OK all you snipers out there, now you can call our President 'soft' for whinging.

Support leaders too: McLardy

Or perhaps he is merely correct.

Why would a successful business person want to take on a Board position in such a volatile area where problems can suddenly come from left field and there are vulture journos circling everywhere - not to mention some supporters. You could hear the Chanel 7 commentators salivating about their likely copy for the week at 3Q time today.

Why? Love of the Club. Love of the Game. Love for a Challenge. Why does anyone do anything like this? It's certainly not for money.

What are cheap seats?

What are cheap seats?

A lot of Demonlanders sit on them.

Mclardy and the board are still under large pressure.

Today does not change a thing.

Mclardy and the board are still under large pressure.

Today does not change a thing.

Maybe not, but that isn't the topic. You can't miss an opportunity to remind us you don't like the Board.

Maybe not, but that isn't the topic. You can't miss an opportunity to remind us you don't like the Board.

It is the topic.

Last week is still a black cloud.

Wake up.

Don just cant handle the pressure that comes with running an AFL club, hes way out of his depth.

OK all you snipers out there, now you can call our President 'soft' for whinging.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-04-21/support-for-leaders-too-mclardy

Or perhaps he is merely correct.

What is the price for simply being honest and telling the truth

By NOT doing so creates the pressure

He's both right and wrong.

His argument is right. It's an unforgiving role sometimes - when the club is successful, who points to the President or Board? But when we're struggling, they're the first names to get thrown up as at fault.

However, that's probably not something a President should be saying. Whilst I agree with him, he needs to own up to the fact that it's a reality of AFL that senior members of clubs are going to feel pressure when the club isn't performing. Don needs to accept that. Try changing mantras when we're on top of the ladder, not at the bottom.

I find Don's take on this and his referral to the 'cheap seats' a little bit condecending.

Don's comment that we will end up with people from the cheap seats running the club which will be another major problem for the game is laughble when you consider how well those from the 'expensive seats' are going doing the same thing.

I mean Don really could anyone do any worse than what the club has been subjected to in the last 2 years?

Don really is out of touch and needs to get some perspective. I would have thought the 'establishment' type people at our club would have realised they need the people in the 'cheap seats' to make this club a great one together as one and not blame them for pressure.

Lets face it at 3 Qtr time today all I could think was - what more do you want MFC...20K supporters turn up even when you are at your lowest and now you are doing this to them against GWS.

Seriously Don come sit in the 'cheap seats' just like Jim used to do. You might find you actually learn something outside the ivory tower.

Sorry Don, but that's just pathetic.

You are under the pump because you were not entirely truthful with the AFL and your fans.

If the kitchen is a bit hot, it's cause you left the stove on full blast with the door open

It is the topic.

Last week is still a black cloud.

Wake up.

'it is the topic' to you because you are obsessed with it. But it isn't the topic in this particular thread.

BTW, I don't have any special love of the current Board or McLardy. I just think they are often unfairly bagged by some who blast them when the known facts on their latest failing could be counted on the fingers of a mutilated hand. Anyway I suspect DM didn't really want the job in the first place but has been doing it for the club.

Maybe not, but that isn't the topic. You can't miss an opportunity to remind us you don't like the Board.

You backed the board the whole way through the tanking saga, you are obviously a sucker for punishment, i would LIKE a board that are not under investigation constantly, thats all i ask as a supporter.

'it is the topic' to you because you are obsessed with it. But it isn't the topic in this particular thread.

BTW, I don't have any special love of the current Board or McLardy. I just think they are often unfairly bagged by some who blast them when the known facts on their latest failing could be counted on the fingers of a mutilated hand. Anyway I suspect DM didn't really want the job in the first place but has been doing it for the club.

unfairly bag the board?

They have done that to themselves for the last 6 years.

I am not obsessed. I just want better people running my club.

Don's "Cheap Seat" comment is another barb thrown at financial members.

It's wrong.

You backed the board the whole way through the tanking saga, you are obviously a sucker for punishment, i would LIKE a board that are not under investigation constantly, thats all i ask as a supporter.

I'm not sure at what point I started backing them? Was it when they decided to 'tank'? Don't recall commenting on that. Maybe it was in the middle when I took a fairly neutral position since we didn't know all the facts? Or was it at the end when I thought they did reasonably well in the circumstances.

I too would LIKE the club not to be under investigation. Just not convinced that all the sh!t is purely due to the Board nor that problems will be solved by the alternative fantasy board that doesn't exist.

I enjoyed the 20,000 response to a team that dragged itself off the canvas today in the best possible fahion. I'll take it one week at a time... but I love shoving up all those gloating, bloated egotists that spew out their negative and ill-informed judgements on players and individuals, ad infinitum, then call themselves "supporters".

If the club is successful there will be no pressure on the Board, I'm sure that if Don had a look around other club's he would see the amount of pressure on their board coincided with their position on the ladder and their standing in the football community.

We are under pressure from everywhere and that includes the supporters; it's not easy being a MFC supporter.

When Jim Stynes stepped up to take the Presidency when no one else would his first choice was to cajole Dees supporting experienced and successful business types to also step up and join the board. This is the board that resulted. Some had previously refused offers to join the board for fairly obvious reasons and it was only Jim's cajoliung that persuaded them. I am still waiting for those who advocate throwing out this board to to tell us who is going to replace them. I don't think you are gong to find it as easy as you think to persuade experienced and successful business types to devote 20 - 40 hours a week to the Melbourne Football Club.

And anyone who thinks Don McLardy is out of touch have never had a chat with him about the Dees at a club function or after a game.

My Name is Tom Potter And I Approve This Message.

But the pressure is of their own making - all of it.

But the pressure is of their own making - all of it.

Yep and it's on all of them.

In a way I don't mind this scandal, because it's going to give the AFL a reason to clean our rabble of a board out.

I hope the AFL cleans out everyone from McLardy to Neeld.

In Neelds interview before the game, he says that he was unaware that Don Bates was in contact with Dank.

If that is the case, then why wasn't he aware? Craig would've been, Neeld would've as well, so he is most likely lying right there.

As a club, we need to start fresh with an ethical board, then a good culture will flow - from the top down.

I look forward to when a suitable candidate puts his/her hand up to be MFC president.

That's not a well-considered remark from Mr McLardy. I'm sure he regrets some of these off-the-cuff remarks which are so offensive to supporters. He doesn't want "fickle" supporters; he doesn't want supporters from the "cheap seats" having a say. Who does he want at Melbourne? Not everyone is a totally committed fan offering unconditional support. But the MFC needs all its supporters, from the MCC members who take out MFC memberships to those who attend regularly or even occasionally, to those who are not that interested in football and just wish the Club well. They are all part of the Club. Most of them are supporting him, and I hope he comes to recognise how important they are to the MFC.

OK all you snipers out there, now you can call our President 'soft' for whinging.

Support leaders too: McLardy

Or perhaps he is merely correct.

Why would a successful business person want to take on a Board position in such a volatile area where problems can suddenly come from left field and there are vulture journos circling everywhere - not to mention some supporters. You could hear the Chanel 7 commentators salivating about their likely copy for the week at 3Q time today.

Unfortunate opening post by you and a few poor choices of words by Don.

I'm not sure at what point I started backing them? Was it when they decided to 'tank'? Don't recall commenting on that. Maybe it was in the middle when I took a fairly neutral position since we didn't know all the facts? Or was it at the end when I thought they did reasonably well in the circumstances.

I too would LIKE the club not to be under investigation. Just not convinced that all the sh!t is purely due to the Board nor that problems will be solved by the alternative fantasy board that doesn't exist.

I am not sure what "facts" you are waiting for and whether you will find it in a tell all exposé or an underbelly like series.

But there is enough information in the public arena to raise series questions about the conduct of the Board and the executive.

Either you don't want to face it or can't bear to do so. Your choice. But reality may be uncomfortable when it arrives.