Some serious consideations for our club regarding a strong supporter base:

Have a look at your local NAB Auskick and you will see 1 young Melbourne supporter in a crowd of 100 kids

Die-hard, long suffering supporters of my generation are struggling to keep our kids supporting Melbourne

We have no superstars except Liam Jurrah who is injured.

Although Webjet has come on board, we have no back-of-jumper sponsor

When my boys talk footy with their frinds they talk Judd, Ablett, Betts, Daisy Thomas - no Melbourne player within Cooee

WE can't win and are really poor at the moment.

If something doesn't change on field soon...

We need something to click, somethig to work, something to celebrate, something to get excite about. And we need it soon.

Edited April 14, 201213 yr by Maldonboy38

My neice is just over a week old. My brother signed her up as a member but tonight he said to me what the hell have I done to her. I said hopefully by the time she is aware of the footy we will be over our rebuilding and will actually start to win.

I agree though. We dont have a superstar and dont know why when other clubs can get draft picks and theres turns out well.

Agreed. We have an aging supporter base. Many of our supporters are children of the fifties and sixties who had trouble getting their kids to support the dees in the seventies and eighties. Any who did end up supporting us are having trouble getting their kids to support this new breed of hopeless Melbourne sides. We've already lost one generation of supporters and we're about to lose another two through age and (yet again) poor performance.

Edited April 14, 201213 yr by Chook

I am looking at young kids now and thinking "get out now, while you can- give yourself a shot at enjoying footy..." and it terrifies me, because I would probably give that advice to my kids if I had any.

We are in danger of losing a whole generation of supporters. Yeah, it scares the shi! out of me.

Right now, Howe is the only X-factor we have. Jurrah being injured and speculation on his future hurts our appeal. Davey being finished- no small zipy forward ala betts, no excitement, no flair, no pace. We are bland and drab. And we lose, all the time.

Who would want to follow us? We've been doing it all our lives and are duty bound too. It's wearing thin for us FFS!

Yeah it's a very tough one I'm 32 years old have been a mad Melbourne supporter since my dad took me to the 1987 final. I have 3 kids all of which I signed up as Melbourne members from birth. My wife is passionate Carlton but understanding my live for the dees happily let me do so.

My eldest daughter now 10 gave up/lost interest in us 4 years ago and is now a bulldogs supporter (well after tonight she is thinking of following Carlton with her mum)

My second daughter now 7 has no interest in watching Melbourne or any of there players she wants to follow Richmond (this started last year)

My son 2 years old I have not signed up again just yet I probably will just not a high priority right now but I would love for him to want to barrack for Melbourne but geez gonna be tough to keep him onside!

I have a few nieces and nephews that are Carlton and collingwood who constantly hang it on my kids for following the dees.

My 7 year also said tonight "dad did you know in my class no one barracks for Melbourne" I said really and she said "actually dad I don't know anyone at my school that barracks for Melbourne" very sad indeed

Sadly I'm with many in this thread - my youngest today after the game informed me I "now barrack for Hawthorn - Dad". However, after dinner tonight she is 50/50 but if we dont turn this around soon she is gone.

This is what worries me the most I think when we're talking the longevity of the club, and is why I think another period of prolonged failure on the field would be fatal. The supporter base is dwindling as it is. People aren't putting up with it any longer themselves, let alone encouraging their kids to support.

The advent of large supporter bases came from the seventies with TV...unfortunately its about our worst period ever and that hurt us.

We need an x-factor and superstar to get neutral kids interested. I grew up int eh 70s and watched us get smashed alot, but we came good, and we will again. My oldest is 5 and went to the eagles game with me last week. enjoys it but doesn't understand what is really going with scoring which is good.

But she gets excited sitting with the dee members over here. BUt she loves melbourne to the extent that we Australia is playing in the cricket she says "Melbourne" has scored some runs etc.

As for Auskick, those kids like some here will change allegiance a few times depending on stars and premierships, the interesting thing is its harder now for a single team to stay on top now, unlike the 50s,60s,70s and 80s to build a huge supporter base in a generation.

Kids getting bullied for following Melbourne? Not uncommon either. It's sickening.

Kids getting bullied for following Melbourne? Not uncommon either. It's sickening.

Happened to me at school.

I know it's how it is, but Melbourne or bust unfortunately. My sister tried to switch to Carlton which just made me even more passionate. I wonder why I put myself through it...

Kids getting bullied for following Melbourne? Not uncommon either. It's sickening.

I don't worry about it too much. If you're not bullied for what team you barrack for, I'm sure the kids'll find something else to hang sh*t on you for. Your name, your haircut, how big your house is; whatever. Everyone (except the popular 10% - which I was certainly not a part of) goes through it at some stage.

Unless this spineless organization does not turn its fortunes around soon. And i mean real soon. We will be remembered as nothing more than Fitzroy 2.

Happened to me at school.

I know it's how it is, but Melbourne or bust unfortunately. My sister tried to switch to Carlton which just made me even more passionate. I wonder why I put myself through it...

Haha happened to me aswell! I was lucky I could say the names 'Garry Lyon' and 'Jim Stynes' to the football bullies and they quickly shut up because they wished they had them in their side. Sadly now we do not as of yet have anyone the opposition is jealous of us having!

A couple of weeks ago Cameron Schwab posted on this site, saying that he keeps "an eye on Demonland as part of maintaining a feel for what our people are talking about."

I hope he reads this thread and takes heed of the sentiment being expressed because it's very worrying in terms of the future of the club.

I think we have no choice back to back Neeld as he walks on the razor's edge of changing the club culture and the cost of more pain for the supporters.

But what we should demand of our CEO in return is blunt honesty and not to guild the lily in any way shape or form. The time for spin and fluff talk to Melbourne supporters is over.

Edited April 14, 201213 yr by Range Rover

A couple of weeks ago Cameron Schwab posted on this site, saying that he keeps "an eye on Demonland as part of maintaining a feel for what our people are talking about."

I hope he reads this thread and takes heed of the sentiment being expressed because it's very worrying in terms of the future of the club.

I think we have no choice back to back Neeld as he walks on the razors edge of changing the club culture and the cost of more pain for the supporters.

But what we should demand of our CEO in return is blunt honesty and not to guild the lily in any way shape or form. The time for spin and fluff talk to Melbourne supporters is over.

Here Here.

Pathetic fear-mongering.

Absolutely embarrassing.

Pathetic fear-mongering.

Absolutely embarrassing.

No it is not. That is the root problem.

Pathetic fear-mongering.

Absolutely embarrassing.

How is this fear mongering?? Why would any youngster with any sense decide to follow Melbourne? Three smashings in three weeks, and many more last year doesn't help. My two (five and six year olds) are mad deemon supporters, but I don't talk result to them so they don't really know what is happening on the field. Not sure how long I can continue to stooge them though.

Yeah, I took the punt signing my little guy up that by the time he's understanding things Melbourne would be a decent team again. But I don't believe that. Not after being flogged by shitmond. Even when we tanked we beat them because their skills were poor.

I'm not pushing my kid to follow the Dees, no sense making him suffer. I'll stay loyal. But I feel the future is very bleak.

My 11 year old son is scared to wear his melboune jumper to school on footy day because the other kids laugh at him

Dad (finally realising we were old enough not to be annoying) took us to our first game at the G when I was 10. 1997. I fell in love with the G and the Dees that day, even though we got absolutely trumped by Adelaide. Over the next few years, I would travel down (2 hours away) to more and more games, until eventually I would be giving up social weekends with high school friends to see the footy. Sure, I was bullied by more fairweather fans when we were down, but I never really cared, because I knew I belonged at the G, barracking for Melbourne.

Kids these days can be very impatient and are always jumping on the next big thing, whether it be technological, a footy team, or otherwise. This is what is driving them away from Melbourne, not the parents who can't convince them to stay.

In the meantime, when I have my own army, they'll be dressed in red and blue from day one and, as they get older, the message will be clear... "If you want to go to the games, you need to go with us. And we only go to Melbourne games.". That's how my dad convinced my ex-Fitzroy supporting brother when he was considering Brisbane after the merge.

Pathetic fear-mongering.

Absolutely embarrassing.

No, it's a genuine concern hence the move into Casey. I agree with the OP it is a very serious issue for the club. One that can be fixed with some exciting footy and some success.....

Here Here.

Yes agree totally. The MFC needs to pay attention to this thread. For as long as i can remember MFC and its supporters have had the [censored] taken out of them by high profile media personalities, journos and other club supporters. MFC openly gets called soft and no response back from club or players. Other clubs supporters love it when there club plays MFC as its deemed an easy win and they get to make there off to the snow remarks. Well i dont go to the f...... Snow. I show up to everygame and put up with the crap on display. Pull your finger out MFC as if you get out to the crowds on gameday you will quickly realize 10 to 15 year olds dont support MFC and once a kid hits that age they dont tend to change teams like kids under 10 who can be swayed by a premiership or star player.

Start to openly show some fight in response to media [censored] taking and show some fight out on the ground and then you might start to get some of your own supporters respect back and that of the opposition.

I went and played golf yesterday.

The 7 year old watched until we got well and truly toasted in the 3rd then turned it off. Even at 7 he's a realist.

Yes agree totally. The MFC needs to pay attention to this thread. For as long as i can remember MFC and its supporters have had the [censored] taken out of them by high profile media personalities, journos and other club supporters. MFC openly gets called soft and no response back from club or players. Other clubs supporters love it when there club plays MFC as its deemed an easy win and they get to make there off to the snow remarks. Well i dont go to the f...... Snow. I show up to everygame and put up with the crap on display. Pull your finger out MFC as if you get out to the crowds on gameday you will quickly realize 10 to 15 year olds dont support MFC and once a kid hits that age they dont tend to change teams like kids under 10 who can be swayed by a premiership or star player.

Start to openly show some fight in response to media [censored] taking and show some fight out on the ground and then you might start to get some of your own supporters respect back and that of the opposition.

Well said Angel.