McLardy is completely out of touch

[What 18,810]

He hasn't done anything yet, apart from the reporting mechanism that CS had in place.

He has said he didn't agree with amount of inexperience in the FD and that needs to be addressed.

He has said himself that the FD was a mess, and there were 4 people reporting directly to Schwab.

So now PJ is hiring a head of football who a few of the main people in the FD will report to, and in turn the head of footy will be the only person reporting to the CEO.

the FD was a mess, and that is thanks to McLardy, Schwab and the board.

[Deeoldfart 8,027]

There are a handful of outstanding, heartfelt posts on this thread. They shine like gems amongst the usual array claptrap and vitriol. I congratulate the authors, and look forward to the day when we are all united in celebration rather than divided in adversity. It can't come quick enough!

[titan_uranus 25,016]

I was close to tears on monday. I actually went to the fence and shouted at umpire number 6 from about 4 feet away over the Watts free kick which robbed us of any impetus and led to the onslaught of Pie goals. I have never done that before. Incidentally the umpire turned to me and shrugged as if to say he made a mistake. Mc Burney just smiled. This is what this debacle is doing to me.

Which one was that? I don't remember.

Umpire 6 is Margetts, he's actually one of the better umpires going round.

[beelzebub 23,364]

There are a handful of outstanding, heartfelt posts on this thread. They shine like gems amongst the usual array claptrap and vitriol. I congratulate the authors, and look forward to the day when we are all united in celebration rather than divided in adversity. It can't come quick enough!

pack a couple of thermoses and a basket of sangers: its going to be a long wait before we amount to much Im affraid.

Every time another rebuild , or tinkering of current is mentioned the goalposts get pushed further and further away.

This club's been in deenial for so long that the reality of things is only really coming to the fore. Thats scary for we thought we knew what sort of mess we were in, apparently we didnt.

[dee-luded 2,959]

But the review is being carried out not by PJ but by Trotter, a current board member.

No offence at all to Trotter, who having seen at the walk to the G is no doubt a proud and passionate team, but it is not possible that a board member can independently and objectively review a board he is part of.

That said, all comes to nothing if they just ignore the bulk of the report. But they wouldn't do that would they..........

I don't know anything about trotter,, all I heard last week was that PJackson would review the board as well. Is he not doing this as well?

I would have thought that the AFL would want a total & thorough review by Peter Jackson, of all parts of the club, so they can use their AFL resources wisely to help this club sought itself out...

... the AFL would not want the flagship to continue to flounder aimlessly as it has for 45 years.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Mighty Post Redleg. Thanks..we must all share some beers soon once the wins commence.

where ?

at our social club?

[Satyriconhome 10,872]

He has said himself that the FD was a mess, and there were 4 people reporting directly to Schwab.

So now PJ is hiring a head of football who a few of the main people in the FD will report to, and in turn the head of footy will be the only person reporting to the CEO.

the FD was a mess, and that is thanks to McLardy, Schwab and the board.

Do you have a different set of eyes and ears than the rest of us, he didn't say it was a mess, he "commented' that maybe the FD was inexperienced, really, even I knew that, perhaps he thinks that could be a problem that can be fixed internally. and how do we know he is hiring a head of football, oh that's right it is in the media

[dee-luded 2,959]

Not a bad idea, might improve some of the debate on here too! Could be during an interstate match at the Bentley or Leighoak clubs.

Or at our non existent Social Hub 'deanox'... overlooking our training ground, down beside the Bubble Dome...

... will the new board structure get us a social facility at our training base?

# I'd like to know from all mooted Boards, what their platform is, & what their intentions are to provide to our membership, re our facilities, such as a Social Hub; & the Bentleigh Club plans...

[rpfc 28,406]

I started this thread and deliberately have not responded to the pompous nonsense that a few have posted. Unfortunately it epitomizes all that is wrong with the club.

The overwhelming points though I have been trying to make, and no posters antagonistic to this thread have answered, is:

A) when are the powers that be going to take responsibility for abject failure (in the way a public company board would be required to do) ie resign, and

B) where is the movement of powerful Demon supporters anxious and willing to fix it in the way supporters of other powerful supporters of other AFL clubs would do in the face of such failure.

Your post is well thought out, and I agree with the reflections on supporters, but my concerns are more the complacency of the powers that be about failure, and the lack of action to correct it.

As I state again, it has required someone from outside ie Jeff Kennett (and indirectly the AFL) to put a bomb under us because we are too complacent and willing to accept failure without consequence to the extent we have now put the future of the club we love in jeopardy, and yet there are still people on here who defend the status quo and do not appear willing or able to face into the crisis we are facing.

I suspect we deserve the demise that is coming .....

What a crock, especially that last line.

McLardy has been publicly setting upp his disengagement for weeks.

Where is our Kennett?

Our Kennetts are not throwing Molatovs at the club - they are talking to the club. Geoff Freeman is willing to give his time and energy apparently to be a Director and there was no need for him to play that out in the media or slag the current members of a Board he may have to work with in the future.

I don't know of many who defend the status quo - I think that is defenseless tripe to suggest of your fellow MFC supporters, as is the notion that our demise is close or that we deserve it.

The club will get renewal.

It may not be satisfying for those who want to have people to blame, or Directors to lambast in an election, but you will get renewal.

And we have to do it in a methodical manner that is respectful to those who have given their time, money, and energy, and we have to do it within the parameters of an AFL that wants to help us out of our current mire.

We have an AFL-endorsed CEO.

We will soon have a renewed Board with a new President.

We will enter 2014 with a properly functioning FD, led by one with previous experience in running an FD, and a new coach - one with previous experience in the job.

These are achievable things to hope for, and to be thankful for.

It will happen.

[Satyriconhome 10,872]

Red leg, I think we all feel your pain so eloquently expressed in the above post. As a 50 year Demon supporter, and one who also has children who are supporters but fair weather ones, I can see how our supporter base has eroded over the years along with our patchy inconsistent performances. I guess my childrens' generation of supporters have never been given a real reason to be the enthusiasts their parents are.

My concerns and criticisms of the current board about not taking responsibility and being willing to resign for a better alternative is about giving the remaining supporters, players, coaches hope, but obviously to do that responsibly there needs to be a quality alternative. Instead McLardy by his recent comments seems to want to hang on and fight. Wouldn't it be better if he admitted the current Board has failed and undertook to hand over to whatever entity the PJ and AFL decides is appropriate, with the one proviso that it is in the interests of the Club eg a suggestion of relocation or merging should be rejected.

The point I also made is that, in spite of our high powered supporter base, there appears to be no high powered Group emerging that wishes to take over responsibility, except the Kennett Group and he is not even a supporter. I have suggested this would not be the case in any of the AFL powerhouses should they have gone through a three years like the last three years of the MFC. The supporter bases simply would not put up with it. this I think says something about where the club is at, and certainly makes me want to support the Kennett Group if they are committed to putting the club on a far sounder financial footing (as Kennett did so successfully at Hawthorn), and with that will come on-field success as confidence builds in the playing group so we retain key players and attract capable new ones. Appointment of an experienced successful coach (Clarkson?) would also help in this, but we would also need to give him a reason to commit to us beyond money - hope and desire to succeed. That is what I believe a Kennett lead board may be able to do. An AFL/PJ inspired one may be able to as well, but whatever happens, a change is both desirable and inevitable. Better for the current incumbents to acknowledge that and work toward a smooth transition rather than seemingly standing and fighting.

Why admit the Board has failed, there is only a small group of naysayers on here and one Jeff Kennett (who I took great delight in voting out) who say that the Board has been a massive failure............Don McLardy has admitted mistakes have been made, horror, oh no make a mistake, we never do that (so say the minority).......and they are looking at reviewing everything

So how long have you been putting up with this then?

And the support has eroded over the years, strange the membership was growing for the last four, unfortunately this year because of the on field it has dipped by just under 3000, similar to St Kilda which has dipped by 8000 because of the on field performance, fair weather supporters exactly

Edited June 12, 2013 by Satyriconhome

[mjt 640]

where ?

at our social club?

We need a functioning Football Club before a social club, let it go.

[Biffen 12,943]

We need a functioning Football Club before a social club, let it go.

Did you miss your bus today?

Just make sure you keep in touch with your carer .

You're a real concern to all of us when you get off your meds and start posting .

[dee-luded 2,959]

We need a functioning Football Club before a social club, let it go.

the 2 ideas are not reliant on one another. they are seperate, but related issues.

the supporters would use a facility overseeing the training & it would grow... & it would add numbers from supporters who feel involved into memberships... grassroots stuff.

the football department will workout, as they are, the footy issues. & the board need to provide facilities for all supporters, not just the members, & not just the mcc members... IF we want to grow.

[Redleg 40,905]

Red leg, I think we all feel your pain so eloquently expressed in the above post. As a 50 year Demon supporter, and one who also has children who are supporters but fair weather ones, I can see how our supporter base has eroded over the years along with our patchy inconsistent performances. I guess my childrens' generation of supporters have never been given a real reason to be the enthusiasts their parents are.

My concerns and criticisms of the current board about not taking responsibility and being willing to resign for a better alternative is about giving the remaining supporters, players, coaches hope, but obviously to do that responsibly there needs to be a quality alternative. Instead McLardy by his recent comments seems to want to hang on and fight. Wouldn't it be better if he admitted the current Board has failed and undertook to hand over to whatever entity the PJ and AFL decides is appropriate, with the one proviso that it is in the interests of the Club eg a suggestion of relocation or merging should be rejected.

The point I also made is that, in spite of our high powered supporter base, there appears to be no high powered Group emerging that wishes to take over responsibility, except the Kennett Group and he is not even a supporter. I have suggested this would not be the case in any of the AFL powerhouses should they have gone through a three years like the last three years of the MFC. The supporter bases simply would not put up with it. this I think says something about where the club is at, and certainly makes me want to support the Kennett Group if they are committed to putting the club on a far sounder financial footing (as Kennett did so successfully at Hawthorn), and with that will come on-field success as confidence builds in the playing group so we retain key players and attract capable new ones. Appointment of an experienced successful coach (Clarkson?) would also help in this, but we would also need to give him a reason to commit to us beyond money - hope and desire to succeed. That is what I believe a Kennett lead board may be able to do. An AFL/PJ inspired one may be able to as well, but whatever happens, a change is both desirable and inevitable. Better for the current incumbents to acknowledge that and work toward a smooth transition rather than seemingly standing and fighting.

See my post 85. Don is not fighting to hang on, he is leaving. He just doesn't want Kennett to take over.

You were joking in your last paragraph when you said we could get Clarkson if we had a Kennett led Board, weren't you. Clarkson hates him. I believe his fellow Directors are not in love with him either. The AFL are not fans either. His Gallipoli comment was disgraceful and a pathetic, typical lapse in judgment.

[Satyriconhome 10,872]

"His Gallipoli comment was disgraceful and a pathetic, typical lapse in judgment"......one of the many reasons we do not WANT or NEED Kennett anywhere near the Club.........

Come on then Dees2014, where is your reply to the last paragraph of my post, too factual for you?

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

Considering all that has happened and where the MFC sits today in relation to other clubs it is amazing to me that ANYONE cannot say categorically that the current board has FAILED dismally.

To keep Schwab as CEO after 2011 is inexcusable.

[Dees2014 2,377]

Why admit the Board has failed, there is only a small group of naysayers on here and one Jeff Kennett (who I took great delight in voting out) who say that the Board has been a massive failure............Don McLardy has admitted mistakes have been made, horror, oh no make a mistake, we never do that (so say the minority).......and they are looking at reviewing everything

So how long have you been putting up with this then?

And the support has eroded over the years, strange the membership was growing for the last four, unfortunately this year because of the on field it has dipped by just under 3000, similar to St Kilda which has dipped by 8000 because of the on field performance, fair weather supporters exactly

Satyriconhome, happy to oblige with reply.

Yes the club has grown members - so has every club in the comp. the AFL is an unstoppable jugganaut. But let's compare us with Hawthorn - just a little bit topical given my stated view on a Kennet Presidency. At the time of the merger of the "Melbourne Hawks", I think circa 1982 (could be wrong on the dates), the MFC member numbers were something like 23k, with a further 20k as MCC members but not MFC members. HFC would have been lucky to have 20k, and they were almost broke. They were driven by finances, we were driven by improving on-field performance (what else is new?).

Today Hawthorns has over 60k members, a training and social club set up second to none in the league, and owning a second home in Tasmania which provides 12k members pa, and a couple of million dollars in revenue. Who created this? In two words - Jeff Kennett. He brings the gravitas, political power, and shere will to do this stuff. We at the moment have nothing approaching him, and I suggest an insurance broker is not going to cut it either. I have a background in very senior positions in Banking, and I can tell you insurance brokers are tuppance a dozen.

If we are to become a power again, we need people who are serious players in the top end of town. There are very few on the Board like that (except perhaps Stuart Grimshaw but he is Brisbane based and his sporting expertise is largely northern states in Rugby and I think Hockey).if someone else want to put someone up with Kennet's power and gravitas, then I would be happy to support them, but at the moment we are playing suburban leagues rather than the real thing.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Dees2014

[dee-luded 2,959]

See my post 85. Don is not fighting to hang on, he is leaving. He just doesn't want Kennett to take over.

You were joking in your last paragraph when you said we could get Clarkson if we had a Kennett led Board, weren't you. Clarkson hates him. I believe his fellow Directors are not in love with him either. The AFL are not fans either. His Gallipoli comment was disgraceful and a pathetic, typical lapse in judgment.

if we're ever a chance to one day get an Al Clarkson, we do not want a geff... spoiling the party, as it were.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Satyriconhome, happy to oblige with reply.

Yes the club has grown members - so has every club in the comp. the AFL is an unstoppable jugganaut. But let's compare us with Hawthorn - just a little bit topical given my stated view on a Kennet Presidentcy. At the time of the merge of the "Melbourne Hawks", I think circa 1982 (could be wrong on the dates, the MFC member numbers were something like 23k, with a further 20k as MCC members but not MFC members. HFC would have been lucky to have 20k, and they were almost broke. They were driven by finances, we were driven by improving on-field performance (what ekes is new?).

Today Hawthorns has over 60k members, a training and social club set up second to none in the league, and owning a second home in Tasmania which provides 12k members pa, and a couple of million dollars in revenue. Who created this? In a word - Jeff Kennett.

Dees 2014, if geff wants to come on board, who then is his subordinates? who is on this so called ticket of 5? Mrs Brown???

[Go the Biff 3,418]

Today Hawthorns has over 60k members, a training and social club set up second to none in the league, and owning a second home in Tasmania which provides 12k members pa, and a couple of million dollars in revenue. Who created this? In a word - Jeff Kennett.

That's two words. Both are wrong. The correct answer is Ian Dicker. Without him, none of the above could have taken place

[Dees2014 2,377]

That's two words. Both are wrong. The correct answer is Ian Dicker. Without him, none of the above could have taken place

Sorry posted early by mistake. Please look at the amended entry.

Can I just make this point. It is true Dicker did much of the ground work, but Kennett made it happen. And that is the point about him. He gets things done.

Interestingly, if you talk to political pollsters (which these days I do often) they will tell you about the huge disillusionment with politics in Australia across all age groups, demographics, ethnics groups, and political parties. They will also tell you the two politicians who are most respected, revered, and missed, are Paul Keating and Jeff Kennett, not only in Victoria, but nationally as well.

Why?

Because they had conviction, vision, and GOT THINGS DONE.

And guess what, Kennett can for us as well.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Dees2014

[stuie 7,374]

There is, and it indicates that you don't know how to identify an apple tree before it bears fruit.

Look, I understand your frustration, but it's clear from this post that you have no idea what the problem is, or how to solve it. You're not alone on that, mind you, probably 99% of the posters on this forum don't know either, but your entire opinion seems to based on the premise that "We currently suck. Therefore everyone currently doing anything must suck".

I take it by this post that you're a parachuting Greek man...

I'm not saying "everyone currently doing anything must suck", I'm saying we have decent, hard working people in important roles, but we're at a point where that isn't good enough, we're at a point where we need the best, otherwise we will not make any headway.

Do you get it now Con Descending?

[Dees2014 2,377]

Dees 2014, if geff wants to come on board, who then is his subordinates? who is on this so called ticket of 5? Mrs Brown???

Well he has stated that he wants a corporate model much like group leadership team of a major corporate with senior functional heads, I assume covering marketing, finance, operations (read football dept), HR (staff and recruitment) and himself and the CEO.

To me this makes a lot of sense and probably means they will be paid as well. I have seen this corporate model work often in the past, I have no doubt it could work here

[Satyriconhome 10,872]

Dees2014

That's two words. Both are wrong. The correct answer is Ian Dicker. Without him, none of the above could have taken place

Thanks, I was going to answer the same thing

Nice to see you have been in senior positions in Banking, that really fills me with confidence, GFC etc, I have worked in the Banking sector, never seen such a lack of good governance in my life, the rogue financial adviser from the CBA says hello........to actually denigrate somebody from another industry beggars belief.

You will find Kennett is not well thought of at the Big End of Town, you reversed the class war for a change, hence the lack of board positions he has...............

Edited June 12, 2013 by Satyriconhome

[Satyriconhome 10,872]

Well he has stated that he wants a corporate model much like group leadership team of a major corporate with senior functional heads, I assume covering marketing, finance, operations (read football dept), HR (staff and recruitment) and himself and the CEO.

To me this makes a lot of sense and probably means they will be paid as well. I have seen this corporate model work often in the past, I have no doubt it could work here

The Club already has the above, or hadn't you noticed, have a look at the Club Website, here's the link

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/the-club/people/staff-members

You are getting carried away with Jeff's rhetoric aren't you

I for one will always thank Jeff for Crown, I mean without it , we wouldn't have increased petty crime around Southbank, gambling addiction, money laundering, flaunting of community standards if you put enough cash across the poker table etc etc