Melbourne sponsors backlash over Demons

[Pirlo 527]

Schwab could sell ice to eskimos, but he'd probably deliver frozen sewage and demand double the fee.

[Sir Why You Little 34,937]

If this article is correct then the debt demolition was a farce. We obviously had no idea how to manage high end funds.

Do not employ mates to run a big business is the lesson.

The fact CS & CC walk away with fat wallets makes me very angry.

But i am glad the situation is now being aired.

It's going to take a lot of convincing to get members to dig deep a second time.

It will only happen when the best people are Head Hunted to oversee the complete restructure.

No wonder the AFL stepped in& thank God they have

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

I can't see what Howcroft brings to the club, maybe he is one of those 'liniment sniffers' that Archer talks about. Hopefully the review of the board will give us a clue.

I think you're on the money here rjay - I've heard the same thing about him from numerous people.

Wrong bloke to have on our board.

[Sir Why You Little 34,937]

I am not a CEO, but i have dealt with a few over the years.

Can somebody tell me why would a sponsor be badly treated?

It is unforgivable. Kasperksy wasn't even found by CS, they were presented to him via a supporter overseas!!

And he bad mouths them!!

What motivation drives this?

[BangkokDemon 96]

Why drag up dirty old history like this now?

Most of us understand the club is in a diabolic situation, but steps are at last being taken to try and get out of it.

So, what point is the Hun trying to make, talking about old issues mainly concerning former club management?

Or is it that this is the last week of the free subscription before even more of its content goes behind the paywall and so they need to drum up all the rubbish they can, to keep us hooked on the line ?

Remember this is News Limited and the ringmaster (Rupert) has been in town.

[jnrmac 19,324]

I'd be cautious before believing everything in the article. Having been at the recent MBC breakfast and hearing how the sponsorship team (assembled under cam schwab) tries to create synergistic relationships between sponsors, I'd be wary about believing that Schwab acted in a blantantly stupid way to annoy one of our only sponsors. The whole thing sounds paranoid and far-fetched to me.

Sadly its not. Sponsors expect something for their money. We have burned through a lot over the past 6 years because we have not delivered and their treatment has been poor.

CS would sit by himself taking notes on the game rather than schmoozing sponsors at a game. Then he would annoy the coaching staff with recommendations about the the game. Thats not what a good CEO does.

The Mission foods debacle was terrible. The Energy Watch was a very bad case of judgement - not in hindsight but at the time. Its my understanding we were warned but wanted the cash regardless.

[Sir Why You Little 34,937]

Sadly its not. Sponsors expect something for their money. We have burned through a lot over the past 6 years because we have not delivered and their treatment has been poor.

CS would sit by himself taking notes on the game rather than schmoozing sponsors at a game. Then he would annoy the coaching staff with recommendations about the the game. Thats not what a good CEO does.

The Mission foods debacle was terrible. The Energy Watch was a very bad case of judgement - not in hindsight but at the time. Its my understanding we were warned but wanted the cash regardless.

This is what i don't understand Jnr. How could someone at the top be so blatantly poor at their job and remain there with extensions!!

You DO NOT burn sponsors. They are giving $$$$. Dam right they should expect value.

[jnrmac 19,324]

I am not a CEO, but i have dealt with a few over the years.

Can somebody tell me why would a sponsor be badly treated?

It is unforgivable. Kasperksy wasn't even found by CS, they were presented to him via a supporter overseas!!

And he bad mouths them!!

What motivation drives this?

Its a lack of understanding about what a CEO of a sponsor wants,

Its a commercial decision and they have a choice about where to put their money. If you don't understand the rationale behind sponsorship and the fact that delivering outcomes is critical then you will rarely be able to build solid relationships. The fact that Dee supporters (in Mission Foods, Kaspersky and Hankook) were treated this way when they were 'in our camp' is an indictment on the administration. Volvo is another that was treated poorly through a lack of understanding about what they needed out of the relationship.

You can't keep burning these bridges.

Coll, Haw and WCE have longstanding relationships because they deliver outcomes for the clients. And its not just about what happens on field.

My opinion is that CS never had a commercial background out of football. He 'doesn't get it' in my view. He was involved at footy clubs since his early 20s and hence has no real experience in the outside world. Its a bit like a Govt employee going to work for private enterprise. very often it doesn't work out well.

Edited June 23, 2013 by jnrmac

[Sir Why You Little 34,937]

Its a lack of understanding about what a CEO of a sponsor wants,

Its a commercial decision and they have a choice about where to put their money. If you don't understand the rationale behind sponsorship and the fact that delivering outcomes is critical then you will rarely be able to build solid relationships. The fact that Dee supporters (in Mission Foods, Kaspersky and Hankook) were treated this way when they were 'in our camp' is an indictment on the administration. Volvo is another that was treated poorly through a lack of understanding about what they needed out of the relationship.

You can't keep burning these bridges.

Coll, Haw and WCE have longstanding relationships because they deliver outcomes for the clients. And its not just about what happens on field.

Too right. The fact that CS did it repeatedly is almost unbelievable. He didn't learn or didn't want to.

Now i know why he always wrote or talked about the 50's in public. His own work so poor.

It's like when you leave a job, don't bad mouth them, one day you may meet them again.

PJ must just sit in silence jaw on the ground when researching or past, as we all are.

We were all conned very badly.

[Sir Why You Little 34,937]

My opinion is that CS never had a commercial background out of football. He 'doesn't get it' in my view. He was involved at footy clubs since his early 20s and hence has no real experience in the outside world. Its a bit like a Govt employee going to work for private enterprise. very often it doesn't work out well.

Very good point. CS was early 20's when he inherited the Tigers CEO position in '87, i have heard him quoted as saying he was too young.

But he never learnt from his short comings.

This is why i still believe the MFC can be a Big Club in Australia, as long as the best people are bought in to run it. We have not seen that happen.

PJ is a good start. He knows how to run this place and knows people to speak to.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

I sat next to a guy from Kaspersky at the meet the coach function when Neeld came on board and I asked him if they were going to continue their sponsorship, he said that Melbourne were too hard to deal with and wouldn't even answer calls.

WYL no need to respond to this I've said what I want to say.

Edited June 23, 2013 by RobbieF

[Mono 454]

The only part of this that is new to me is the peace deal we've offered Kaspersky.

It's not new, but it just goes to show how poorly Schwab ran this club.

If there was a falling out with Kaspersky, the reaching out was under CS's watch. Footage of game 1, 2013 against port, shows a Kaspersky sign in front of Neeld in the coach's box.

[rjay 24,046]

A few of the foundation hero's that I know have been less than overwhelmed by their treatment. Jackson has a big task ahead, with some good people on board it will be turned around and Melbourne will be a good club for players, supporters and sponsors.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,078]

Melbourne sponsors backlash over Demons

more dirty laundry unearthed.

We really werent particulalry good at a lot of things. Thats what Im unfortunately starting to realise and yes Im fully cogniscant that many of these items were brought to the attention of us Demonlanders.

As mentioned in the article, its a good thing that we're overhauling this club.

An interesting article. Hopefully rightly or wrongly will bring people back into the fold. Persistant rumours along these lines for years.

[Sir Why You Little 34,937]

I sat next to a guy from Kaspersky at the meet the coach function when Neeld came on board and I asked him if they were going to continue their sponsorship, he said that Melbourne were too hard to deal with and wouldn't even answer calls.

WYL no need to respond to this I've said what I want to say.

Why bring me up? This aint a competition.

At least people now understand why i will never say that CS did his best for the club (Stuie...Wakey Wakey)

Relationships can be repaired with Sponsors...

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,078]

kasparsky are the best virus people - being Russian where most of the viruses are generally made they have their fingers on the pulse

[old dee 22,983]

I was having a good day till I read this thread.

Gee perhaps the Freo people were telling us the truth!

[mjt 640]

I was having a good day till I read this thread.

Gee perhaps the Freo people were telling us the truth!

You think so, i think thats been proven,its amazing that someone could let an emblem cost the club millions of dollars, its pretty old news, someones got an axe to grind AGAIN.

[pitmaster 3,109]

There's nothing much new in this except it explains why Kaspersky signs were in the coach's box at QB even though they are now with Collingwood.

I figured they saw better value there once they knew the market. Me? I'll never buy their stuff again - always preferred Macs anyway.

There's nothing to suggest CS bad mouthed Kaspersky and Lawrie De La Rue is known to have a beef over this placement of his tyre company name below the club symbol which CS initiated. I thought that is what the blue was over.

I doubt that CS would have bagged Hankook until after the falling out, but then again he always was too superficially smooth.

As for the article it's just a case of LDLR wanting to write his slice of history. Best not to over react.

[Choko 493]

I was trying to enter into a business relationship with the footy club that was 99% to the benefit of the MFC, and let me tell you, they are impossible to deal with. Our family are Foundation Heroes and we have sponsored players, and dealing with the club is like dealing with an amateur theatre company.

I think that we have been so mediocre for so long, it's heard to see a way out.

What these sponsors say would not surprise me one bit.

I will say, what we are good at is we generally run professional functions and our players are incredible accessible, even relative to other clubs.

[DemonFrog 1,347]

The MFC should sell its story to Hollywood, nothing I seen on TV can match how badly this Club has been managed over the years.

May be the money generated from the sale could be used to pay off more of the deadwood.

Clearly the Club is infected with some much deadwood its nearly terminal.

[Wolfmother 182]

I was trying to enter into a business relationship with the footy club that was 99% to the benefit of the MFC, and let me tell you, they are impossible to deal with. Our family are Foundation Heroes and we have sponsored players, and dealing with the club is like dealing with an amateur theatre company.

I think that we have been so mediocre for so long, it's heard to see a way out.

What these sponsors say would not surprise me one bit.

I will say, what we are good at is we generally run professional functions and our players are incredible accessible, even relative to other clubs.

Was super disappointed after ceasing my player sponsorship (and that doesn't include how poor the mfc were during the last year of sponsorship were I provided feedback that they just assumed we would pay because of our love for club rather than establishing a relationship with anyone ) ... I told them due to personal circumstances I would most likely not be able to continue with an Elite Player sponsorship.... Amazingly not one call to attempt to sell me a membership, a lower level player sponsorship or push me towards young/future demons... In sales I'm referred to as a hot source and if you aren't calling persons like me you have absolutely no idea

hence why we lost 000s of members every year

[Choko 493]

Was super disappointed after ceasing my player sponsorship (and that doesn't include how poor the mfc were during the last year of sponsorship were I provided feedback that they just assumed we would pay because of our love for club rather than establishing a relationship with anyone ) ... I told them due to personal circumstances I would most likely not be able to continue with an Elite Player sponsorship.... Amazingly not one call to attempt to sell me a membership, a lower level player sponsorship or push me towards young/future demons... In sales I'm referred to as a hot source and if you aren't calling persons like me you have absolutely no idea

hence why we lost 000s of members every year

They are seriously nowhere near the level you would hope they are..... 100% agree. Without this becoming a Neeld thread, this is why I have a strong view that Neeld was the least of the issues.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

They are seriously nowhere near the level you would hope they are..... 100% agree. Without this becoming a Neeld thread, this is why I have a strong view that Neeld was the least of the issues.

The level of professionalism at the club is close to zero; they have improved a bit lately and I think that has a lot to do with the new CEO and the fact that some now realise their job may be on the line.

My wife continually asks me why I bother and I really do wonder at times.

I do think that the recruiting of Neeld just showed how out of touch they were; I don't think there would have been anyone on the Board who would have a clue as to how to go about recruiting a new coach.

Edited June 23, 2013 by RobbieF

[FireUp 67]

Hang in there Robbie F. We know why you bother. We love our Dees; we can't help it.