Enough is enough

[grant 10]

Man Demetrio needs to get the sack. Fans from all clubs need to join forces to get dictator demetrio out of the job.

Demetrio track record:

- Constant rule changes making umpiring impossible and consistent application of rules out of wack.

- Expansion into NSW is a joke of a venture with many existing clubs struggling to survive.

- Recently telling clubs to "avoid going head first into the contest" shows Demetrio and his goons have truly lost touch with the sport.

- Minimum salary caps forcing teams at the bottom of the ladder to pay their $hit players top dollar, leaving no wiggle room to attract and poach other successful teams stars. Only option is to drastically over pay their existing players and tank to rebuild through the draft, demoralising the club and supporter base.

- Game has become soft.

- Allowing effectively a 3rd salary cap to exist through "third party payments", giving rich clubs a competitive advantage in the competition.

The fans from all clubs need to join forces to get rid of this money grubbing, power hungry, washed up spud. When is he going to resign? are there elections each year for his position or does he rule the board with a iron fist? It might take a forum like big footy to get the ball rolling. Fans must have their say!

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

Man Demetrio needs to get the sack. Fans from all clubs need to join forces to get dictator demetrio out of the job.

Demetrio track record:

- Constant rule changes making umpiring impossible and consistent application of rules out of wack.

- Expansion into NSW is a joke of a venture with many existing clubs struggling to survive.

- Recently telling clubs to "avoid going head first into the contest" shows Demetrio and his goons have truly lost touch with the sport.

- Minimum salary caps forcing teams at the bottom of the ladder to pay their $hit players top dollar, leaving no wiggle room to attract and poach other successful teams stars. Only option is to drastically over pay their existing players and tank to rebuild through the draft, demoralising the club and supporter base.

- Game has become soft.

- Allowing effectively a 3rd salary cap to exist through "third party payments", giving rich clubs a competitive advantage in the competition.

The fans from all clubs need to join forces to get rid of this money grubbing, power hungry, washed up spud. When is he going to resign? are there elections each year for his position or does he rule the board with a iron fist? It might take a forum like big footy to get the ball rolling. Fans must have their say!

If the Fat Controller left the building, i doubt anything would change...the concrete has been set since the commission was started.

i understand your frustrations but we just have to become a better club because the weaker ones will continue to be weak.

[The Big Ticket 94]

Too right.

Anyone see Before the Game the other night? What a joke he is.

[Demon Premonition 135]

I think you would find a large portion of supporters think Demetriou's has done an outstanding job during his tenure - far better than his predecessors Oakley and Wayne Jackson.

In fact I think we would not be reading a Demonland Melbourne board if it not was Demetriou's commitment to Melbourne based clubs in comparison to the "upfront" desire to relocate and merge of the previous chief commissioners. Think the $1 million + contributions we have received most years to enure our short term viability pre Jimmy.

Don't be fooled GWS and Gold Coast will be a 25 year strategy to ensure the AFL remains relevant as an indigenous code of footy, similar to the NFL - this can only be done by owning a foothold in all the highly populated areas of this great country.

Finally as someone who experienced multiple concussions while playing I agree the head must be sacricinct and Demetriou's comment was made in relation to players desire to invite head high contact to earn a free kick ( ala Joel Selwood) and this should be discouraged.

Not sure you will get as much support as you hope.

Oh, the Trengove issue is a deesgrace! And I will watch with interest in the hope we challenge and get this suspension over turned.

Edited May 9, 2011 by Demon Premonition

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

Oh, the Grimes issue is a deesgrace! And I will watch with interest in the hope we challenge and get this suspension over turned.

Trengove. But i agree with your post.

[Demon Premonition 135]

Trengove. But i agree with your post.

Yeah my bad, now been fixed. Think my brain has not come to grips with the Grimes news.

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

Yeah my bad, now been fixed. Think my brain has not come to grips with the Grimes news.

i know, we are all united in shock!! But the show must go on. We may unearth another gem.

[Harrisonrules 273]

The better business are very clear about its goals and values.

The AFL has one clear value - Money. It shapes its goal to grow the business. The business is totally in the hands of sponsers. Their sole involvement is for advertising. The AFL brand is subsidiary to sponsers brand. The media is integral to this dynamic. Supporters are no more than bums on seats and money donors. It is more about the TV viewer than the week to week attender.

Such values have so changed from the roots of community involvement. Hence the once core value of a level playing field no longer exists. An equal fixture etc. Clubs are so desperate that the fixture is shaped by the club accountant.Dimetriou has sold himself out to the corporate values. We mean nothing to the AFL. Kind of sad.

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

The better business are very clear about its goals and values.

The AFL has one clear value - Money. It shapes its goal to grow the business. The business is totally in the hands of sponsers. Their sole involvement is for advertising. The AFL brand is subsidiary to sponsers brand. The media is integral to this dynamic. Supporters are no more than bums on seats and money donors. It is more about the TV viewer than the week to week attender.

Such values have so changed from the roots of community involvement. Hence the once core value of a level playing field no longer exists. An equal fixture etc. Clubs are so desperate that the fixture is shaped by the club accountant.Dimetriou has sold himself out to the corporate values. We mean nothing to the AFL. Kind of sad.

Correct. But once the playing list is professional & that includes the medical staff. There is no other way.

Sadly the days of standing in the outer with a pie and a coldie are over.

[Rogue 585]

- Recently telling clubs to "avoid going head first into the contest" shows Demetrio and his goons have truly lost touch with the sport.

I think this is a good move, because the new[ish] rule designed to protect the head has created a moral hazard. Whereas in the past players would protect their head (ie. turning to the side in order to ride the contact), they now go in head first at times because they know they can draw a free kick.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

- Recently telling clubs to "avoid going head first into the contest" shows Demetrio and his goons have truly lost touch with the sport.

How pathetic. Its all about avoiding head/neck/spine injuries. Shame on Vlad for doing that.

[Nasher 33,616]

Demetriou's an extremely progressive administrator. IMO out of any of the administrators since the commission was formed he's the one who has made the best progress in creating fairness and equity while growing the game. Some may have a few quibbles here and there with the way he operates and some of the bits and pieces he's implemented, but looking at the big picture I'd say he's the best administrator the game has seen.

[Guest Thomo]

Demetriou's an extremely progressive administrator. IMO out of any of the administrators since the commission was formed he's the one who has made the best progress in creating fairness and equity while growing the game. Some may have a few quibbles here and there with the way he operates and some of the bits and pieces he's implemented, but looking at the big picture I'd say he's the best administrator the game has seen.

Agree. Every other sporting organisation, and most commercial oganisations, would love to have him working for them.

[Bay Riffin 1,475]

Demetriou's an extremely progressive administrator. IMO out of any of the administrators since the commission was formed he's the one who has made the best progress in creating fairness and equity while growing the game. Some may have a few quibbles here and there with the way he operates and some of the bits and pieces he's implemented, but looking at the big picture I'd say he's the best administrator the game has seen.

Rubbish. Yes he is the most progressive financial officer the game has seen by optimising crowd and tv rights through manipulation of the draw. If he was anywhere near your word of 'fairness', teams with less suporters would have equal rights to bigger games on Friday night, Saturday night and playing other big teams. His ability to grow has come out of one thing, to deliberately manipulate the draw for as many block busters as possible so we Melbourne supports absurdly feel grateful when he throws a million our way, whilst denying our right to earn this money ourselves.

The AFL is a not for profit operation, so do not confuse company standards of profits and ballance sheets onto what is the AFL. As a company he would have done marvellously well and I would be a happy investor. But the AFL is not.

If there ever was a time to instill fairness, now is it with salary caps and drafting rules in place.

"Fairness and Equity" - yeah ok see you at the next twighlight game whilst Schwab organises another handout from the AFL/MCC.

[dee-luded 2,959]

i know, we are all united in shock!! But the show must go on. We may unearth another gem.

Well dunn WYL.

Nicholson ans Evans have been outstanding. And Tom Mcdonald is promising but raw.

[Harrisonrules 273]

Rubbish. Yes he is the most progressive financial officer the game has seen by optimising crowd and tv rights through manipulation of the draw. If he was anywhere near your word of 'fairness', teams with less suporters would have equal rights to bigger games on Friday night, Saturday night and playing other big teams. His ability to grow has come out of one thing, to deliberately manipulate the draw for as many block busters as possible so we Melbourne supports absurdly feel grateful when he throws a million our way, whilst denying our right to earn this money ourselves.

The AFL is a not for profit operation, so do not confuse company standards of profits and ballance sheets onto what is the AFL. As a company he would have done marvellously well and I would be a happy investor. But the AFL is not.

If there ever was a time to instill fairness, now is it with salary caps and drafting rules in place.

"Fairness and Equity" - yeah ok see you at the next twighlight game whilst Schwab organises another handout from the AFL/MCC.

Support you on the loss of fairness

Regarding a not for profit operation ......who knows what it is.

But it sold itself out to Sponsers. Take away the sponsers (and that includes TV rights) and there nothing left. We are now an advertising arm of a group of competative sponsers. When a sponser is not getting return for money they spit us out.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

The AFL is a not for profit operation, ......

Oh dear...you could not be more wrong.

The whole reason the AFL was formed by the Clubs and progress the game was to prevent parochial and narrow one club interests like yours from hampering the development.

Nasher is right. There are a number of issues that I think the AFL could have done better over its tenure but overall its clear why AFL is the peak sporting body in this country and makes all other football or sporting codes look like amateurs.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Support you on the loss of fairness

Regarding a not for profit operation ......who knows what it is.

But it sold itself out to Sponsers. Take away the sponsers (and that includes TV rights) and there nothing left. We are now an advertising arm of a group of competative sponsers. When a sponser is not getting return for money they spit us out.

So tell me when was the competition fair??? Its never been fair since year dot.

The AFL like any peak sporting body is a collection of brands which have been promoted and supported in the community. And AFL is now the biggest supporter/member code in this country. Its ironic that you say "Take away the sponsors and TV rights" and there's nothing left. Given football's role in the community there's a deep support for the sport. And what do you think creates the interest of the sponsors and the causes TV stations to do back flips to consistently outbid each other to secure the rights to telecast? Ummmm.....

[RalphiusMaximus 6,054]

The thing is, while many fans hate what Demetriou has done to the game, in business terms he has been a resounding success. Revenue is through the roof, there are more clubs in the competition and we've just signed a TV rights deal worth over a billion dollars. As a business the AFL is a winner. It's only as a sport that it is falling down.

[Nasher 33,616]

The thing is, while many fans hate what Demetriou has done to the game, in business terms he has been a resounding success. Revenue is through the roof, there are more clubs in the competition and we've just signed a TV rights deal worth over a billion dollars. As a business the AFL is a winner. It's only as a sport that it is falling down.

The logic here doesn't work. The sport is not falling down. In order to sign a massive TV rights deal there must be a lot of people watching, more than ever, perhaps. If the sport was falling down people would not be attending matches and would not be watching it on TV. In order for the business to be growing, the sport has to be growing as well.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,054]

The logic here doesn't work. The sport is not falling down. In order to sign a massive TV rights deal there must be a lot of people watching, more than ever, perhaps. If the sport was falling down people would not be attending matches and would not be watching it on TV. In order for the business to be growing, the sport has to be growing as well.

Yeah, I didn't put that very well did I? My point is that many of us hate what he is doing to the game with the constant rule changes and reinterpreting existing rules to mean something completely different. For many fans it is ruining the game. However, they do keep watching and supporting their teams, so your point is well made.

[Guest hangon007]

Not sure you will get as much support as you hope.

I agree with you. Nice point. Would be interesting to watch the "tribes" at the negotiation table. Eventually you just know it will turn into a slagging match driven by self interest ... now that would make interesting TV ... Oh how some forget.

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

I agree with you. Nice point. Would be interesting to watch the "tribes" at the negotiation table. Eventually you just know it will turn into a slagging match driven by self interest ... now that would make interesting TV ... Oh how some forget.

Yes read Footy Incorporated, a most insightful read.

[Guest hangon007]

Yes read Footy Incorporated, a most insightful read.

Do you have a link?

[... 11]

Demetriou's an extremely progressive administrator. IMO out of any of the administrators since the commission was formed he's the one who has made the best progress in creating fairness and equity while growing the game. Some may have a few quibbles here and there with the way he operates and some of the bits and pieces he's implemented, but looking at the big picture I'd say he's the best administrator the game has seen.

Agree.