Protest!

[Dr. Mubutu 831]

If I had the dough, I would personally pay for the membership of everyone on this site to ensure that this club had a future for my kids.

I don't have the dough though - so I rely on you guys to continue to sign up yourselves.

I've already seen one club I support go under - don't want it to happen to another.

If any of you are fair dinkum about making changes to the way in which things are run at the MFC, nominate yourself for the Board at the next election.

It's a bit rich to expect others to do it all, and then bag the hell out of them if things aren't going our way.

Perhaps someone should put themselves forward as a Demonland nominee for the Board at the next election ...

Unfortunately, due to a lack of business/coterie connections, I think you'll find that quite impossible. As an average rank and file supporter, unable to fork over $1000 to attend a farce of an AGM, I'm simply using the small leverage that I DO have to hopefully send a message of my dissatisfaction.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,222]

That is a bit silly. What would you expect to be in a personalised email? "Dear x, the details in your email prompted us to realise that all we had to do was X. With thanks, MFC."

If they knew the answer would they be telling anyone personally? Since they clearly don't know the answer, all you can reasonably expect is platitudes. Register your dismay by all means, but it is unreasonable to expect a meaningful response other than the platitudes which most of us could compose.

So we shouldn't expect a "reasonable response". Jeezuz this is a major reason why we are a pizz weak club - we have settled for platitudes and/or bullshite for too long..

[Go_Dees_4_Life 0]

Go the the teams facebook page and you can suggest an edit to the heading "professional sports team"....made me feel a tiny bit better!

"Team with no heart"

[sue 9,099]

So we shouldn't expect a "reasonable response". Jeezuz this is a major reason why we are a pizz weak club - we have settled for platitudes and/or bullshite for too long..

Just tell me what you expect in a reasonable response? I can undersand your frustration, but what can you seriously expect the club to say that would make you happy at this time? Other than platitudes, all they could say is something dramatic like 'Yes, we are sacking the coach' or some other drastic change. If they make decisions like that in response to emails from pizzed off members, then I'd be really pizzed off.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,199]

What - and cruel the club's cash flows altogether?!

Like most things being written here at the moment, that would be a deeply stupid and irrational thing to do.

Get behind the club if you want it to remain viable.

FFS.

On the contrary it might actually force them into action instead of relying on handouts from the supporters/AFL and letting supporters do the work of recruiting sponsors etc. Otherwise there is no urgency for them to act. I've already paid my $550 Trident membership so they've got my money whether I show or not. I don't want to stay away and don't want to hurt the club but it really is the only recourse we supporters have to influence anything as they refuse to listen to us or show any urgency to act. Most other clubs would have already had a letter from the President at the very least letting the supporters know that performance yesterday was unacceptable and the FD is under pressure to perform or get the arse. What have we got? Neeld acting like a stunned mullet at the post game press conference and Watts supposedly lamenting the fact we don't have a player like Selwood or Mitchell to lead the way. FFS how about YOU take the responsibility to lead the way instead of always waiting on someone else to do the heavy lifting.

[ThreeOneSix 954]

You guys are off your head, writing letters won't help.

What do you all expect to achieve by writing letters? The sacking of the coach?

Don't worry about that, the media will be breathing down his throat if we lose to Essendon.

Mark Neeld already has a target on his head.

Writing to a board that is half the problem won't achieve anything.

I've never liked Neeld since he appointed his captains.

How the hell, how on earth, for the life of god do you appoint Jack Trengove captain?

Does Neeld know nothing about leadership, absolutely nothing.

If Trengove isn't the most passive, play his roles type of bloke we got - then i'll be damned.

Trengove is the furtherest thing from a leader I have seen and he got appointed coming off the back of not getting a kick.

Good way to reward players.

I have NO problems with Grimes, none... He isn't captain material though, far from.

I know, someone has to do it... I get that and he does have the heart the size of phar lap.

But we need a captain to let these spuds know that they have to lift... Someone the boys listen to, because they sure as hell don't listen to Neeld.

Mitch Clark would make a good captain, Jack Viney is a born leader.

I struggle to think of another bloke on our list that could do this job.

Is it that hard to get the captaincy right..

Perhaps I will write a letter after all.

And.. I agree with Brock and Scully, as much as I hate them, they have been proven to be correct.

[Dr. Mubutu 831]

Just tell me what you expect in a reasonable response? I can undersand your frustration, but what can you seriously expect the club to say that would make you happy at this time? Other than platitudes, all they could say is something dramatic like 'Yes, we are sacking the coach' or some other drastic change. If they make decisions like that in response to emails from pizzed off members, then I'd be really pizzed off.

Frankly, I would like actual responses to questions and issues raised in emails.

Perhaps even a 'supporter's forum', where the club could respond to genuine concerns we have about the club, not a sanitised Q&A at an AGM where "Oh, we won't be discussing that."

[demonique 314]

I have sent an email if only for my own satisfaction, I sent it containing my great disappointment , etc etc blah blah and ended with an ultimatum, if there is no great improvement at the end of the season I will cancel direct debit and not rejoin next year. Sick of being swindled out of about $1000 to watch the unwatchable !!!!

[Pennant St Dee 13,118]

On the contrary it might actually force them into action instead of relying on handouts from the supporters/AFL and letting supporters do the work of recruiting sponsors etc. Otherwise there is no urgency for them to act. I've already paid my $550 Trident membership so they've got my money whether I show or not. I don't want to stay away and don't want to hurt the club but it really is the only recourse we supporters have to influence anything as they refuse to listen to us or show any urgency to act. Most other clubs would have already had a letter from the President at the very least letting the supporters know that performance yesterday was unacceptable and the FD is under pressure to perform or get the arse. What have we got? Neeld acting like a stunned mullet at the post game press conference and Watts supposedly lamenting the fact we don't have a player like Selwood or Mitchell to lead the way. FFS how about YOU take the responsibility to lead the way instead of always waiting on someone else to do the heavy lifting.

Have to say Gonzo, I have never felt the way I do today, whilst we have been kicked from pillar to post before, yesterday has almost broke me and I am not a pessimist. We are loyal supporters and it because we care so much for this club, part of me agrees with the bolded above as the board seems to know we will dig deep and help out the club, but if by Round 4 this has not improved some form or drastic action is required. 4 memberships in our house and only 2 Dees fans amongst us, money donated here and there when the budget allows but if we don't improve that will be it until the team gets their house in order.

I am furious, this mess is years in the making before the previous coach and board but that is not to eliminate any responsibility on anyone currently at the club, effort is not hard you can lose but you give your all I bleed red & blue and so should the players

Edited April 1, 2013 by Pennant St Dee

[P-man 13,366]

You guys are off your head, writing letters won't help.

Writing to a board that is half the problem won't achieve anything.

....

Perhaps I will write a letter after all.

lol..you're a real card 316.

[Bonkers 994]

You guys are off your head, writing letters won't help.

What do you all expect to achieve by writing letters? The sacking of the coach?

Don't worry about that, the media will be breathing down his throat if we lose to Essendon.

Mark Neeld already has a target on his head.

Writing to a board that is half the problem won't achieve anything.

I've never liked Neeld since he appointed his captains.

How the hell, how on earth, for the life of god do you appoint Jack Trengove captain?

Does Neeld know nothing about leadership, absolutely nothing.

If Trengove isn't the most passive, play his roles type of bloke we got - then i'll be damned.

Trengove is the furtherest thing from a leader I have seen and he got appointed coming off the back of not getting a kick.

Good way to reward players.

I have NO problems with Grimes, none... He isn't captain material though, far from.

I know, someone has to do it... I get that and he does have the heart the size of phar lap.

But we need a captain to let these spuds know that they have to lift... Someone the boys listen to, because they sure as hell don't listen to Neeld.

Mitch Clark would make a good captain, Jack Viney is a born leader.

I struggle to think of another bloke on our list that could do this job.

Is it that hard to get the captaincy right..

Perhaps I will write a letter after all.

And.. I agree with Brock and Scully, as much as I hate them, they have been proven to be correct.

I find your criticism of Trengove & Grimes a little perplexing. They both leave everything out on the field, lead by actions & are the type of characters you can build a club around. They were appointed because there was no one older that had these qualities. Grimes even though sometimes lacks skill left everything out on the ground yesterday & was visibly shattered afterwards. At some point the players on the ground with him have to take ownership & responsibility. I know when I played I didn't need a captain to motivate or cojole me into giving 100% for my team it was instinctive. The playing group are a group of pansies, they need to grow some balls & take this club forward. Stop waiting for others to do it & do it themselves. Ron Barassi said: If it is to be it is up to me. The saying couldn't be any more relevant for this bunch of so called AFL players.

[ThreeOneSix 954]

lol..you're a real card 316.

Yeah, I am still drowning my sorrows old son.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,222]

Just tell me what you expect in a reasonable response? I can undersand your frustration, but what can you seriously expect the club to say that would make you happy at this time? Other than platitudes, all they could say is something dramatic like 'Yes, we are sacking the coach' or some other drastic change. If they make decisions like that in response to emails from pizzed off members, then I'd be really pizzed off.

Give me a break Sue. Do you want me to write the response for them? Don’t be an apologist for the club and don’t try the reductio

ad absurdum (we are sacking the coach) line with me. What I want is a genuinely personal response to the specific issues that I shall raise in my email that convinces me that McLardy understands my concerns.

Further, the point of the thread is mass protest – be a part of it– don’t lie down.

[P-man 13,366]

Speaking of Barassi, maybe he can help in some way. Shouldn't have to but these are pretty desperate times. Maybe the great man can inspire them.

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

Maybe if we spam their inbox they will know we are serious! Maybe this is the line in the sand moment!

[ThreeOneSix 954]

I find your criticism of Trengove & Grimes a little perplexing. They both leave everything out on the field, lead by actions & are the type of characters you can build a club around. They were appointed because there was no one older that had these qualities. Grimes even though sometimes lacks skill left everything out on the ground yesterday & was visibly shattered afterwards. At some point the players on the ground with him have to take ownership & responsibility. I know when I played I didn't need a captain to motivate or cojole me into giving 100% for my team it was instinctive. The playing group are a group of pansies, they need to grow some balls & take this club forward. Stop waiting for others to do it & do it themselves. Ron Barassi said: If it is to be it is up to me. The saying couldn't be any more relevant for this bunch of so called AFL players.

I can't critisize Grimes too much, he isn't a captain's a-hole... But he does lead to some extent and did at least try and lift yesterday.

But we have a bunch of soft little sooks, they need a dominant captain to be vocal, just look at how well Viney's speech has been recieved, it's what we need.

Mitch Clark and Jack Viney are the only type for this job, so throw it to Clark.

I am done listening to all the regular lines from these blokes.

I see why Brock got out, it must've been hard for him to see all this up close, to be around so many passive blokes who don't want to have a crack.

[T-34 409]

You guys are off your head, writing letters won't help.

What do you all expect to achieve by writing letters? The sacking of the coach?

Don't worry about that, the media will be breathing down his throat if we lose to Essendon.

Mark Neeld already has a target on his head.

Writing to a board that is half the problem won't achieve anything.

I've never liked Neeld since he appointed his captains.

How the hell, how on earth, for the life of god do you appoint Jack Trengove captain?

Does Neeld know nothing about leadership, absolutely nothing.

If Trengove isn't the most passive, play his roles type of bloke we got - then i'll be damned.

Trengove is the furtherest thing from a leader I have seen and he got appointed coming off the back of not getting a kick.

Good way to reward players.

I have NO problems with Grimes, none... He isn't captain material though, far from.

I know, someone has to do it... I get that and he does have the heart the size of phar lap.

But we need a captain to let these spuds know that they have to lift... Someone the boys listen to, because they sure as hell don't listen to Neeld.

Mitch Clark would make a good captain, Jack Viney is a born leader.

I struggle to think of another bloke on our list that could do this job.

Is it that hard to get the captaincy right..

Perhaps I will write a letter after all.

And.. I agree with Brock and Scully, as much as I hate them, they have been proven to be correct.

Agree on the sentiment but you answered your own questions regarding captains.

When the current captains were named Clark had been here 3 months and Viney was not on the list.

No need for contradictions in your post just say we lack on field leadership and sack the coach/the coach is shite,we understand.

[Tony Tea 2,806]

I protest most vehemently about why we looked fat, slow and clueless.

[Bonkers 994]

I can't critisize Grimes too much, he isn't a captain's a-hole... But he does lead to some extent and did at least try and lift yesterday.

But we have a bunch of soft little sooks, they need a dominant captain to be vocal, just look at how well Viney's speech has been recieved, it's what we need.

Mitch Clark and Jack Viney are the only type for this job, so throw it to Clark.

I am done listening to all the regular lines from these blokes.

I see why Brock got out, it must've been hard for him to see all this up close, to be around so many passive blokes who don't want to have a crack.

Brock was just the same as them. I've heard it all from the players in the last 5-10 years. I don't even bother listening to them anymore.

Just because we are losing games & insipid on the field doesn't mean that it is anything to do with Jack Grimes performance as a captain. He lead as best as he could yesterday but his team mates weren't willing to follow. What more do you want from him?

Viney, Clark & Jones may be captains in waiting but I don't think the captaincy of the club is the issue here. I could be wrong but ultimately its up to the individual players to do their bit on game day & be switched on to go into combat. Yesterday they weren't or didn't want to.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,222]

Brock was just the same as them. I've heard it all from the players in the last 5-10 years. I don't even bother listening to them anymore.

Just because we are losing games & insipid on the field doesn't mean that it is anything to do with Jack Grimes performance as a captain. He lead as best as he could yesterday but his team mates weren't willing to follow. What more do you want from him?

Viney, Clark & Jones may be captains in waiting but I don't think the captaincy of the club is the issue here. I could be wrong but ultimately its up to the individual players to do their bit on game day & be switched on to go into combat. Yesterday they weren't or didn't want to.

Don't argue here guys. The point of this thread is to ask your questions of the club ...and... demand answers.

[640MD 3,362]

After yesterdays loss all the other clubs must be laughing in their beers about how "hard" the melbourne side is, a bunch of soft cooks...

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

On the contrary it might actually force them into action instead of relying on handouts from the supporters/AFL and letting supporters do the work of recruiting sponsors etc. Otherwise there is no urgency for them to act. I've already paid my $550 Trident membership so they've got my money whether I show or not. I don't want to stay away and don't want to hurt the club but it really is the only recourse we supporters have to influence anything as they refuse to listen to us or show any urgency to act. Most other clubs would have already had a letter from the President at the very least letting the supporters know that performance yesterday was unacceptable and the FD is under pressure to perform or get the arse. What have we got? Neeld acting like a stunned mullet at the post game press conference and Watts supposedly lamenting the fact we don't have a player like Selwood or Mitchell to lead the way. FFS how about YOU take the responsibility to lead the way instead of always waiting on someone else to do the heavy lifting.

Gonzo comment at its best.

I'm not the one who's attacking Neeld, the footy department and the Board. You are.

So, self evidently, it's the likes of YOU who need to step up if you are not satisfied with what they are doing/trying to do.

Surely this is totally bloody obvious. The thought processes underlying so many posts here are simply ridiculous.

FWIW, I'm talking about cash flow Dr Bozo.

Cop a tip - check out what s 95A of the Corporations Act says about the importance of cash flow to the viability of an entity.

The effect of not renewing memberships is the ultimate in throwing the baby out with the bath water.

And no - I'm not happy about what we had to endure yesterday. In fact, I'm not happy about a lot of things about our list.

But I don't think that's all Neeld's fault. Rivers aside, I'm not sure any of the list from the end of 2011 would've had any positive impact on the result yesterday.

[Suzanna 72]

As much as it might feel good to get your rant off your chest by sending an email of complaint, how much more infuriated will you be when you get a response along the lines of "Your feedback is important to us....". It will just make you angry all over again.

Yesterday's effort was awful. Insipid and boring. The sort of game where you wish you had brought a book to read to pass the time, because the game isn't keeping your interest. But when you have 7 new debs in a team, what do you expect? The team has been substantially recast, and that sort of thing takes time to gel. But who else could they have played after the cleanout last season?

Don't know the answer. Just know that something has to be done, because the club can't go on dishing up this rubbish and expecting supporters to turn up each week. The on-field performance will lead to off-field 'breakage'. People who were undecided about memberships won't waste their money. Our bottom line will suffer. It's time the club considered that the damage being done to the brand has to stop.

And shave off those beards - they look like shite.

[T-34 409]

I can't critisize Grimes too much, he isn't a captain's a-hole... But he does lead to some extent and did at least try and lift yesterday.

But we have a bunch of soft little sooks, they need a dominant captain to be vocal, just look at how well Viney's speech has been recieved, it's what we need.

Mitch Clark and Jack Viney are the only type for this job, so throw it to Clark.

I am done listening to all the regular lines from these blokes.

I see why Brock got out, it must've been hard for him to see all this up close, to be around so many passive blokes who don't want to have a crack.

Brock got out because we would not meet his contractual demands, anyone who thinks he left because of the poor culture has a lower IQ than he does.

Agree with rest.

[Dr. Mubutu 831]

Speaking of cash flow, surely we can free up cash from the 'salaries' line item?

We would have to have a case to pay less than 95% of the cap based on the 'effort' shown on the weekend?