Fixing Club culture and mindset.

[Supreme_Demon 3,864]

First question...do we have a club psychologist?! If not, we really need one!

We also need to push to implement an entirely new culture at the Melbourne Football Club. Last night was a disgrace for all of us! It was embarrassing to look at the scores! Losing by 148 points is in the Fitzroy realm of ineptitude.

The players have forgotten what winning feels like! Everyone is hurting and we need to hang tough and work through this.

We need to look at Geelong and Sydney, as examples, in what they have done with their club culture. The "Bloods" culture is well renowned since 2005. The same with the Cats successful culture from 2007 onwards. The frustrating thing was....ironically back in 2006 we were in a similar position to Geelong. The difference? Geelong got the right players and the right club-people involved with them.

We missed a huge opportunity to get Kevin Sheedy at the end of the 2007 Season. A man with 4 premierships under his belt and from a successful culture at Essendon. A man who had rebuilt Essendon 3 times to win flags. He also could've brought Damien Hardwick as his assistant who could've possibly taken over after Kevin Sheedy was ready to step down as senior coach. Unfortunately, we made the wrong decision at the time and chose Dean Bailey from Port Adelaide. That was a mistake in my opinion, but it's no point worrying about it now.

It is now 2013 and we are having our 2nd re-build in 5 years as Mark Neeld says himself. We are trying to finally fix the mistakes made in the past. We need to start making these big changes NOW to our culture...no matter what it takes. Offer the olive branch to get James McDonald back at the MFC and whoever else has passion and leadership. If this means getting someone like Cameron Ling from Geelong or other people from outside successful clubs then so be it.

Historically we can look at how Frank "Checker" Hughes left Richmond and came to Melbourne. He changed our name from the Fuchsias to the Demons and instilled a completely different culture. He did that in 1933 and it took 6 years to finally see a Premiership in 1939.

We need to do the same again in the year 2013. Recruit people who are passionate, hard-edged and show leadership to entirely change our losing mentality and instill a new tougher culture. Those who aren't up to scratch need to leave.

Unity is important...but at the end of this year the MFC will need to make some changes and get rid of those who are mentally weak. It is no point in imploding as a club now after only round 2. We will need to wait until the end of the season to make any drastic changes.

It will be a long and tough road...but if we get the right people to our club who WANT to change things then we shall see light at the end of the tunnel for our beloved Melbourne Demons.

Finally, my question I put to all you passionate Melbourne supporters out there is....who would you want at the MFC to help change our culture and make it something similar to what Geelong, Sydney, Hawthorn or Collingwood has?

Edited April 7, 2013 by Supreme_Demon

[mdemonski2 403]

Mate, it a good question.

Everyone talks about culture and clearly we are so appalling and need to develop a winning culture, but how the hell do you go about it?

Is it so totally ingrained that it cannot be changed or can it be built from the ground up at a football club.

Lots of questions but no answers from me i'm afraid.

I think it needs to start with leadership among the playing group. We picked up experienced players from winning cultures (eg byrnes geelong and dawes collingwood). But can this really help a club or are leaders created from within the culture?

Look at Selwood at Geelong. Amazing young leader but he had the player to learn from.

My concern is that we have not brought in the right players from these winning clubs (yet to be proven) so how the hell are young guns like hogan, viney and toumpas going to learn?