I should add by way of clarification that I don't know either way which way the decision will fall but I think it's time for all AFL supporters to combat the AFL's stand over tactics.

I have no issue with a new franchise but the rules giving them clear unfettered access to recruit 20 and 21 year olds like Davis, Ward and possibly Scully is an attack on the integrity of the game.

A lot of this is just plain old bad timing. To deal in hypotheticals a little, which is quite reasonable on this site:

• If we were in a stronger postion for the last 5 years, we wouldn't be having this conversation or caring much about it
  
• How frequently will new franchises be added to the AFL in the future? Too bad GC and GWS fell right in the middle of us being really bad and
  
• We did in fact get TS and JT out of that draft so while it's going to be disappointing, we still have done very well.
  Build that bridge people.
  

Edited September 8, 201114 yr by Kick it LONG

There are better ways to unite the Club but you will still have the entrenched posse of pessimists who mystreriously see themselves in the vanguard of positive action by continually claiming the Club is weak, meek, crap and has been so for 50 years.

I'm in no way a pessimist but the reality of the situation is the Club has been on the most part weak, meek and crap for 50 years. Pessimists or Realists?

We're being taking for a MASSIVE ride.

So depressing that we all care so much. He's gone.

Well it's pretty easy - football supporters in general are stupid.

No mystery there.

You've certainly proved that of late

GWS said yesterday they wanted to stagger the release of new signings.

If that is the case, then GWS can go $#%& themselves. The footy club should not pander to one player like this and it is surely now reasonable to have set a deadline and we announce it after developing him for two years. If he is sitting on this and just waiting we should be a lot tougher.

His contract finished yesterday and in all reasonableness he should have decided a week ago as he has had offers for months now.

His rule of waiting till end of season then deliberating again is only his little rule. Not ours.

The AFL have created this situation, do u think without the expansion teams the ridiculous pay offers would be on offer?

Ofcourse not. The ridiculous pay offers are due to that. Doesn't mean they are to blame. I'm a believer that making the game a bigger national sport is better for the game and the long term future. At the moment yes we are potentially going to lose out.

But to place "blame" on the AFL isn't quite right.

You have to place "blame" on GWS for poaching so hard.

You have to place "blame" on our FD for potentially not signing up TS earlier (they may have tried).

You have to place "blame" on Tom(if he signs) for having different values to us "idealists".

You have to place "blame" on us supporters for not turning up in droves and giving our club enough money to have the best facilities and the best FD.

The list goes on. IMO to solely blame the AFL would be inaccurate and an easy scapegoat for too many.

Haven't been back in awhile so can't confirm either way sorry. I know they opened a mini police station (a few uniform members were station there, only open certain hours) on Young st which is where a lot of the junkies were hanging. Apparently it's been reasonably succesful.

On the topic of certain areas having a bad rep, I work with department of justice and have been based out at Frankston, Dandenong & Melbourne dealing with the crims on a daily basis.

Can easily say, and I've even seen the stats that not only is there less crime in Frankston then the other areas (lower population I know) but the seriousness of the offences are far less serious at Frankston compared to the other areas.

It was just a wind up.

GWS said yesterday they wanted to stagger the release of new signings.That being the case,i'm tipping Monday to be the day Tom is unveiled as the GWS marquee signing,regaining the AFL focus after a weekend of 4 great finals and maximise newspaper exposure in Sydney,that's how i'd do it.It's been nearly 2 weeks since Tom's last game,he'd know by now.

If Tom played his whole career with us,he'd earn 8-10 $Million excluding endorsements,it's not as if he plays his last game and can't earn any money after retirement.Cameron Ling owns/part owns 3 pubs in Geelong and is set up for life,Mark Ricciuto the same in Adelaide.Tom could do the same,maybe Gary Lyon should offer to partner with Tom in a few pubs/businesses,at least Tommy wouldn't drink the profits.

If Tom invests his money properly,he'll make more money after football in the next 40 years of his life.I invested wisely a few years ago in a Sovereign Islands home on the Gold Coast,see pic.It's since doubled in price.

Stay with the Demons Tom and invest wisely and you'll make more than you'll ever be able to spend.

This may be true, but, TS is 19/20? He's lived and breathed footy since a tot. I don't know much about his upbringing, but the chances he is business minded and has been educated that way is probably slim.

For him to be thinking like that is similar to a 2nd year graduate contemplating planning to be CEO.

Yep slumsville.....

Breakfast Point

They did a tour with Gubby Allan, on the Sunday Footy Show. It's like a holiday resort, where coaches and players will be living.

The youngest players are expected to live there 2 years. Bit like a lush army barracks, with all of the best facilities..

Wonder if Tommy would like having "Sniper" Sheeds and "Nutcase" Williams looking over his shoulder 24/7. Excuse my poetic

licence. Tommy can you hear me...That 20 year old Melb. boy..Sure played great football (To the tune of Who's, Pinball Wizard)

apologies to the Who. Reading all these posts is making me stir crazy.

How many more sleeps ...until we find out Tommy's decision?

Edited September 8, 201114 yr by demonlover

Makes me wonder where we'd be if there were no expansion teams. We would be keeping Scully, last years draft and this years draft would have been a lot higher picks. Ah well [censored] happens!

So on your advise I should just sit here, say nothing, do nothing and be happy with being shat on?

Sorry I have done that for way too long.

More fool you old dee.

I would be happy to back you in any sensible or plausible recommendations you have. Got any?

I am not sure what you think you are achieving but its got you chuffed.

Don't rock the boat old dee it's been travelling well for the last few years. Things are looking up; we are about to lose our number 1 draft pick, probably Football Manager, maybe CEO, we've lost our coach, the future of all the assistants is in doubt, we've had to enlist an ex player to find us a coach and sort out the mess we are apparently not in; what more could you ask for?

Did I mention we don't have a leadership group worth a pinch and our Captain only got games this year because he was our captain. our Vice Captain also had a bit of a problem getting on the park as well, not the one who was dropped because he had a drinking problem, the other one.

Gee Robbie, its unlike you to post negative whinging rants. Beyond moaning that the sky is falling do you have any constructive suggestions or is it easier having anonymous potshots?

Whinge Whinge!

We cleared massive debt

Improved Facilities

Record membership

Record sponsorship

Can now afford to spend on a decent coach and support staff thanks to reducing debt and gaining big sponsorship

Re-signed Trengove, Sylvia and others

But lets not talk about the positives

I'm glad to see you think things are going smoothly, you're the supporter we require at melbourne the most; compliant.

We're getting reamed by a 20 year old and our 150 year old (and some) club is getting is now an unwitting participant in a GWS PR exercise, which is made worse by the fact the exercise is poaching one of the cornestones of our rebuild and planned ascent up the ladder. Sever all ties Melbourne and take back some control. Tom 'Benedict Arnold' Scully...

Apparently it's a conspiracy that everyone is in on and lying about that only idiots like me can't see.

Not quite everyone. Just a small little cabal ... probably less than ten ... who managed somehow to choo-choo this farcical little steamtrain to the station without it completely falling in a heap

I'm just waiting so i can confidently add the number 1 to my Bartram jumper.

I'm in no way a pessimist but the reality of the situation is the Club has been on the most part weak, meek and crap for 50 years. Pessimists or Realists?

So what if its been that way that for 40,50,60 years? Blind Freddie can see we have not been successful for the past few decades. I rather deal with the present situation and move forward.

If anything, MFC was at its most dire in 2007. We have made improvements in a number of areas. But its a long process and I know you realise that

There are some things the Board has done well in the past 4 years and some it could have done better.

But I am not sure what the misery guts department is achieving with the repetitive "We're crap, we're duds, we're the worst, we're soft". Its has all the positive benefits of 19th Century torchbearing witchhunt.

I'm glad to see you think things are going smoothly, you're the supporter we require at melbourne the most; compliant.

What are you achieving Robbie that sets you on some higher plain of action?

what...not another Scully thread.. thought we werent doing that

This is not just a Scully thread. It transcends that and goes right to the heart of the AFL's integrity.

I have maintained for some time that there is something very wrong with the AFL determining the compensation for players taken by GWS at the same time that the AFL has made it very clear that one of its main objectives is to ensure that the same club is as strong and as competitive as possible in its formative years.

It's called a conflict of interest and I dare say that if someone was to look into the situation they might discover that what the AFL is doing possibly contravenes the law.

Wouldn't that be interesting?

This is not just a Scully thread. It transcends that and goes right to the heart of the AFL's integrity.

Speaking of integrity, IIRC even when Chris Judd left WCE, he didn't want to leave without the Eagles getting properly compensated. Whatever you might think of Judd, he gets my respect at least for taking that sort of a stand.

Not quite everyone. Just a small little cabal ... probably less than ten ... who managed somehow to choo-choo this farcical little steamtrain to the station without it completely falling in a heap

All this 'cabal' has said is that Tom Scully did not lie, and did not sign for GWS when all said that he did sign and that he was a liar.

We have always maintained that he could go, I thought we were a strong enough club but the events of this year have tempered that to a large extent.

And for your benefit and for stranga - I did not mean for RR to get over himself for his convictions but for the effect he had on my 'tone' I had in an earlier post. It was some annoyance carried forward from the troubling Diablo Demon post that blamed the supporters for the predicament that the club is in.

I apologise for sounding more arrogant than I intended.

And I still hope that he stays.

So what if its been that way that for 40,50,60 years? Blind Freddie can see we have not been successful for the past few decades. I rather deal with the present situation and move forward.

If anything, MFC was at its most dire in 2007. We have made improvements in a number of areas. But its a long process and I know you realise that

There are some things the Board has done well in the past 4 years and some it could have done better.

But I am not sure what the misery guts department is achieving with the repetitive "We're crap, we're duds, we're the worst, we're soft". Its has all the positive benefits of 19th Century torchbearing witchhunt.

Of course it's along process. However supporters are rightly disappointed and frustrated with the way the year unfolded. Most would have been more than happy with 8 or 9 wins if we'd knocked off a decent side and put in some sustained effort in the tougher games. The way we rolled over time and again and then beat up on the weaker sides made for some pretty ordinary days at the footy. What everyone here wants to see (besides a Premiership) is sustained 4 quarter efforts. Watching our leaders roll over and leave it to the kids was also really poor. As for the Schwab - Bailey - Connolly - Lyon debacle, well it's just got amateur written all over it. I hope like hell we can attract a good coaching team because we still have holes to fill and a game plan to implement. Roll on 2012

This should be in the other Scully thread. It transcends nothing.

All this 'cabal' has said is that Tom Scully did not lie, and did not sign for GWS when all said that he did sign and that he was a liar.

We have always maintained that he could go, I thought we were a strong enough club but the events of this year have tempered that to a large extent.

And for your benefit and for stranga - I did not mean for RR to get over himself for his convictions but for the effect he had on my 'tone' I had in an earlier post. It was some annoyance carried forward from the troubling Diablo Demon post that blamed the supporters for the predicament that the club is in.

I apologise for sounding more arrogant than I intended.

And I still hope that he stays.

When you say "we" above I take you mean the MFC?

When I said little cabal, I should have clarified and said that in my opinion the MFC was a willing participant in it.

A couple of inner sanctum at Melbourne, Tom and his family, his manager and a couple of inner sanctum at GW$. A little cabal.

* Edit ... I should have written the MFC were an unwilling participant in it but were nevertheless dragged into and participated in it.

* Edit 2 ... 1000th post in this thread. *Raises the keyboard above head*.

Edited September 8, 201114 yr by Range Rover

What are you achieving Robbie that sets you on some higher plain of action?

I've tipped some serious money in to this club and I'm not happy with the way it's being used.

I did it for Jimmy and don't regret that, but it will do us no good if we just go back to the same [censored] club we were that got us in to the mess in the first place. I have to tell you that it's not looking good as I mentioned above. We have to look at the whole situation of the club and need a full review of everything and that's what I'll be suggesting.

If you're happy for us to potter along and bounce between last and maybe sixth then good for you but I and some of the others want more from it than that, we are going nowhere at the moment. Think about the players that have gone to GWS so far, two come from clubs that have lost or sacked their coaches and one from a club that seems to no longer need him and then you have Scully. Any decent player from any decent club has told them to [censored] off.

You go along with it as you always do Rhino and when something, like what's happened this year occurs, don't be surprised, expect it, you'll still be towing the company line 20 years from now when we are still without a flag. And you'll still be criticising anyone that disagrees.

This should be in the other Scully thread. It transcends nothing.

I've taken your advice.

Obviously, the ethics and standards of the way the AFL operates is irrelevant and a non issue.

The threads are merged.