. How are you going to be the 'People's Champ' when you become President if you don't drive down the Monash to Casey. You can get down that way passing Carey too.

Gee how does one do that if you live an 1-1 1/2 hours away from the venue, the club is not even open then !!!!! think about it eh???

try ringing the friday... keep thinking you may get there they arent about to change on the spot !! they will know then