External Pressure

[Outside fifty 967]

Hi guy this is my first thread so go easy.

One of the more consistent themes that I pickup reading these forums is the notion that the media doesn't like us or has it in for us. I must confess I myself have come to pretty much the same conclusion after recent events. The football media seems to take unbridled joy in ripping us a new one at the slightest opportunity. A case in point being the criticism of Neeld using the "I" word too much in his first post match presser. This was a complete beat up orchestrated by a media pack more intent on creating stories than reporting facts. It did however make me think as to why the media likes to beat up on the MFC. Is it because we are an easy target that goes to pieces at the first signs of external pressure and is guaranteed to overreact, a case in point would be the way the Moloney affair was handled last year. The media hunted us down and we capitulated and overreacted in a way that a strong club would never do. Do we deserve to be kicked at every opportunity by a bullying media pack because we have in the past simply rolled over and accepted our fate. The media hunt in a pack and seek out the weak as their prey, are we that weak prey? Is it time the MFC closed ranks and presented a united front and stopped jumping at shadows.

[wmth 69]

Agree. There always appears to be an internal crisis when we have a dissappointing loss with rumours and low blows flying everywhere...a professionall, closed door approach is needed. Outside influences have affected us in the past and they shouldn't.

In short, we have been an easy media target for years. They find it easy to create a $%^& storm around us.

[btdemon 482]

Agree. There always appears to be an internal crisis when we have a dissappointing loss with rumours and low blows flying everywhere...a professionall, closed door approach is needed. Outside influences have affected us in the past and they shouldn't.

In short, we have been an easy media target for years. They find it easy to create a $%^& storm around us.

Pretty spot on i reckon. Hopefully the "new culture" will see us setting our own media agenda in the future.

[old dee 23,872]

Hi guy this is my first thread so go easy.

One of the more consistent themes that I pickup reading these forums is the notion that the media doesn't like us or has it in for us. I must confess I myself have come to pretty much the same conclusion after recent events. The football media seems to take unbridled joy in ripping us a new one at the slightest opportunity. A case in point being the criticism of Neeld using the "I" word too much in his first post match presser. This was a complete beat up orchestrated by a media pack more intent on creating stories than reporting facts. It did however make me think as to why the media likes to beat up on the MFC. Is it because we are an easy target that goes to pieces at the first signs of external pressure and is guaranteed to overreact, a case in point would be the way the Moloney affair was handled last year. The media hunted us down and we capitulated and overreacted in a way that a strong club would never do. Do we deserve to be kicked at every opportunity by a bullying media pack because we have in the past simply rolled over and accepted our fate. The media hunt in a pack and seek out the weak as their prey, are we that weak prey? Is it time the MFC closed ranks and presented a united front and stopped jumping at shadows.

Have you considered that reason the media gets into us is because we make ourselves easy targets.

Our actions over years have hardly been good.

Take 2011 for example, The VC is out [censored] the night after a game. The lead up to the 186 game. Coach is sacked over the phone. the Ceo is dropped on a Friday and reappointed two days later. A report is commissioned and the findings never released. No.1 Draft pick leaves after two years. The list goes on and with the media's need to fill hours of radio, Tv and Newspaper columns we provided them with lots of stories.

Also Remember bad news sells good news is ho hum.

IMO they do not hate the MFC we just give them way to much material.

eg. If the MFC had beaten the Third worse team in 2011 on saturday none of the last 48 hours would be in the media.

Again IMO this is a classic case of shooting the messenger.

[Guest Jackie]

Our recent record on and off field is worthy of scorn and ridicule. But we have been media groupies too and all too compliant to play the media game with spin and publicity seeking. Reap what you sow. There was nothing much more irritating than seeing Dean Bailey on TV or the papers every other day explaining why some one broke wind at the club.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Jackie

[hardtack 10,627]

I think that as Dees supporters we have been down so long we are all so well balanced that we have a chip on each shoulder.

When the media get stuck into us, it is generally warranted (not always, but generally) and I would argue that they also rally behind us from time to time... for example, the debt demolition got a lot of positive coverage, Trengove's sling tackle got a lot of supportive coverage as did the Jurrah case.

I would say that all in all, the media coverage tends to balance out in terms of unnecessary hammerings and supportive articles.

[Arsene Wenger 72]

Woe is me, the media always picks on us...

In reality, the media always swoops on any club in a crisis - we just happen to be in crises more often than not.

[Outside fifty 967]

Have you considered that reason the media gets into us is because we make ourselves easy targets.

Our actions over years have hardly been good.

Take 2011 for example, The VC is out [censored] the night after a game. The lead up to the 186 game. Coach is sacked over the phone. the Ceo is dropped on a Friday and reappointed two days later. A report is commissioned and the findings never released. No.1 Draft pick leaves after two years. The list goes on and with the media's need to fill hours of radio, Tv and Newspaper columns we provided them with lots of stories.

Also Remember bad news sells good news is ho hum.

IMO they do not hate the MFC we just give them way to much material.

eg. If the MFC had beaten the Third worse team in 2011 on saturday none of the last 48 hours would be in the media.

Again IMO this is a classic case of shooting the messenger.

This is the exact point I am making. Granted I have no time for todays media but the problem stems from us being victims of our own making.

We make ourselves the target because of our actions. The media will beat up on the easiest target and right now that is us. At the moment there is no doubt IMO that the media is hunting us down and all i'm saying is it's time this club stood strong for once. The best way to put out a fire is deny it oxygen. Once the media can't feed off our incompetence they will turn their attention to the next weakest club. As for the media being simply the messenger this is a naive view of modern day media practices. Unfortunately the media now instigates news as much as reports news.

[old dee 23,872]

This is the exact point I am making. Granted I have no time for todays media but the problem stems from us being victims of our own making.

We make ourselves the target because of our actions. The media will beat up on the easiest target and right now that is us. At the moment there is no doubt IMO that the media is hunting us down and all i'm saying is it's time this club stood strong for once. The best way to put out a fire is deny it oxygen. Once the media can't feed off our incompetence they will turn their attention to the next weakest club. As for the media being simply the messenger this is a naive view of modern day media practices. Unfortunately the media now instigates news as much as reports news.

That line may be true OF but it does not alter the fact they we give them plenty, they do not need to make up news about the MFC

We give them mountains of crap to work with.

[Mono 455]

It was only a few years ago that Melbourne was everyone's second club; everyone seemed to have a soft spot for us.

Not now. 3+ years of Bailey (bruise free footy, tanking, 20? early draft picks, grandstanding, stupid delistings, silly selections). We are now viewed with contempt.

The football world has turned on us, and is ridiculing us. Hard to defend at the moment.

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

It was only a few years ago that Melbourne was everyone's second club; everyone seemed to have a soft spot for us.

Not now. 3+ years of Bailey (bruise free footy, tanking, 20? early draft picks, grandstanding, stupid delistings, silly selections). We are now viewed with contempt.

The football world has turned on us, and is ridiculing us. Hard to defend at the moment.

I argue they still do have a soft spot for us. Rarely do I hear another club supporter say they hate us.

And I'm willing to bet that is because they don't respect us. We are the easy beats- the push-overs, the non-threats.

All the media attention (and I'll admit we are in the paper just about every day) is well deserved. We have been the best part of a rabble for years.

A FOJ sponsor would get great coverage out of us.. just like how sponsors jump for joy when their formula 1 car hits a wall- if it doesn't come first they still get air time.

Yipee

[old dee 23,872]

I argue they still do have a soft spot for us. Rarely do I hear another club supporter say they hate us.

And I'm willing to bet that is because they don't respect us. We are the easy beats- the push-overs, the non-threats.

All the media attention (and I'll admit we are in the paper just about every day) is well deserved. We have been the best part of a rabble for years.

A FOJ sponsor would get great coverage out of us.. just like how sponsors jump for joy when their formula 1 car hits a wall- if it doesn't come first they still get air time.

Yipee

I agree SMF

I would love to be hated.

I live for the day ever other supporter hates us because we are ruthless, brutal, win at all costs and take no prisoners.

In other words hawthorn.

I do not want to be liked let alone pitied.

Edited April 3, 2012 by old dee

[drdrake 3,187]

When you keep giving ammunition to someone they are going to shoot. We are easy targets for the media because our onfield performance has been unacceptable for the last 2 years. 2010 we should great progress, we should have beat the premiership team twice smash Sydney. 2011 was a huge disappointment wew deserved every whack we got

[Range Rover 1,935]

Play good footy, run a quality organization off the ground, and the media will have very little to stick their knives into.

It's that simple really.