Thats the Catch 22 ... to become more competitive on the field we need to spend more money inside our football department ie off the field. How do we build our football department spend without the crowds ... How do we get our supporters to buy into the programme? How do we get them to understand its 2011 ... clearly some are still stuck in the past.

I see your point, but it is why every dam cent we can spend has to go to the Footy Dept now, the rest will follow...We have to start winning big games or all the hype is sadly just that.

The Hawks consistently play the same way weekly (Yearly)

Team has got to fire, before the big crowds will come....whether it is right or wrong. That is the situation.

The Honeymoon is over for the Sympathy period....the Team has got to improve.

Until the thrashings are a thing of the past, the crowds could be average.

The club has got to hang tight this year, it is going to be hard, and that includes the draft weeks after the season.

We have had some good crowds this year at the G: v Richmond 63K? one of the best of all time; v Collingwood 73K? It's a bit like groundhog day seeing hawthorn players spin out of tackles and deliver lace out to their forwards season after season...

We have had some good crowds this year at the G: v Richmond 63K? one of the best of all time; v Collingwood 73K? It's a bit like groundhog day seeing hawthorn players spin out of tackles and deliver lace out to their forwards season after season...

sure, but the rest of the season is going to be a slog, and we all know it....

I see your point, but it is why every dam cent we can spend has to go to the Footy Dept now, the rest will follow...We have to start winning big games or all the hype is sadly just that.

Yeah but how do we get those extra cents without the crowds?

The Hawks consistently play the same way weekly (Yearly)

Hawks spend like 20% more than us every year. Our players are starting behind the 8-ball before the game even starts.

Yeah but how do we get those extra cents without the crowds?

Hawks spend like 20% more than us every year. Our players are starting behind the 8-ball before the game even starts.

Many ways to do it, the club has to be very innovative now, Free Agency is around the corner..

Football dept sponsorship deals....$10 membership levy towards the FD....think of a few more..We have to do it, otherwise more games will be sold interstate.

People will not even go to the 'G to watch a thrashing...and for the last 8 games that's what those bastard Hawks have done to us.

We have had some good crowds this year at the G: v Richmond 63K? one of the best of all time; v Collingwood 73K? It's a bit like groundhog day seeing hawthorn players spin out of tackles and deliver lace out to their forwards season after season...

Yeah but is that thanks to them or us? Are we drawing the crowd or are they?

So at a game where we were always going to be thrashed on a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon we pulled sub 40,000? Big freakin' deal! When I saw the title I thought I'd see a rant about only pulling 20k or so. If we were anywhere near 40k then I'm thrilled. That counts as a win folks.

I love this club, but it is NOT the most important thing in my life. If it is the most important thing in your life I feel sorry for you. It may be selfish in your opinion but I thought it was a lot more important to visit my sick mother on Sunday. Threads like this [censored] off. Sad people trying to make others guilty for having a life. Makes me feel like not getting my trident membership at all if I'm going to be abused because I can't make a game here or there.

So at a game where we were always going to be thrashed on a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon we pulled sub 40,000? Big freakin' deal! When I saw the title I thought I'd see a rant about only pulling 20k or so. If we were anywhere near 40k then I'm thrilled. That counts as a win folks.

I agree, I think it was a reasnoable crowd, considering most people knew Hawthorn were going to maul us again....sad but true.

I spend about $100 on a day at the footy, and to sit there and watch Hawthorn enjoy themselves for the 8th. time running is in some ways a shite way to spend a bitterly cold sunday.

Was the teams performance reflective of the crowd or vice versa? The boys certainly looked tired and flat. Jack Watts looked sore to me. I was in the Members and the old stereo.....type was turned up to full volume, where I was sitting. The lack of support and voice in the Members yesterday was breathtaking. Maybe it was just my imagination, but there seemed to be more noise from behind the glass than in front of it. I guess that's what a few Chardys or Reds can do. After Howe's first goal I screamed my support, in a sea of relative silence. It was like that feeling you get when your phone goes off in the middle of someone's speech.

Fire up Members, for goodness sake.

Heaven help this footy club if our supporters think along these lines and cancel their memberships next year to stay home and watch games from their couch.

Every supporter will come up with 100 valid excuses as to why they can't/won't go, but none of them will stand up and say "I am part of the reason why Melbourne don't get blockbuster games, why Melbourne gets home games at Etihad and has to drive to Geelong every single year, and sell home games to Darwin".

We complain and whinge, but it's our doing.

Sadly, those of us who go every week, without fail and without excuses, are the ones that have to suffer, along with the team.

I'm not having a dig at your specifically and good on you for going today, but seriously I just really loath Melbourne supporters sometimes. Half the idiots who whinge about this club are the same ones who don't turn up to games and don't contribute financially, and as far as I'm concerned they can [censored] off.

I really think that this is an unhelpful and immature way of looking at the issue.

Firstly, the MFC is a sports team. Not a military, not a workplace, but a sports team.

The level of passion people have towards sport, and then towards their team, is an entirely discretionary and personal thing. Some people think it's admirable to go every week and end up disappointed, other people think it's a stupid way to spend your life. I happen to be forking up $53/seat and taking a car full of people to Geelong this week, so I think it's clear which side I am personally on.

But if people don't want to contribute financially, then good luck to them, that's their choice. If they would rather spend their money on cancer research, or plasma TV's, that's also their choice. If they would rather spend the time with family than watch our team deliver another pathetic performance, I can't blame them.

And in fact, do people really think that blaming them is useful? Because it's not the way the club thinks.

Like it or lump it, we have less supporters than all clubs but North (and maybe dogs?). We convert more supporters to members than any other club in the AFL. We have a large contingency of MCC members, a lot of whom now purchase a separate MFC membership that gives them very little, and is essentially a donation.

So I think that the glass is half full or half empty. In any event, it's just sport to a lot of people, and sport is a competing subset of life, not life itself. I can't believe I just wrote that! It's not what I personally believe at all!!!!

I love this club, but it is NOT the most important thing in my life. If it is the most important thing in your life I feel sorry for you. It may be selfish in your opinion but I thought it was a lot more important to visit my sick mother on Sunday. Threads like this [censored] off. Sad people trying to make others guilty for having a life. Makes me feel like not getting my trident membership at all if I'm going to be abused because I can't make a game here or there.

If you seriously think that, than you really don't get the point of this thread.

I bet that there were 10,000 supporters who could have gone on Sunday, had nothing better to do, but chose not to because it was cold, the team isn't playing well or they just couldn't be bothered.

If you had more important things to do, than nobody is going to blame you.

Seriously, why is it that we can complain about selling home games to Darwin and Etihad and having to play at SS every year, but we can't complain about poor crown turnouts?

If you seriously think that, than you really don't get the point of this thread.

I bet that there were 10,000 supporters who could have gone on Sunday, had nothing better to do, but chose not to because it was cold, the team isn't playing well or they just couldn't be bothered.

If you had more important things to do, than nobody is going to blame you.

Seriously, why is it that we can complain about selling home games to Darwin and Etihad and having to play at SS every year, but we can't complain about poor crown turnouts?

But considering the weather and where the team is currently at, it wasn't a bad crowd at all...What were you expecting??

Hawthorn Fans rolled up knowing they were going to see a killing, and that's what they got.

Seriously, why is it that we can complain about selling home games to Darwin and Etihad and having to play at SS every year, but we can't complain about poor crown turnouts?

But that's the entire point. It wasn't a poor crowd. 39,782 on a Sunday afternoon is an amazing crowd. I've gone to Sunday games where we struggled to hit the 20,000 mark. We should be thrilled to have a turnout like that for this game. Wanting another 10,000 members to come along is just being greedy.

I'll admit, I couldn't be stuffed. I was buggered after work all week and watching the Tour every night, and slept until midday or so Sunday then had stuff to get done and a hangover to get over!

But I did listen to the first 10 mins of the game, and when it turned out just as I expected it to I switched off. Wasn't worth my afternoon listening to the Dees get thumped again by ten goals.

Considering it was a Hawthorn ticketed game, I thought the crowd was down.

No doubt the weather contributed a bit as well. I thought 45-50,000 should have been thereabouts.

But that's the entire point. It wasn't a poor crowd. 39,782 on a Sunday afternoon is an amazing crowd. I've gone to Sunday games where we struggled to hit the 20,000 mark. We should be thrilled to have a turnout like that for this game. Wanting another 10,000 members to come along is just being greedy.

Are you serious? You cant be.

We are seriously vying for the 8 ... when was the last time this happened, when last did we have a 20,000 when in that position? Against another Melbourne team.

With all due respect saying thats an acceptable crowd is just .... just ... can I swear. No. Ballderdash

Are you serious? You cant be.

We are seriously vying for the 8 ... when was the last time this happened, when last did we have a 20,000 when in that position? Against another Melbourne team.

With all due respect saying thats an acceptable crowd is just .... just ... can I swear. No. Ballderdash

It's neither acceptable or unacceptable. It just is.

Are you serious? You cant be.

We are seriously vying for the 8 ... when was the last time this happened, when last did we have a 20,000 when in that position? Against another Melbourne team.

With all due respect saying thats an acceptable crowd is just .... just ... can I swear. No. Ballderdash

No we are not. The Media likes to say we are...

I'll admit, I couldn't be stuffed. I was buggered after work all week and watching the Tour every night, and slept until midday or so Sunday then had stuff to get done and a hangover to get over!

But I did listen to the first 10 mins of the game, and when it turned out just as I expected it to I switched off. Wasn't worth my afternoon listening to the Dees get thumped again by ten goals.

I had the AFL match center up at work. Only way I was going to keep up with the game sadly.

If you seriously think that, than you really don't get the point of this thread.

I bet that there were 10,000 supporters who could have gone on Sunday, had nothing better to do, but chose not to because it was cold, the team isn't playing well or they just couldn't be bothered.

If you had more important things to do, than nobody is going to blame you.

Seriously, why is it that we can complain about selling home games to Darwin and Etihad and having to play at SS every year, but we can't complain about poor crown turnouts?

Actually I didn't go for all those reasons plus I'd just watched Cadel show some true grit and character and couldn't see the point in watching us get flogged by a bigger, better team with more heart than us. I watched the first 2.5 quarters on TV which is no way to watch footy, between the incessant ads and our turnovers I preferred going for a run. Add the fact that the scully situation leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I possibly won't go again this year.

Melbourne has defeated two, repeat TWO Victorian teams in the four years since since DB took charge.

Anyone going along (as I did) is going along to support the club, not because they are "vying for the 8". Melbourne needs to serve up better performances if they are to survive as a club.

SOme of you need to get real.

Can't we leave whinging about Melbourne's crowd sizes to the media?

Can't we leave whinging about Melbourne's crowd sizes to the media?

Can't we leave the coaching of our side & negative crap to the media?

No we are not.

+1

We might sneak in, but we're not seriously vying for a spot; particularly not in the game versus Hawthorn, anyway.

Heaven help this footy club if our supporters think along these lines and cancel their memberships next year to stay home and watch games from their couch.

Every supporter will come up with 100 valid excuses as to why they can't/won't go, but none of them will stand up and say "I am part of the reason why Melbourne don't get blockbuster games, why Melbourne gets home games at Etihad and has to drive to Geelong every single year, and sell home games to Darwin".

We complain and whinge, but it's our doing.

Sadly, those of us who go every week, without fail and without excuses, are the ones that have to suffer, along with the team.

I'm not having a dig at your specifically and good on you for going today, but seriously I just really loath Melbourne supporters sometimes. Half the idiots who whinge about this club are the same ones who don't turn up to games and don't contribute financially, and as far as I'm concerned they can [censored] off.

What I loathe is the idea that Melbourne supporters are somehow different to fans of other clubs.

Melbourne supporters are no different to any other group; there are a hardcore bunch who go all the time, those who attend a fair bit, and others who go little (if at all). You're kidding yourself if you think other Clubs are different.

As for telling people who don't go to games/buy memberships, turning off the people who 'go for' Melbourne but don't have footy as a big part of their lives is beyond foolish.

(Hot tip; Hawthorn membership figures/crowd figures weren't so hot when they were struggling).