I accept this for the money and the experience it brings MFC and the team- however like others have said I worry about the week after.

We should get a bye, but I also understand why a bye shouldn't be handed to us on a silver platter.

I'd rather have Geelong down at skilled after a Darwin match- they are always penciled in as a big "L" anyway.

When we are as strong as Collingwood and have the support and the draw to average 80,000 people to our home games - we won't have to sell games.

But until then...

Funny ...I thought wed just jettisoned the manner of acting like second stringers. Thought we looked to be taken seriously. Quite frankly no ones whos serious in this competition will go there.for a 4 pt game..

There are no round by round byes anymore in2012.. the only break occurs mid season and wont in all likelyhood coincide with our venture north. We'll probably be stuffed or flat for the folliwing week..

yeah ..great idea.

Sorry..this is a backward step for Melbourne after many positve strides forward

It sucks that we have to do this, and I really look forward to the day we don't have to sell home games. But looking at this "glass half full":

- Great $$$$, which we still definitely need

- We keep building a presence in a different location

- We continue building good will towards the club with the fact that our indigenous players really embrace the match, and the players are in turn embraced by the locals. (Just think about how the crowd reacted every time LJ got the ball!)

The cons are obvious, but hopefully the AFL will give us a bye the following week, but the doggies are getting a game up there as well so we may be in competition to have that.

I accept this for the money and the experience it brings MFC and the team- however like others have said I worry about the week after.

We should get a bye, but I also understand why a bye shouldn't be handed to us on a silver platter.

I'd rather have Geelong down at skilled after a Darwin match- they are always penciled in as a big "L" anyway.

We've rarely won 2 games in a row in the last 5 years so I'm not so sure it's a Darwin thing anyway

I hear the whole "saps you're energy bit" but I don't buy it .

We've been a club in the last 5 years that gets the odd win and we all know what happens then ..............

Neeld and his crew will change the mentality

It sucks that we have to do this, and I really look forward to the day we don't have to sell home games. But looking at this "glass half full":

- Great $$$$, which we still definitely need

- We keep building a presence in a different location

- We continue building good will towards the club with the fact that our indigenous players really embrace the match, and the players are in turn embraced by the locals. (Just think about how the crowd reacted every time LJ got the ball!)

The cons are obvious, but hopefully the AFL will give us a bye the following week, but the doggies are getting a game up there as well so we may be in competition to have that.

there are no byes

thers only a mid season split, byes only occured so prevalently in 2011 as result of 17 teams..there are now 18

It does sap your energy though, that's not a furphy- that's cold hard (or hot muggy) fact.

It does sap your energy though, that's not a furphy- that's cold hard (or hot muggy) fact.

very much so. I find it worrisome to a degree that its being so easily dismissed or overlooked.

The Darwin game will in actuallity impact the next two.

The mid-season break is split over 3 rounds though with 6 games each weekend. While it could be possible for us and the Dogs to both play there and have a week off it would mean Port playing there two weeks in a row which probably wouldn't happen.

It does sap your energy though, that's not a furphy- that's cold hard (or hot muggy) fact.

Fair enough - I just don't like excuses - esp in advance .

If you are right and it does sap the players energy too much , I still reckon you just get on with it .

Funny ...I thought wed just jettisoned the manner of acting like second stringers. Thought we looked to be taken seriously. Quite frankly no ones whos serious in this competition will go there.for a 4 pt game..

There are no round by round byes anymore in2012.. the only break occurs mid season and wont in all likelyhood coincide with our venture north. We'll probably be stuffed or flat for the folliwing week..

yeah ..great idea.

Sorry..this is a backward step for Melbourne after many positve strides forward

Yes, it isn't great but if we want to have an FD as large as it is to push these talented kids and win a flag we are going to have to find more revenue in the short term.

We will lose money from a 15k game at the G against PA, or we can get the $500k for a game in Darwin.

Sacrifices have to be made, and maybe in the future we won't have to make them but until then...

we dont lose on any game at the G.. Were guaranteed a return these days through the MCC arrangement with the AFL

we dont lose on any game at the G.. Were guaranteed a return these days through the MCC arrangement with the AFL

I thought that $100k was simply 'on top of' any return that we would normally see (or pay...)?

Anyway if the difference is $400k then it is a sizable amount of money.

Edited October 21, 201114 yr by rpfc

would it really be 400 after expenses ??

I sense theres a false economy about al this. Does the actual return outweigh the down?

I just dont think it does in the regular season.

what price 4pts ?.. esp if that was the dif between 9th and 8th ?

my understand also is that its a 100k over whatever. So if we still got a smal lreturn form Port at the G we stil lget the 100 on top.. Happy to be corrected.

Edited October 21, 201114 yr by belzebub59

would it really be 400 after expenses ??

I sense theres a false economy about al this. Does the actual return outweigh the down?

I just dont think it does in the regular season.

what price 4pts ?.. esp if that was the dif between 9th and 8th ?

Of course there is a false economy. As points don't get you any money directly.

But this is where we are.

The point is valid.

The same with the trip down to Casey once a week or in summer, does that hurt the recovery of the fellas? To be stuck in a car for the trip from Casey to Brighton?

But we are in Casey because we have to be. Maybe that's why we are in Darwin?

Im not quite there with your analogy of Casey lol.

I simply dont like the Darwin deal. id be interested to know how many of the players actually rate it as a great idea. They after all are the ones doing the work

Boo frikkin Hoo. We have a whole week to recover from the game. With Misson now involved, i wouldn't be surprised to see us play almost unaffected the week after.

It's all about rest and recovery, yes. Just don't have training the week after. Do reviews and everything, but surely a week off of training isn't going to hinder us.

Im not quite there with your analogy of Casey lol.

I simply dont like the Darwin deal. id be interested to know how many of the players actually rate it as a great idea. They after all are the ones doing the work

Well, the players I am sure would prefer to just have the AAMI base and forget about driving over an hour to get back and from Casey to train.

We have embraced this place as apart of our future but the benefits on the players would have a slight adverse affect I am sure.

You make sacrifices now to make sure you don't have to make sacrifices in the future.

Sorry I just dont buy into the Casey base as being any real hardship on anyone. Its a small drive , millions do it daily ( a small drive )

I dont see Casey as any ofrm of sacrifice at all. Many teams ( of many codes ) in the modern era have accessed training facilites not necessaily in their back yard..i,.e a smal trip somewhere.

. There hardly an argument to be had that it impacts on fitness, or any of valid criteria. If some diddums has to get out of bed a little earlier to earn his massive moula, so be it.Weve all been over this time and time again..its a furphy

A gruelling sap sucking body wrenching game in Darwin , at the wrong time of year is a far far different beast. This not only has ramifications on the individual , but also the team and its possible outocme for the year... all for some bullion.

You make sacrifices you have to make.. I question whether this is such a one.

Sorry I just dont buy into the Casey base as being any real hardship on anyone. Its a small drive , millions do it daily ( a small drive )

I dont see Casey as any ofrm of sacrifice at all. Many teams ( of many codes ) in the modern era have accessed training facilites not necessaily in their back yard..i,.e a smal trip somewhere.

. There hardly an argument to be had that it impacts on fitness, or any of valid criteria. If some diddums has to get out of bed a little earlier to earn his massive moula, so be it.Weve all been over this time and time again..its a furphy

A gruelling sap sucking body wrenching game in Darwin , at the wrong time of year is a far far different beast. This not only has ramifications on the individual , but also the team and its possible outocme for the year... all for some bullion.

You make sacrifices you have to make.. I question whether this is such a one.

Collingwood have the one base...

yep..just a stroll in the park to Arizona huh

yep..just a stroll in the park to Arizona huh

And they can afford the luxuries like that too!

But they have the one base and the ideal scenario would be for us to just use the AAMI base.

We don't, and we have good reason to forego the benefits of that one base to also have a base in Casey.

We have made sacrifices that hurt our chanes of winning games to shore up our future and we will continue to do so.

We dont run down to Casey every day..Honestly, its not a big ask, nor is it really anything of an impost.

My point is imply playing Darwin does more harm than good and as such is detrimental. Others, you , dont agree. Fine.

So much is made to enhance the opportunity and ability to win. This seems to fly in the face of that.

We dont run down to Casey every day..Honestly, its not a big ask, nor is it really anything of an impost.

My point is imply playing Darwin does more harm than good and as such is detrimental. Others, you , dont agree. Fine.

So much is made to enhance the opportunity and ability to win. This seems to fly in the face of that.

It's not black and white for me.

I don't want us to play there.

Current circumstances dictate we play there.

I would disagree that they 'dictate' anything. This is a decision , therefore a choice. Theyre going, so be it. I think its a bad idea. Preseason, in the Silly cup; fine. Not during the season proper.

I would disagree that they 'dictate' anything. This is a decision , therefore a choice. Theyre going, so be it. I think its a bad idea. Preseason, in the Silly cup; fine. Not during the season proper.

We have increased spending by $15m in two years according to Cam Schwab.

We need to fin d the money for that.

We cannot find it without a dramatic increase in gate takings or membership so we do this.

It's a sacrifice the times require.