The AFL is now controlling the appointment of the President (Chairman) and members of the Board as well as the appointment and hand picking of the coach.

As members I think we can forget about voting. It looks as though it has been taken out of our hands.

Is this what members really want? No say?

Yes for the short term... to change the direction of this listless club... more bright people from the north isn't the answer, its what we've had.

I'm glad the AFL have their finger in the MFC dyke.

& I hope they keep it there for 18 months, to right this wayward boat.

The AFL is now controlling the appointment of the President (Chairman) and members of the Board as well as the appointment and hand picking of the coach.

As members I think we can forget about voting. It looks as though it has been taken out of our hands.

Is this what members really want? No say?

Is "our say" in the best interests of the club?

I think the club has had its chance to self-govern, including on the reliance of members.

Time to let the AFL do what's best.

I, for one, welcome our new football overlords..

Lol'd.

The bottom line is i want the MFC to survive and thrive

If it takes some intervention from the AFL then that's good enough for me

We have been bad managers for decades and it has become an embarrassment to everyone

Well just about every Board we have had for the past many years have "stuffed" things up. We do not appear to have any alternative at this stage. Something drastic had to be done. Do you have a better idea ?? Please not one that has been tried and failed in our past... Our Club was a basket case and quickly going down the gurgler.. At least now I (at least) can see signs of a possible recovery.. I do not want to go back to the past.. It's about time someone took the MFC by the throat and shook it !! ..

past many years??? I think we've hardly ever had a good one since I don't know when. would have to be the late 50's?

we were on the skids for 15 or so years before the 80's,,, prior to Diick Seddons administration came to the rescue. they rebuilt the Club from the ground Up, & he left, I think to go onto the VFL commission...

heres a little grab of the time, from archive >

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=dick%20seddon%20mfc&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDAQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnewspapers%3Fnid%3D1300%26dat%3D19830610%26id%3Dfy5VAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3DnpQDAAAAIBAJ%26pg%3D1638%2C4484644&ei=WBPEUZ_UKqyRigf9zICwBw&usg=AFQjCNFHWbZEZLWp8PQNWlFgcN1pfWMPUw

but after his crew, including Barassi & his footy dept',,, the hard work & disciplines introduced in the early 80's,,, slowly slowly eeked away thru the 90's, til the crapp hit our Fan... & it got worse off field, & our onfield team started playing bruise free footy.

we lost the likes of Schwartz, Whelan, Neitz, Jnr Mac, & were left with little Steel in our list... no one chasing, no one winning the hard ball, collecting cheap kicks & stats, one way runners & we dropped behind the competition...

Edited June 21, 201312 yr by dee-luded

I wouldn't put "the increase in FD spending" down as a win given the results of the last 18 months and the hefty payouts that eventuated!

Haha good point!

I don't see what the fuss is.

The current board isn't any good. We need a replacement. Members are not, nor should be, empowered to make this decision - it runs the risk of leaving us with someone incapable (e.g. Kennett, Schwarz).

This process ensures we end up with someone capable. That's all that we need. We don't need this fantastical notion of 'rights' and 'votes' and all that crap. Let's just acknowledge that our club is a basket case and that if it wasn't for the AFL, who knows where we'd end up.

Edited June 21, 201312 yr by titan_uranus

Without knowing the nuts and bolts of it all, I get the feeling that if the AFL wanted us gone or moved, then there wouldn't be a thing we could do about it anyway.

I'll trust them because I really don't have a choice.

The AFL, believe it or not, has our best interests at heart, because a successful MFC is a successful competition.

I'm glad somebody with money, power and most importantly a clue, has stepped in to save our sorry arses.

I love this club to death and I want to see it thrive. I couldn't give two sh!ts who makes that happen for us.

Pretty funny though how there is no pretence any more.

Mike Fitzpatrick told Kennett to F.O., Not Spargo, not even PJ, but Fitzpatrick !!

We are no longer an independent club... not that I even give a [censored]

Edited June 21, 201312 yr by Bring Back Barassi

Must be more than the supposed 2-3 million some suggest for this kind of overseeing .

No doubt. The AFL are paying the bills for the foreseeable future. It has to be upward of $5mill. CEO, Coach, HOF and any other experienced new employees they may bring in. Add to that, pay outs, potential salary cap increases (that part is more doubtful), plus the already limping financial bottom line. The AFL have stepped in because after five years of the current board, we're back where we started: essentially a $5 million deficit. If we are to compete and thrive, it has to be all or nothing here.

I think it's more the lost revenue for other clubs who have home games against us that would be driving it as much as the $$$$$ we need. PJ said as much the other day when he said we were an 'impediment' on the competition.

Agree with this too.

Yes we can come back. It is still a member run club; the AFL will not be taking over our governance in perpetuity. It is a targeted response to our woeful off-field management (you can name your own timeframe as to how far this goes back) and once we are on the right track the AFL will get their beaks out. The AFL definitely have their own interests at heart but they coincide with ours at this point. I don't see them as some Mafiosi stand over gang trying to worm their way in and then never leaving like what Carlton tried to do to several clubs in the 80's and 90's. I have no doubt the AFL want us to be strong AND independent. The only issue for us until that time is that we will have a hard time speaking out against relevant issues that the clubs should have a say on but we are basically there at the moment with our reliance on the ASD or whatever they call it these days anyway. If we can become strong through their help we will become independent and able to have out say but until then we ahod just focus on getting our house in order.

Well said as usual, Doctor.

When you sell your soul for money you have to let the Devil in.

Anyone else concerned this arrangement will see us spending a lot more time at Ethihad?

Anyone else concerned this arrangement will see us spending a lot more time at Ethihad?

As much as I hate the place it's better than out of existence. If the team can get back on track it won't be an issue, we will draw crowds back to the 'G'.

Perhaps this is a case of wanting to have your cake and eat it to, but I really don't like the idea of the AFL have such overriding authority over the club and it's directors/president. I think they should definitely have an opinion and maybe even a seat on the board to keep them apprised of everything going on here, but the fundamental structure of a club is that it's beholden to the members. The members should have a right to vote for who they want in.

If they want to put forward candidates and present them as the best options then I really think the members will vote that way anyway, but this amount of control is concerning for me.

Anyone else concerned this arrangement will see us spending a lot more time at Ethihad?

I'm concerned it will make us more the AFL's b!tich which will lead to us copping worse fixturing and more low drawing games. But i will say that for this point in time the AFL is on our side and trying to get us on our own feet (again).

I'm concerned it will make us more the AFL's b!tich which will lead to us copping worse fixturing and more low drawing games. But i will say that for this point in time the AFL is on our side and trying to get us on our own feet (again).

I think we have been in that position for some time. Now we are like aligned with AD's ego. It is the safest place in footy to be.

I don't see what the fuss is.

The current board isn't any good. We need a replacement. Members are not, nor should be, empowered to make this decision - it runs the risk of leaving us with someone incapable (e.g. Kennett, Schwarz).

This process ensures we end up with someone capable. That's all that we need. We don't need this fantastical notion of 'rights' and 'votes' and all that crap. Let's just acknowledge that our club is a basket case and that if it wasn't for the AFL, who knows where we'd end up.

Other people may refer to it as Communism.

Other people may refer to it as Communism.

Which 'other people'?

You?

If you're the only one, then I'm not fussed.

Which 'other people'?

You?

If you're the only one, then I'm not fussed.

why spend 200 bucks a year on a membership ticket if we have no rights to vote, if you think I'm the only one out of 33,000 members that feels that way then your SLOWER than I thought.

Other people may refer to it as Communism.

rubbish, more like fascism...

but its a benevolent dictatorship, as the Nort-hern Stand Can Never give us a top shelf FOOTY Board... they've tried for nigh on 50 - 55 Years, miserably..... let them sell themselves, to the Chinese instead.

rubbish, more like fascism...

but its a benevolent dictatorship, as the Nort-hern Stand Can Never give us a top shelf FOOTY Board... they've tried for nigh on 50 - 55 Years, miserably..... let them sell themselves, to the Chinese instead.

They can sell themselves to the Chinese but eventually it will end up in tears, we just haven't got the supporter base to compete in the AFL anymore, I suppose that comes from 5 decades of failure.

rubbish, more like fascism...

but its a benevolent dictatorship, as the Nort-hern Stand Can Never give us a top shelf FOOTY Board... they've tried for nigh on 50 - 55 Years, miserably..... let them sell themselves, to the Chinese instead.

We tried to sell ourselves to the Chinese but they wouldn't bite.

South China Airways rejected us for a lucrative sports sponsorship last month.