Well said Dr. G. We the supporters paid off the clubs massive debt, and have bought record memberships in the last 5 yers.

I didn't cause the debt, but i pitched in. I call that most positive.

Time for the club to excite the fans in the grandstand. Stop gloating about the past and play now.

Fantastic & its fantastic we all pitched in when needed. But sadly, thats not enough in AFL 2012. The "job" is only half done. If it is to be its up to me! Its your choice - no big deal to me.

Supporters should be able to call it as we see it.

I don't see where denial gets us anywhere.

We are serial underperformers

The truth....can it set us free?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yB7J7DYi6M

edit: link and spelling

Plus we have more injuries than any other club and I'm betting we will come home like a steam train

RTG Why is it such a crime to acknowledge we are a bottom four side?

O.D. I actually wish our CEO would say that, just once rather than banging on about how wonderful things are, & will be.

Say it as a reference point. "Right now we are crud & have been for decades" it's always to warm & cosy inside the MFC.

Besides buying a membership, raffle tickets, going to functions, buying jumpers etc, buying sponsors products, going to games and being positive year in year out I am not sure what more i could have done over the last 40 years.

I am really tired of it is the Supporters defeatist attitude that is the root cause of poor results, there were at least 25 000 members at the first game cheering them on, funny we got done by 8 goals

Do you really think that the players performance is effected by a few people on Demonland complaining that their ability is below good.

We truely are screwed if that is true.

You can make an effort to not make it even more unbearable to be a melbourne supporter.

Listening to that bloody incessant whinging drives people away.

From the games, from supporter events, from supporting the club in general.

It's not the sole reason, but it contributes to making the club WEAKER and you seem none the wiser.

I have an idea.

Lets get ourselves a headkicking coach with a mandate to change the culture of the club, put in place a new LG, demand physical excellence and generally lift the bar and expectations of the playing group.

I know what you're getting at here Dan. But I have a simple request for someone who is going to the ground on Saturday. If the unthinkable is happening (ie Richmond is kicking our arse), can you please keep an eye on our two captains to see what their body language is like? I will be watching on TV, so won't see much of it. I'm hoping you will see a lot of encouragement, especially after we kick a goal (that goes for defenders too), and I'm hoping we won't see any heads dropped. Cheers in advance.

Now that I think about it, does anybody remember Balmes edict to handball and handball and players would handball from the centre square to all the way back to the goal square only to lose it, goal resulting.

Now that was bad.

I know what you're getting at here Dan. But I have a simple request for someone who is going to the ground on Saturday. If the unthinkable is happening (ie Richmond is kicking our arse), can you please keep an eye on our two captains to see what their body language is like? I will be watching on TV, so won't see much of it. I'm hoping you will see a lot of encouragement, especially after we kick a goal (that goes for defenders too), and I'm hoping we won't see any heads dropped. Cheers in advance.

What exactly are you trying to say here?

Fantastic & its fantastic we all pitched in when needed. But sadly, thats not enough in AFL 2012. The "job" is only half done. If it is to be its up to me! Its your choice - no big deal to me.

So answer the question i posed to your body double.

What is it that you propose us supporters still need to do. I want to see and hear your magic formula?

Reveal it Doc. You have been ramming it down the Demonland throat for about 4 weeks now.

What exactly are you trying to say here?

That I live interstate, I won't be at the game, and would like to know if our new captains are doing the little things that I mentioned.

Wasn't that hard to work out was it?

You can make an effort to not make it even more unbearable to be a melbourne supporter.

Listening to that bloody incessant whinging drives people away.

From the games, from supporter events, from supporting the club in general.

It's not the sole reason, but it contributes to making the club WEAKER and you seem none the wiser.

I could equally say that your constant acceptance of whatever is dished up keeps us at the bottom.

As this topic seems to have a lot of posts raising the issue of time and long suffering supporters (of which I am definitely one), should it not be renamed to:

"Requiem for a Heavy Wait"?

O.D. I actually wish our CEO would say that, just once rather than banging on about how wonderful things are, & will be.

Say it as a reference point. "Right now we are crud & have been for decades" it's always to warm & cosy inside the MFC.

If he said that You would be calling for his head. If the CEO can't be positive who can. Supporters on this site???

You're kidding me.

I could equally say that your constant acceptance of whatever is dished up keeps us at the bottom.

I don't accept it any more than you do.

You just moan about it incessantly.

That I live interstate, I won't be at the game, and would like to know if our new captains are doing the little things that I mentioned.

Wasn't that hard to work out was it?

It sounds like you're accusing our captains of dropping their heads.

It doesn't make sense to me why you'd even ask the question.

Suppose they do - what is then your solution?

What you say has some merit.

I constantly hear supporters say "be patient? We've waited long enough!"

But have they?

I bet they've been saying just that, and trotting out the same defeatist attitude for 40+ years.

None of which does anything to help the MFC.

And I agree, it would drive other supporters away from the club or into apathy, making us weaker and weaker again...

I just wish they'd show some bloody backbone, exactly like they demand from our players.

I agree that the whole "woe is me, this club owes me" crowd do get very tedious. However, those that are the noisiest about their displeasure about poor performances probably are more passionate and will stick around. If the playing group don't perform that will drive people away more than anything else.

If I may be indulgent - I am unemployed at this point in time & am no longer a student - needless to say, money is tight & I am dipping into savings - I forked out $310 for a membership (8 years consecutive). During the game I was wondering about getting a refund and felt irate at the same old crap going on again - very human emotions. I love the club but there is a financial & opportunity cost in myself being so emotionally invested. This isn't a sob story about how the club is ruining me etc but the fact is that if the current trends continue there is little point in me being a member because I don't derive much benefit from it & it takes 5 hours out of the day that could be better spent. From a financial POV there is currently more benefit in me forking out $34 more for 200% more games for an AFL membership where the club would only receive half of the money.

There must be many other people who feel quite similarly.

If we can't secure and keep a sponsor and start serving up some decent performances (hey those two things could be related......we should look into that) then I don't expect this great club to be around. sad but that's how it works. Serial underperformers with poor finances don't survive anywhere

It sounds like you're accusing our captains of dropping their heads.

It doesn't make sense to me why you'd even ask the question.

Suppose they do - what is then your solution?

Ah, Jose, generally the most accurate words are those that are written, not the ones we think are hidden.

Earlier in this thread, I mentioned body language being a very important thing to change. I believe if we can change our negative body language, which is often on display when one observes Rivers closely, then it's a start in this culture change that we are hoping to see at the Club. But, we can't expect some players to do it if the blokes at the top (captains) don't do it, the old "follow the leader" thing.

If he said that You would be calling for his head. If the CEO can't be positive who can. Supporters on this site???

You're kidding me.

No i would certainly not. This club has been deflecting the truth for way too long.

Harsh honesty can be very effective when used at the right time.

And yes i do love this club. But its balls have been retracted long enough.

I agree that the whole "woe is me, this club owes me" crowd do get very tedious. However, those that are the noisiest about their displeasure about poor performances probably are more passionate and will stick around. If the playing group don't perform that will drive people away more than anything else.

If I may be indulgent - I am unemployed at this point in time & am no longer a student - needless to say, money is tight & I am dipping into savings - I forked out $310 for a membership (8 years consecutive). During the game I was wondering about getting a refund and felt irate at the same old crap going on again - very human emotions. I love the club but there is a financial & opportunity cost in myself being so emotionally invested. This isn't a sob story about how the club is ruining me etc but the fact is that if the current trends continue there is little point in me being a member because I don't derive much benefit from it & it takes 5 hours out of the day that could be better spent. From a financial POV there is currently more benefit in me forking out $34 more for 200% more games for an AFL membership where the club would only receive half of the money.

There must be many other people who feel quite similarly.

Right. Well, I can sympathise with that.

But I simply don't understand those who claim to support the club, but then spend all their time beating everyone else over the head with a defeatist attitude and take any chance to stick the boot into their own club.

I really can't see what they get out of it, but I do see the effect it has on others who have to hear it.

Right. Well, I can sympathise with that.

But I simply don't understand those who claim to support the club, but then spend all their time beating everyone else over the head with a defeatist attitude and take any chance to stick the boot into their own club.

I really can't see what they get out of it, but I do see the effect it has on others who have to hear it.

When the club is playing VFL standard football after 4 years of a "rebuild" i have no problems with passionate supporters having a vent. As Jimmy C says many of us sacrifice time and $$$ to go and support the Demons. The supporters who do make noise are the ones who do care. The quiet ones have walked.

Still waiting for the magic formula you have been spouting re "The Buy in"....?

If we can't secure and keep a sponsor and start serving up some decent performances (hey those two things could be related......we should look into that) then I don't expect this great club to be around. sad but that's how it works. Serial underperformers with poor finances don't survive anywhere

Ain't that the truth

You can make an effort to not make it even more unbearable to be a melbourne supporter.

Listening to that bloody incessant whinging drives people away.

From the games, from supporter events, from supporting the club in general.

It's not the sole reason, but it contributes to making the club WEAKER and you seem none the wiser.

LOL - so its because of frustrated supporters venting their spleen that 10K members from last year are yet to resign? Get a grip on reality man!

I think supporters are allowed to feel whatever way they are feeling.

If they are disappointed, then they are disappointed.

It also nonsense that we, as supporters, beget these pathetic displays by our team with any 'infectious hopelessness.'

Look at the depression of Demonland after Rd 1, 2010 - the team then came out and played a great game against the eventual premiers.

If the boys show some heart, we will be heartened.

Jimmi C: