Melbourne Football Club Commencement Dinner

[Whispering_Jack 31,131]

Hundreds of Demons including greats Ron Barassi, Jim Stynes and Robbie Flower at this great function. All players* were presented with their club blazers and I'm lucky enough to be on a table with Jack Grimes and Max Gawn. Liam Jurrah is here after a tough week - he's back in training but needs time for the wrist to heal.

* one player missed - Neville Jetta who had ankle surgery today.

[Dr. Mubutu 867]

Are they all getting blazers, or just current players?

[Matt Demon 1,571]

Jack & Jack

http://yfrog.com/ocm1pbwj

[Redleg 41,946]

I'll probably get howled down for this, but I don't like the blazer. They look like English private school boys. I would have preferred no red trim.

[biggestred 5,239]

Redleg. You hit the nail on the head

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

Let just hope they start the season with all guns blazing!

[Diablo Deemon 220]

How is Jim haven't heard much since his retirement from the board?

Hope he is doing well give him all our best.

[rpfc 28,906]

I don't mind the blazers.

We all get ribbing from fans of other clubs for our blue blood history, but it is our history - we can't change it.

We may as well embrace it.

Otherwise we are letting other people define who we are and who we were.

That may be quite a bit to read into blazers...

[old dee 24,003]

I don't mind the blazers.

We all get ribbing from fans of other clubs for our blue blood history, but it is our history - we can't change it.

We may as well embrace it.

Otherwise we are letting other people define who we are and who we were.

That may be quite a bit to read into blazers...

Glad you like them rpfc

I detest them, they make us look like we are stuck in the first half of the 20th century.

Relics from a by gone age

[Goodvibes 3,596]

I think we should bring the stitching back into our jersey while we're at it.

[old dee 24,003]

No announcement yet on the missing sponsor?

[Sir Why You Little 37,308]

Those Blazers remind me of my short stint at Brighton Grammar. Not a memory i want.

Oh dear.

[Jaded No More 68,975]

They only remind you of school uniform because of the tie.

If the tie was all navy, they would look good, although I still maintain that the intertwined MFC old- school logo embroidered onto the breast pocket would have looked better. They should have also added waist flap pockets with the red grosgrain to make it less 'traditional' and thus less 'school boy'.

And embossed silver buttons.

Must resist temptation to redesign everything.

[Sir Why You Little 37,308]

They only remind you of school uniform because of the tie.

If the tie was all navy, they would look good, although I still maintain that the intertwined MFC old- school logo embroidered onto the breast pocket would have looked better. They should have also added waist flap pockets with the red grosgrain to make it less 'traditional' and thus less 'school boy'.

And embossed silver buttons.

Must resist temptation to redesign everything.

No they remind me of Brighton Grammar because they are very very similar to the 70's Brighton Grammar Blazer.

Too close!!

[demoniac 1,337]

I like the Blazer. Yep its traditional. So are we.There is a great story to underpin it. We've got more tradition than Eddie has chins and in recent years we've finally started to own it and leverage it.

[biggestred 5,239]

Interview with al clarkson on afl360. Had this horrible brown hawks blazer behind him.

Am now a huge fan of ours!

[Whispering_Jack 31,131]

Are they all getting blazers, or just current players?

Current players, past captains and a few others including Jim.

[Sir Why You Little 37,308]

Interview with al clarkson on afl360. Had this horrible brown hawks blazer behind him.

Am now a huge fan of ours!

The MFC Blazer will look sensational compared to that!! No probs!!

[bing181 9,425]

It's just branding and marketing - it's about what they mean (or come to), not what they look like. And if they come to be a millstone round our necks, that'll be as a result of the performances of the people who've been wearing them, not the item itself.

From the tweets, players seem positive.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Jim was there and was looking quite frail, he didn't stay all that long but it was great to see him make it.

Neeld was very good and said that it's ok for the AFL to trial things but not the coach he said next year he won't trial anything if that's the way they want it. I think he was having a shot at the fans and press that criticize our game on Saturday.

He also said he was asked by three journalists today if we were training the players too hard and found it hard to understand why they didn't ask the same question after they won in Brisbane or after they beat collingwood last week.

BTW I won first prize in the raffle.

[H_T 3,049]

It's just branding and marketing - it's about what they mean (or come to), not what they look like. And if they come to be a millstone round our necks, that'll be as a result of the performances of the people who've been wearing them, not the item itself.

From the tweets, players seem positive.

Absolutely, despite the negativity, the players would get a kick out of them. And may I say.....we are Melbourne. Melbournefc.

The others can go jump. This is part of our brand and what we stand for. Ciao Demetriou.

Like Jaded's suggestions and well done to RobbieF on winning the raffle first prize.

[old dee 24,003]

I like the Blazer. Yep its traditional. So are we.There is a great story to underpin it. We've got more tradition than Eddie has chins and in recent years we've finally started to own it and leverage it.

The tradition that interests me is the one out on the ground it is called "winning the game"

That tradition we seem to have forgtten about the last five years.

Can we get that tradition back please?

[old dee 24,003]

Jim was there and was looking quite frail, he didn't stay all that long but it was great to see him make it.

Neeld was very good and said that it's ok for the AFL to trial things but not the coach he said next year he won't trial anything if that's the way they want it. I think he was having a shot at the fans and press that criticize our game on Saturday.

He also said he was asked by three journalists today if we were training the players too hard and found it hard to understand why they didn't ask the same question after they won in Brisbane or after they beat collingwood last week.

BTW I won first prize in the raffle.

Welcome to the world of a senior coach Mr Neeld

Now you know why MM used to get the S..ts

Great start to 2012 RobbieF I hope your luck continues.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

How is Jim haven't heard much since his retirement from the board?

Hope he is doing well give him all our best.

It looks like that's Jimma in the background of this photo: http://yfrog.com/ocm1pbwj

Great to see that he's still able to get out to these sorts of events. Definitely the most dedicated person to the MFC that I have seen.

[hardtack 10,861]

The tradition that interests me is the one out on the ground it is called "winning the game"

That tradition we seem to have forgtten about the last five years.

Can we get that tradition back please?

Judging by the player comments going out into the twittersphere, they seem to like the blazers (I assume if they didn't like them they would say nothing) - if this sort of tradition instills some pride and a sense of history in the players, then hopefully that will be reflected in their performances on-field. Winning is definitely not a tradition, and with the size of the competition now, the game is becoming more competitive and winning is becoming harder and harder; so anything that can give you an edge (psychological or otherwise) is a good thing imo.