Seriously, the man may have made a lot of mistakes and deserved to go for all sorts of reasons, but if you really think a successful business man like him would mean something so stupid as putting down 'poor' members, then I think your opposition is clouding your judgement.

(His earlier comment about not wanting fair-weather supporters may have been a mistake and maybe not, but it is not on the scale of the insulting interpretation of the 'cheap seats' remark.

I don't now exactly what DM meant by 'cheap seats', but if he meant people who will always look for the worst interpretation, then a few posters here may have identified themselves as occupants of those seats.

"Too much unwanted pressure, from those in the so called 'cheap seats', or worse still some of the journalistic commentators behind the cheap seats, and we will end up with the wrong types of people in positions of influence and then our game would have another major, major problem."

Gee, it's lucky we've got the right types of people in positions of influence and our club hasn't got any major, major problems - what a relief, thanks Don!

Seriously, the man may have made a lot of mistakes and deserved to go for all sorts of reasons, but if you really think a successful business man like him would mean something so stupid as putting down 'poor' members, then I think your opposition is clouding your judgment .

He may be a successful businessman but as an AFL club President he is a dismal failure. Don't blame your failures on others Don, it's unbecoming.

OK all you snipers out there, ...

You and Don sound like soul mates.

You and Don sound like soul mates.

Yeah, absolutely love the guy - that's why my last post included the words 'Seriously, the man may have made a lot of mistakes and deserved to go for all sorts of reasons'.

Yeah, absolutely love the guy - that's why my last post included the words 'Seriously, the man may have made a lot of mistakes and deserved to go for all sorts of reasons'.

won't be long...

won't be long...

Hey WYL you going to put your money where your rather large keyboard oriented mouth is and stand for President, come on where is your nomination, you seem to think you are able to do a better job, you and a couple of other so called supporters on this board.

Let's see your ticket and what you propose to do

You only need to get certain numbers on a 'petition' to call an extraordinary general meeting

Off you go

If I like the look of it, I will vote for you

But I need to see some sausage, not the sizzle

Awaiting your response.

I'll show it around the supporters coming in tonight to do the ring around trying to get members to re sign, you never know they may like it as well

The real 'cheap seats' are the corporate and media boxes. The rest of us pay.

Hey WYL you going to put your money where your rather large keyboard oriented mouth is and stand for President, come on where is your nomination, you seem to think you are able to do a better job, you and a couple of other so called supporters on this board.

Let's see your ticket and what you propose to do

You only need to get certain numbers on a 'petition' to call an extraordinary general meeting

Off you go

If I like the look of it, I will vote for you

But I need to see some sausage, not the sizzle

Awaiting your response.

I'll show it around the supporters coming in tonight to do the ring around trying to get members to re sign, you never know they may like it as well

Comments like this are plain stupid. Not everyone is able to step up to be President or on the board of a football club, the ones that do generally have some standing in the community, some skills in business, a fair amount of ego and some money behind them. A position like President of an AFL club is also good for their profile and doesn't hurt them in the wider business community either, so don't think it's all a one way street.

As members and supporters though, we do have a right to be critical of decisions made, it doesn't make us any lessor people or supporters for disagreeing and seeking change when we believe things have been done to the detriment of the club. In fact if we don't speak up and seek change and just accept the status quo then what kind of club would we have, what kind of supporters are we.

You are pro the current board and admin, so be it, it's your opinion and one I don't share. Go for your life, but don't go about criticising anyone else and calling them a lessor supporter for not sharing the same view. We all want what's best for the club but have different views on how to achieve it.

I agree it came across just awfully what was written but I will give Demons the benefit of the doubt when it comes to stuff like that.

Without knowing exactly what he meant by 'cheap seats' it doesn't read well.

I am thankful for the work Don has done and the time given but it is time for a new CEO to work with a new President for 2014.

It's pretty infuriating to me as a member of this forum that we can't express a level of disappointment with the board without being accused of treason and told to run for a board seat.

If you study the history of our current administration you'll see a lot of them have been put in place by someone perceived to be the spiritual leader of our club at the time. They all have extraordinary creditentials on paper and success in the business world. I'm sure when put in place the perception was that they were the right people for the job. Remember most of this was in 2008. That's 5 years to turn things around. We don't accept that from on field performance, with the only real difference for off field performance being that they've admitted they've failed. By anyone's standards that's damning.

Could one of us run for the board? Well, technically yes we could. I think the bigger question is how to convince the supporter base that we'd be a better fit than the current group. I'm not Russell Howcroft in terms of my business accomplishments (I use Russell only as an example). But then again I don't think most of us are Colin Sylvia on the footy field either and I've noticed it stops non of us from having an opinion about our on field competitiveness.

I think the question isn't just should we have the right to complain though. Lets turn it into something more positive than that. I put it to D'Landers to tell us what they want from a new board member. If we can find the right people here judged against that standard not only should we put them up, I'd say we have a moral obligation to help them replace an administration that is essentially admitting defeat.

So come on folks. What do we want our new board member/s to look like?

(I'm going to have a think about it too and post later when I've got some more time)

Edited April 22, 201312 yr by The heart beats true

Bring on Peter Jackson...at least he has been in charge of club that won a flag. I can't think of anyone in our administration who knows what that means.

The heart beats true, that tends to be the way this forum is, too many know alls.

Just express your opinion anyway, to hell with them.

I agree with you anyway, the board is a joke.

It's pretty infuriating to me as a member of this forum that we can't express a level of disappointment with the board without being accused of treason and told to run for a board seat.

If you study the history of our current administration you'll see a lot of them have been put in place by someone perceived to be the spiritual leader of our club at the time. They all have extraordinary creditentials on paper and success in the business world. I'm sure when put in place the perception was that they were the right people for the job. Remember most of this was in 2008. That's 5 years to turn things around. We don't accept that from on field performance, with the only real difference for off field performance being that they've admitted they've failed. By anyone's standards that's damning.

Could one of us run for the board? Well, technically yes we could. I think the bigger question is how to convince the supporter base that we'd be a better fit than the current group. I'm not Russell Howcroft in terms of my business accomplishments (I use Russell only as an example). But then again I don't think most of us are Colin Sylvia on the footy field either and I've noticed it stops non of us from having an opinion about our on field competitiveness.

I think the question isn't just should we have the right to complain though. Lets turn it into something more positive than that. I put it to D'Landers to tell us what they want from a new board member. If we can find the right people here judged against that standard not only should we put them up, I'd say we have a moral obligation to help them replace an administration that is essentially admitting defeat.

So come on folks. What do we want our new board member/s to look like?

(I'm going to have a think about it too and post later when I've got some more time)

I am happy for the Board as it stands to stick around - or be added to.

I don't like the scorched earth avenue, especially at a club like Melbourne as we are small and need all the influential people it can muster.

I agree that McLardy should step aside and I encourage people to come forward in coming elections.

We just have to do this right. And bloodless, and I think we can get real change without the need to spill all positions.

So I want any prospective new board members to Demons, I want them to be able to work with a majority of the Board as it stands today, and I want them to be able to maintain ties with the club should they not succeed or are removed in a few years.

I don't know what he meant by "cheap seats" and I'm sure by this morning it doesn't mean the members - nor should it. But he made a comment at the commencement dinner about fickle supports which was very direct.

One way or the other my favourite quote from Cool Hand Luke comes to mind - "what we have here is a failure to communicate".

Anyway I'm going to enjoy the moment of our win before I head to Brisbane for the game. Well done fella's, a win against Brissy followed by GCS will put some serious fun back into footy.

Hey WYL you going to put your money where your rather large keyboard oriented mouth is and stand for President, come on where is your nomination, you seem to think you are able to do a better job, you and a couple of other so called supporters on this board.

Let's see your ticket and what you propose to do

You only need to get certain numbers on a 'petition' to call an extraordinary general meeting

Off you go

If I like the look of it, I will vote for you

But I need to see some sausage, not the sizzle

Awaiting your response.

I'll show it around the supporters coming in tonight to do the ring around trying to get members to re sign, you never know they may like it as well

You said it Satyriconhome...off you go.

If i don't like the Federal Government must i become the new leader?

Keep up the Blind Faith Dr. Who, oh sorry Satyriconhome.

If you are not the same person you certainly mirror the same foolish thoughts.

I just get sick of posters who want change, but what viable alternative do they offer er....sack the board, change the coach, kill everybody, scorch the earth........

Anybody can be a Board Member you can get yourself voted on, stand and get voted on at the AGM

What happens at the AGM, everybody sits on their hands......"oh we never get a proper answer, just spin" what a [censored] weak cop out that is

I am not pro the present Board, I am just as unhappy with some of the decisions that have been made, but they are the Board at present, so unless I want to change the Board I will have to put up with the decisions

But I want to see viable alternatives, I don't stand sniping on the sidelines, if I am offered a viable alternative I will look at it.

If you are unhappy with the Board, then find out how many members you need to cause a spill, start the paperwork rolling and see if you can get that many, but you also need an alternative ticket, with something to offer......bit too hard really isn't it.......let's just stay behind the keyboard and complain.........affirmative action my arse

Either put up or shut up

WYL, strange comparison/analogy....Dr Who, I wouldn't mind being him, he seems to triumph over a variety of strange creatures that seem to hate everything and want to take over what ever world they inhabit...try reading my posts...........you can change the Federal Government....you can join a politicial party and help them drive the changes you want.....or you can sit on the sidelines and complain.....sound familiar.........wonderful thought out post WYL,

WYL, strange comparison/analogy....Dr Who, I wouldn't mind being him, he seems to triumph over a variety of strange creatures that seem to hate everything and want to take over what ever world they inhabit...try reading my posts...........you can change the Federal Government....you can join a politicial party and help them drive the changes you want.....or you can sit on the sidelines and complain.....sound familiar.........wonderful thought out post WYL,

Oh dear, oh dear

and i thought McLardy had foot-in-mouth disease

WYL, strange comparison/analogy....Dr Who, I wouldn't mind being him, he seems to triumph over a variety of strange creatures that seem to hate everything and want to take over what ever world they inhabit...try reading my posts...........you can change the Federal Government....you can join a politicial party and help them drive the changes you want.....or you can sit on the sidelines and complain.....sound familiar.........wonderful thought out post WYL,

Don has already said there will be no more talk about Tanking or 186.

There should be.

Rolling over to the AFL and paying a fine is unacceptable to me when we were given a "not guilty" verdict.

The Red & Blueprint was a document put together under the current regime.

They should have gone to court to fight for THEIR principles. They didn't.

Last week was the final straw. This board needs a major cleanout.

We already have an AFL handpickrd CEO.

The current booard has failed sadly and i mean sadly.

Don has already said there will be no more talk about Tanking or 186.

There should be.

Rolling over to the AFL and paying a fine is unacceptable to me when we were given a "not guilty" verdict.

The Red & Blueprint was a document put together under the current regime.

They should have gone to court to fight for THEIR principles. They didn't.

Last week was the final straw. This board needs a major cleanout.

We already have an AFL handpickrd CEO.

The current booard has failed sadly and i mean sadly.

Oh good ol 186, I remember him well, move on, you going to contribute financially to fund the court case....put the Club in massive debt again, I am sure it would have been more than half a mill......how do you know the AFL picked the CEO, oh that's right iit was in a newspaper..........notice you still haven't come up with an alternative board, who do you suggest....you, Tonatopia, Ben Hur, christ we are in enough trouble already.........action WYL or otherwise you are just a lot of hot air

Rolling over to the AFL and paying a fine is unacceptable to me when we were given a "not guilty" verdict.

I really have no opinion on how good or bad the current Board is, but the above is a typical example of what I am on about when I say we often don't know all the facts so it is difficult to make a judgement. What if the AFL tanking investigation uncovered absolutely damming evidence, maybe even against Jim? In that case rolling over for a fine which perhaps the AFL will pay itself may have been a good decision leaving aside the difficulties and expense of court cases. I didn't get to see the AFL evidence. Did anyone posting here see it?

Oh good ol 186, I remember him well, move on, you going to contribute financially to fund the court case....put the Club in massive debt again, I am sure it would have been more than half a mill......how do you know the AFL picked the CEO, oh that's right iit was in a newspaper..........notice you still haven't come up with an alternative board, who do you suggest....you, Tonatopia, Ben Hur, christ we are in enough trouble already.........action WYL or otherwise you are just a lot of hot air

Good, at least you are acknowledging there are problems.

I thought that by "Cheap Seats"....he meant the media and all the opinion jurnos who have been having a field day kicking us....

Just my thoughts......

Oh good ol 186, I remember him well, move on, you going to contribute financially to fund the court case....put the Club in massive debt again, I am sure it would have been more than half a mill......how do you know the AFL picked the CEO, oh that's right iit was in a newspaper..........notice you still haven't come up with an alternative board, who do you suggest....you, Tonatopia, Ben Hur, christ we are in enough trouble already.........action WYL or otherwise you are just a lot of hot air

just keep brushing all the problems under the carpet Saty.

There's a good boy.

Did i mention recruiting under the present regime?

I don't think you understand how serious an AFL hanpickrd CEO is.

I know the AFL do.