Strangely enough a lot of the public buy into media articles...who'd da thunk . The business world are the same public , just wearig their workday busiensss suits. Funny that. Not everyone is silly enough to base an opinion on Russell or Dehnam but they are a minor ripple in the great pond of sports journalism.

Much is life goes to opinion , percptions and loaded barrows pushed and sledom the fac or reality of a matter. Real Estate and Shares would be prime examples..

The whole cosmetics industry is based on perception, if fact almost nothing would be sold.

We all have opinions.. We all act upon them.

Unless you buy off a few journalists or we start winning games then this topic becomes nebulous.

The business world is a subset of the general public normally with tighter financial parameters around their interests.

Your belief is that the perception is going to change. Fine. I dont believe you can provide a sound measurement of that at one point in time. Its only your opinion. Its then easy to change perceptions....you just change your opinions.

P.S I leave the cosmetics industry to your good self

As stated.. a measurement will be attendences, will be memberships, will be the jumpers bought in stores . A less obvious one might be how the AFL programs us in broadcasts etc.

Typical of yourself RR to dismiss out of hand anything that counters your stance. The whole advertising industry exists to suade opinions and to encourage purchases. These are based on the perception of the viewer. Given Cosmetics makes AFL look like an amateur hour industry I shouldnt be so dismissive.

There is the power of the net itself. Media is far more than the minnows you highlight.

From the nadir of 186 and the insidious defection of he-who-shall-not-be-named, it's been quite some bounce back by the club. Schwab's dictum - "Don't underestimate the ability of a football club to move on quickly" - has been proved correct. And good on him, Stynesy and Gaz Lyon for kicking a few post-season goals. It's definitely lifted supporter perceptions and raised a bit of jealousy among opposition supporters (particularly the Clark signing coup).

But the reality ... winning and playing hard contested footy week-in week-out will be all that counts starting round 1, 2012 and we will continue to be an irrelevance until that happens.

The greater football community, well, at least a massive majority of it, don't read newspaper articles to create their perception of how the Melbourne Football Club are travelling. They get this by looking at the results after each week, and while we have a 31 goal loss as recently as 11 weeks ago, we are still the laughing stock of the AFL.

Going out and landing Mitch Clark via an agressive trade will not change others perception of this Club.

Simple.

More often than not, when I tell someone I barrack for Melbourne the usual reply I get is: "I like Melbourne" or "I don't mind Melbourne"

I want the Dees to be hated by other supporters. There is a big difference between hate and respect and until the football community feels either or both of those feelings towards Melbourne, the 'perception' isn't going to change.

How that change is going to come about is the million dollar question.

As stated.. a measurement will be attendences, will be memberships, will be the jumpers bought in stores . A less obvious one might be how the AFL programs us in broadcasts etc.

Typical of yourself RR to dismiss out of hand anything that counters your stance. The whole advertising industry exists to suade opinions and to encourage purchases. These are based on the perception of the viewer. Given Cosmetics makes AFL look like an amateur hour industry I shouldnt be so dismissive.

There is the power of the net itself. Media is far more than the minnows you highlight.

I have not dismissed anything at all. I have tried to engage how you will measurement of perception will occur which we both agree is based on opinion. FWIW, Freo has large attendances in the West and large membership base with a full suite of sponsors but is deemed an chronic underachiever that is soft.

Spin, the media and the net will get you so far but if you are not winning games then you wont be classed as a top performer. And selling jumpers (?) is no measure of any form of perception. I am not sure what straw poll conclusion you can draw from that. And as we have seen with politicans media polls, the general public is a fickle beast that can turn quickly in a short space of time. That's why perception is nebulous, difficult to measure and impossible to maintain if you are not successful on the field.

And I used Russell and Denham as examples not as bellwether

More often than not, when I tell someone I barrack for Melbourne the usual reply I get is: "I like Melbourne" or "I don't mind Melbourne"

I want the Dees to be hated by other supporters. There is a big difference between hate and respect and until the football community feels either or both of those feelings towards Melbourne, the 'perception' isn't going to change.

How that change is going to come about is the million dollar question.

It isnt. Its more an issue of other clubs and their supporters.

If we are "hated" because we are successful then that's fine.

But I think respect from the broader football community rather than opposition ferals is a greater accolade.

More often than not, when I tell someone I barrack for Melbourne the usual reply I get is: "I like Melbourne" or "I don't mind Melbourne"

I want the Dees to be hated by other supporters. There is a big difference between hate and respect and until the football community feels either or both of those feelings towards Melbourne, the 'perception' isn't going to change.

How that change is going to come about is the million dollar question.

It'll come about when we start smashing teams, consistently winning games AND most importantly ACTUALLY playing like DEMONS!

The greater football community, well, at least a massive majority of it, don't read newspaper articles to create their perception of how the Melbourne Football Club are travelling. They get this by looking at the results after each week, and while we have a 31 goal loss as recently as 11 weeks ago, we are still the laughing stock of the AFL.

Going out and landing Mitch Clark via an agressive trade will not change others perception of this Club.

Simple.

Billy....where do people get the results from ? Surely its this same said media ( newspapers, printed or online etc ) These same sources of data are straddled within a framework of opinion and 'expert' embellishments. All these things end up as flavouring for the opinions of a great many readers. Discussion amongst footy followers shapes perceptions and a lot of people DO read papers or listen to the radio or wattch telly where there is a constant stream of opinion. This is invariably taken on board in some form if only subliminally.

Billy....where do people get the results from ? Surely its this same said media ( newspapers, printed or online etc ) These same sources of data are straddled within a framework of opinion and 'expert' embellishments. All these things end up as flavouring for the opinions of a great many readers. Discussion amongst footy followers shapes perceptions and a lot of people DO read papers or listen to the radio or wattch telly where there is a constant stream of opinion. This is invariably taken on board in some form if only subliminally.

Well smart ass, if you re-read my post, I clearly said they don't read "articles". Publishing the scores in a paper isn't an expert throwing their spin on things, it tells a clear picture.

If someone reads the score sheet and sees the MFC getting flogged by 31 goals, they wont need to read what Sheehan or Fat Robbo write, they'll have their own perception. And further to this, people actually watch most games every week, even if it isn't their team. They will gain an opinion/perception of how a team is playing by bloody watching them!

You may find it hard to believe, but other teams supporters aren't obsessed with the Demons like we are, therefore don't read every little sentence where our name is mentioned. I couldn't tell you half of what happens down at Geelong, I just look at the results, look at the ladder, watch the Grand Final and that's enough for me to know they are a great team.

Do yourself a favour B59, go down the local shopping centre and do your own version of Street Talk. I bet most of the people you talk to couldn't give a toss that we landed Clark, and if you showed them a photo of Neeld they'd have no idea who he was.

Havnt been interested by this topic,

Hutchy mentioned our supposed interest in Caddy, and if we stole a second deal fro ma rival Club it would be large

Shows how serious we are these days and are taking ourselves

Barret agreed

I dont care how people see us to be honest, its all about MFC to me

Well smart ass, if you re-read my post, I clearly said they don't read "articles". Publishing the scores in a paper isn't an expert throwing their spin on things, it tells a clear picture.

If someone reads the score sheet and sees the MFC getting flogged by 31 goals, they wont need to read what Sheehan or Fat Robbo write, they'll have their own perception. And further to this, people actually watch most games every week, even if it isn't their team. They will gain an opinion/perception of how a team is playing by bloody watching them!

You may find it hard to believe, but other teams supporters aren't obsessed with the Demons like we are, therefore don't read every little sentence where our name is mentioned. I couldn't tell you half of what happens down at Geelong, I just look at the results, look at the ladder, watch the Grand Final and that's enough for me to know they are a great team.

Do yourself a favour B59, go down the local shopping centre and do your own version of Street Talk. I bet most of the people you talk to couldn't give a toss that we landed Clark, and if you showed them a photo of Neeld they'd have no idea who he was.

Street talk is an abberation of the human development. Not only , but its a contextual based novelty designed to showcase those that prove the human genome a very varied thing.

Those that are interested in footy have an opinion. Yet to meet one who doesnt. Amazingly you and similar folk all chest beat that you somehow develop an outlook on things footy and as such Melbourne by default of your followiing but all this is done in isolation of everything thats reported around you.

Enjoy your denial.

Street talk is an abberation of the human development. Not only , but its a contextual based novelty designed to showcase those that prove the human genome a very varied thing.

Those that are interested in footy have an opinion. Yet to meet one who doesnt. Amazingly you and similar folk all chest beat that you somehow develop an outlook on things footy and as such Melbourne by default of your followiing but all this is done in isolation of everything thats reported around you.

Enjoy your denial.

What the hell are you talking about?

Where do these people get their opinions from? DO you know for a fact that it's from reading what Sheehan thought of our performance, or is it from teh fact that they actually watched the game themselves and have their own views?

I have a perception about every football club in the league. I can assure you, this isn't created from reading articles about them, it's about what I see out on the field (or if I don't watch the match - I get results - not articles/opinions, from media sources), and what I've grown up seeing. Most people that I know that are interested in footy absolutely have an opinion. But this opinion is based on nothing but 2 things, 1. Results, then 2. The standard tag that we've had to deal with about us going to the snow.

Perhaps B59 if I, and folk like me that beat our chests, continue to say that we gain our own perceptions this way, maybe, just maybe that's what we do - ever stopped to think about it that way? If you need to read the opinions of the "experts" for you to gain a perception, then so be it, but most people I know aren't that sheltered.

I'll go one step further B59, let's talk about the non-footy followers. Every Monday morning when I go to work, as a general conversation starter, we'll talk about how Melbourne went on the weekend. Guess what...they don't read articles, they look at the score and that's how their perception is generated. We could lose by 10 points and have had 15 injuries, they wouldn't have a clue, their perception is "ah, the Demons lost again". Get my point?

I don't understand why you would think I'm in denial, I've never even been to Egypt. (Love this joke, and am glad I finally got to use it (kudos for the person that used it first on here!).

Edited October 17, 201113 yr by billy2803

What are you saying above BB59. Read it twice and have no idea!!

No matter what jimmy and the board do, our perception to outside supporters will not change until we Play in september and win serious finals. I daresay Davd Smorgan has worked really hard at improving the westies. Do i care or rate them? No i don't. Never have. Many people look at us the same way. At least we have 12 cups from a previous life.

What are you saying above BB59. Read it twice and have no idea!!

No matter what jimmy and the board do, our perception to outside supporters will not change until we Play in september and win serious finals. I daresay Davd Smorgan has worked really hard at improving the westies. Do i care or rate them? No i don't. Never have. Many people look at us the same way. At least we have 12 cups from a previous life.

And to help B59 understand what we are trying to tell him WYL, where did this perception (albeit quite minimal!) of yours in regards to the Bulldogs come from? Was it from reading the views of Sheehan, etc?

No it was from going to rhe western oval And watching footy replays actually. In '89 they were told to merge with fitzroy etc etc. The westies are battlers at best and may it continue. They must pay for '54.

No it was from going to rhe western oval And watching footy replays actually. In '89 they were told to merge with fitzroy etc etc. The westies are battlers at best and may it continue. They must pay for '54.

No problems WYL, you can come and beat your chest next to me! I don't think we'll be very lonely though!

No problems WYL, you can come and beat your chest next to me! I don't think we'll be very lonely though!

The media feed off perception yes. But i think the paying supporter be it at the ground or watching Foxtel makes the ultimate decision.

Many opposition supporters now dislike us immensly now because of our tanking of 08 & 09 thus we need to start climbing the ladder in 2012.