A losing record against every foundation team other than St Kilda?

Aren't you glad the Premierships comparison is a better record than that ?

Bobby . It must be marvellous to be able to draw upon those memories. I cant. I waited til 1988 to even go to a Grand Final as I set myself that I wouldnt attend til we were in one. That was a day to forget..and after half time its just an amber blur. Then 2000 and didnt we do well again. In both games we failed to even register the opponents half time score !!!

Someone else hit the nail. Too much living in the past. Too much all in the fullness of time. Theres no urgency.

Myth Busting facts about the MFC

Jim Stynes is not the messiah. He is an ex-footballer with terminal cancer. I am not sure if he was ever up to leading the the MFC board but he sure isn't now. Of course our sympathies lie with his family and him.

The current board did not eradicate our debt. The club's supporter's eradicated the club's debt. The board rattled the tin. Rattling tins is not a sustainable revenue strategy. Supporters were also primarily responsible for securing our two major sponsors.

The club has not been managing well financially. Despite increased revenue in the form of compensation for MCG tenant Clubs (engineered by the AFL not the MFC), increased AFL and MCC “welfare” and decreased interest burden courtesy of the eradication of our debt (by supporters), the club is about to post it's second loss since 2003. Much of our spending is wasted on a bloated admin department courtesy of C Schwab.

The club has not been transparent. Why was Paul McNamee sacked only months into the job and replaced by "mate" Cameron Schwab? Why couldn't Bailey bring himself to acknowledge support from senior MFC staff during hisnpress conference? What action has been taken as a result of the Andrews review? Why doesn’t the openness and transparency referred to by Jim Stynes yesterday extend to the release of the Andrews Report paid for by members and until now a closely guarded secret?

The club has not been managing ethically/appropriately. Why do we have mates accountable to other mates? Why was our CEO given a $140k loan from the club? Why are boardmembers and non-football staff meddling in football operations? Why do unelected, unrepresentative and unaccountable backroom operators like Garry Lyon have key roles in all major decisions including the decision to sack the coach and retain the CEO while maintaining a thoroughly implausible position of “not being interested in football politics or football administration”? What does Connolly even do? Why do the players feel let down by the club?

The club can't manage a coach. Aside from the aforementioned meddling in the football department, the Stynes Board chose to extend Bailey’s contract until the end of 2011. If Bailey is blameworthy for being an inept Coach then surely the Stynes Board are equally culpable for appointing him after a 3 year audition. Furthermore, contrast the dignified way that Daniher's exit was managed with the events of the previous 48 hours.

The club is not especially "inclusive". The demon summit was tokenistic. Our club has a recent history of in-fighting and power struggles. Prior to the stability of the Gardner years, the club went through the merger debate in 1996 and contested elections in 2001 and 2003. We are now reverting to type.

Don McLardy is a coterie member and manager of an insurance broking business who, from a critical supporter's point of view, has done nothing special to distinguish himself as a boardmember aside from aligning himself politically with Stynes. As Patrick Smith said today “McLardy was not convincing whenever he spoke about events preceding yesterday's midday news conference”.

Lyon is not the messiah either, he is an ex-footballer media type who has had ample opportunity to show his commitment to the club in a meaningful capacity but has continuously failed to do so. In any case, his is no better qualified to manage our club than Sam Newman.

Thanks for reading.

I am hoping but far from confident that we've broken the Gloom of way too many years as an ultimately unsuccessful club.

It's been called a curse, or the Curse of Norm Smith.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_Norm_Smith

This is just my personal perspective, but I see it as a culture problem, deeply embedded in MFC that started around the time Smith was stabbed, and has probably been perpetuated over the years to greater or lesser extent in the playing group, football department, appointments, (some) coaches (notable exception Swoop Northey), and a board that's been more interested in their privileged selves and their companies than the hard yards necessary for MFC to win its next flag.

So, sacking Bailey is not a panacea to fix a culture that's been way too smug and cosy over too many years.

Bailey may not have been the coach to take our young and skilled playing group forward to the next level. But he's certainly not to blame for a long soft culture, if indeed that's the problem.

The current leadership group seems infused with whatever the problem is.

Caroline Wilson called it a 'boy's club' last night, and while we love and admire some of them greatly, they all need to realise their responsibilities to break the culture of smugness that evidence suggests has been around MFC all these years. Bailey incidentally was never part of the 'boy's club' and so was easily sacrificed when they felt something had to be done. But not necessarily the desperate change needed to ensure MFC's next flag in our lifetimes.

One positive way of looking at it amidst the turmoil of the past 4 days is to see this long drought of lack of success being book-ended by the two worst losses in VFL/AFL history - that one against Fitzroy in 1979 and the loss to Geelong on Saturday. And for all associated with the club - the Board, President and his men, football department, playing group and particularly the on-field leaders, and all coaching staff to resolve that from here on, that phase is absolutely over.

If further changes are needed amongst any of these groups, make them. Time to be ruthless in pursuing success. As supporters we can apply every bit of pressure in our power to get the changes needed to bring success.

And on Saturday we can all get to the 'G and support players, new coach and President in what will hopefully signal a new resolve to always show mental and physical toughness on the way to our next flag, soon!

I loved the way Todd played, I'm hopeful that he'll get that grunt from our players over the next 5+ weeks. Go Dees!!

A losing record against every foundation team other than St Kilda?

Yes, I've noticed that fact, When we are good we are fabulous when we are bad we are downright atrocious!!

Myth Busting facts about the MFC

Jim Stynes is not the messiah. He is an ex-footballer with terminal cancer. I am not sure if he was ever up to leading the the MFC board but he sure isn't now. Of course our sympathies lie with his family and him.

The current board did not eradicate our debt. The club's supporter's eradicated the club's debt. The board rattled the tin. Rattling tins is not a sustainable revenue strategy. Supporters were also primarily responsible for securing our two major sponsors.

The club has not been managing well financially. Despite increased revenue in the form of compensation for MCG tenant Clubs (engineered by the AFL not the MFC), increased AFL and MCC “welfare” and decreased interest burden courtesy of the eradication of our debt (by supporters), the club is about to post it's second loss since 2003. Much of our spending is wasted on a bloated admin department courtesy of C Schwab.

The club has not been transparent. Why was Paul McNamee sacked only months into the job and replaced by "mate" Cameron Schwab? Why couldn't Bailey bring himself to acknowledge support from senior MFC staff during hisnpress conference? What action has been taken as a result of the Andrews review? Why doesn’t the openness and transparency referred to by Jim Stynes yesterday extend to the release of the Andrews Report paid for by members and until now a closely guarded secret?

The club has not been managing ethically/appropriately. Why do we have mates accountable to other mates? Why was our CEO given a $140k loan from the club? Why are boardmembers and non-football staff meddling in football operations? Why do unelected, unrepresentative and unaccountable backroom operators like Garry Lyon have key roles in all major decisions including the decision to sack the coach and retain the CEO while maintaining a thoroughly implausible position of “not being interested in football politics or football administration”? What does Connolly even do? Why do the players feel let down by the club?

The club can't manage a coach. Aside from the aforementioned meddling in the football department, the Stynes Board chose to extend Bailey’s contract until the end of 2011. If Bailey is blameworthy for being an inept Coach then surely the Stynes Board are equally culpable for appointing him after a 3 year audition. Furthermore, contrast the dignified way that Daniher's exit was managed with the events of the previous 48 hours.

The club is not especially "inclusive". The demon summit was tokenistic. Our club has a recent history of in-fighting and power struggles. Prior to the stability of the Gardner years, the club went through the merger debate in 1996 and contested elections in 2001 and 2003. We are now reverting to type.

Don McLardy is a coterie member and manager of an insurance broking business who, from a critical supporter's point of view, has done nothing special to distinguish himself as a boardmember aside from aligning himself politically with Stynes. As Patrick Smith said today “McLardy was not convincing whenever he spoke about events preceding yesterday's midday news conference”.

Lyon is not the messiah either, he is an ex-footballer media type who has had ample opportunity to show his commitment to the club in a meaningful capacity but has continuously failed to do so. In any case, his is no better qualified to manage our club than Sam Newman.

Thanks for reading.

Thanks to Hazyshadeofgrinter I've got it.

The MFC has the most supporters who have an axe to grind.

Myth Busting facts about the MFC

Jim Stynes is not the messiah. He is an ex-footballer with terminal cancer. I am not sure if he was ever up to leading the the MFC board but he sure isn't now. Of course our sympathies lie with his family and him.

The current board did not eradicate our debt. The club's supporter's eradicated the club's debt. The board rattled the tin. Rattling tins is not a sustainable revenue strategy. Supporters were also primarily responsible for securing our two major sponsors.

The club has not been managing well financially. Despite increased revenue in the form of compensation for MCG tenant Clubs (engineered by the AFL not the MFC), increased AFL and MCC “welfare” and decreased interest burden courtesy of the eradication of our debt (by supporters), the club is about to post it's second loss since 2003. Much of our spending is wasted on a bloated admin department courtesy of C Schwab.

The club has not been transparent. Why was Paul McNamee sacked only months into the job and replaced by "mate" Cameron Schwab? Why couldn't Bailey bring himself to acknowledge support from senior MFC staff during hisnpress conference? What action has been taken as a result of the Andrews review? Why doesn’t the openness and transparency referred to by Jim Stynes yesterday extend to the release of the Andrews Report paid for by members and until now a closely guarded secret?

The club has not been managing ethically/appropriately. Why do we have mates accountable to other mates? Why was our CEO given a $140k loan from the club? Why are boardmembers and non-football staff meddling in football operations? Why do unelected, unrepresentative and unaccountable backroom operators like Garry Lyon have key roles in all major decisions including the decision to sack the coach and retain the CEO while maintaining a thoroughly implausible position of “not being interested in football politics or football administration”? What does Connolly even do? Why do the players feel let down by the club?

The club can't manage a coach. Aside from the aforementioned meddling in the football department, the Stynes Board chose to extend Bailey’s contract until the end of 2011. If Bailey is blameworthy for being an inept Coach then surely the Stynes Board are equally culpable for appointing him after a 3 year audition. Furthermore, contrast the dignified way that Daniher's exit was managed with the events of the previous 48 hours.

The club is not especially "inclusive". The demon summit was tokenistic. Our club has a recent history of in-fighting and power struggles. Prior to the stability of the Gardner years, the club went through the merger debate in 1996 and contested elections in 2001 and 2003. We are now reverting to type.

Don McLardy is a coterie member and manager of an insurance broking business who, from a critical supporter's point of view, has done nothing special to distinguish himself as a boardmember aside from aligning himself politically with Stynes. As Patrick Smith said today “McLardy was not convincing whenever he spoke about events preceding yesterday's midday news conference”.

Lyon is not the messiah either, he is an ex-footballer media type who has had ample opportunity to show his commitment to the club in a meaningful capacity but has continuously failed to do so. In any case, his is no better qualified to manage our club than Sam Newman.

Thanks for reading.

Not pleasant reading.

Thanks for reading.

What are the solutions?

Myth Busting facts about the MFC

HSoG, you've said some things that might be sacrilegious to some, but it's probably good for MFC they're aired.

Amazing the number of supporters from other clubs who have said to me today, "what MFC needs is a bit of the grunt of Grinter". Or some of Sean Wight's guts and determination. Remember the effort Sean put into his tackling? Todd could do worse than make this current lot watch the video highlights of Sean's career. His heart and passion for MFC meant he never admitted defeat, he always put in the extra effort and it usually paid off.

One of those same supporters of other clubs also mentioned some of the mental & physical softness on display in the 1988 Grand Final. I cringe at those memories and will never watch that game ever again.

But I'll happilly watch Sean Wight's highlight video every opportunity.

Edit: not that anyone was advocating playing in the style of Grinter today, simply MFC needs more physical presence on-field (was how I took the comments).

Myth Busting facts about the MFC

WOW...*sigh