I do all those too Saty.

But there is not the same feeling for me as there is at other clubs (non AFL ) that I visit.

Now a large part of that may be the fact that we are an AFL club and it is hard to be involved in the same way you can at a smaller club.

I Have friends who are Carlton, Richmond and Hawthorn members, I have been with them on numerous occasions to their home games ( not always when playing the dees ) and it feels different. It is hard to explain, just feels more inclusive.

Then I am afraid it must be you Old Dee, I am jaundiced about a lot of things in modern life, thankfully footy isn't one of them, but get me started on Television and Journalism and away we go.........

I always sit in the outer, and myself and my lovely lady vary it, depending on the crowd and who we are playing. the MCC would definitely not have me as a member, but feeling divorced from the Club?.....I go and watch training, I attend functions, I go to the AGM, I volunteer for things etc etc.......you can be as involved as you want to be.....

you're a nice guy when you keep your teeth in

Edited July 16, 201311 yr by nextplease

Then I am afraid it must be you Old Dee, I am jaundiced about a lot of things in modern life, thankfully footy isn't one of them, but get me started on Television and Journalism and away we go.........

May well be! just giving my feelings for what they are worth.

As for the others I feel we might agree I read way more books than I did a few years ago.

The entertainment world has gone off in a direction I have little interest in.

dee-luded and Saty As a non MCC member I have always sat out with the plebs.

If I am very honest I have always felt like a second class member.

I do agree with you dee-luded that we are now well and truely divorced from the team, not that it is the MFC's fault.

I go to other football clubs and I get a more belonging feeling than I ever have going to the G to watch the Dees.

Has it stopped me going to watch the MFc for the past 54 years? No!

But I am not sure that it is not a dicouragement for young people and future members.

I have longed for a social club for 40+ years, I doubt we will ever have one.

The cruncher for me is win games when that is happeneing the rest just becomes minor irritations.

... thanks OD, but this isn't about me as I have left the metropolis of Melbourne.... am Now 1.25 hours away from the 'G',,, & about to move, & will be 2.5 hours away... a 1 hour drive plus 1.25 hours of train travel.

... but as Jimma said he wants to see the MFC survive, but to me surviving & making up numbers isn't enough as its what we've been doing since 1965...

to me IF we want this club to be a Power club to match it in the future with the Pies & Bombers & Hawks... then the club will have to relent & try to grow its grass roots base, like its trying at Casey...

... but thats Not enough, as the club is also distanced from the Casey people as well...

the trick is to grow the inner city area (not @ docklands),, but Our Traditional areas that we've always had... by giving the people more contact with the team, the Club & players...

Mick Malthouse has just tried to engage with his true blue supporters @ visy >

this is what its about when the following is down on its knees, its back to basics & grass roots... grow the club from the ground up like we rebuild a list & culture. that sense of belonging is Everything, Everything, Everything... it's all there is.

.... selfishness will only serve one thing... it'll kill the club by asphyxiation.

# "build it, & 'they' will come"

Edited July 16, 201311 yr by dee-luded

... thanks OD, but this isn't about me as I have left the metropolis of Melbourne.... am Now 1.25 hours away from the 'G',,, & about to move, 7 will be 2.5 hours away... a 1 hour drive plus 1.25 hours of train travel.

... but as Jimma said he wants to see the MFC survive, but to me surviving 7 making up numbers isn't enough as its what we've been doing since 1965...

to me IF we want this club to be a Power club to match it in the future with the Pies & Bombers & Hawks... then the club will have to relent & try to grow its grass roots base, like its trying at Casey...

... but thats Not enough, as the club is also distanced from the Casey people as well...

the trick is to grow the inner city area (not @ docklands),, but Our Traditional areas that we've always had... by giving the people more contact with the team, the Club & players...

Mick Malthouse has just tried to engage with his true blue supporters @ visy >

this is what its about when the following is down on its knees, its back to basics & grass roots... grow the club from the ground up like we rebuild a list & culture. that sense of belonging is Everything, Everything, Everything... it's all there is.

.... selfishness will only serve one thing... it'll kill the club by asphyxiation.

Are you a member?

I do all those too Saty.

But there is not the same feeling for me as there is at other clubs (non AFL ) that I visit.

Now a large part of that may be the fact that we are an AFL club and it is hard to be involved in the same way you can at a smaller club.

I Have friends who are Carlton, Richmond and Hawthorn members, I have been with them on numerous occasions to their home games ( not always when playing the dees ) and it feels different. It is hard to explain, just feels more inclusive.

thats it, OD.... I felt closer years ago to the club & went into the rooms before games, after games, to training nights, was a servent for 6 or 7 years, Melbourne thru & thru, even when one fellow demon friend abandoned us & went to the hawks, first as a talent scout, & then fully as a member...

I only hope that 'Joe Gutnick' & 'WJ' get together, & build a complex at our training ground.... 'From little things, big things Grow'.

change... all jokes aside...the idea of REAL change. It needs it. It might happen all things indicated .

But the change ought to be wholesale, not itsy bitsy.

It seems to me that might just be happening.

and I could wake up !!!

It's only football. A long time ago I realised that it wasn't a good idea to abdicate my own happiness to a bunch of dumb arse footballers. Once you let go of the idea of allowing winning or losing to overly affect your state of mind the process of supporting your club becomes much more enjoyable. These days I sit at the Gee in an almost Karmic state as I watch our lads butcher another kick or handball to the stationary guy with three beefy defenders surrounding him. When things get tough i simply mutter my own little mantra to help me get through the game. "Ohm Hot jam donuts, hot jam donuts, hot jam donuts". Works every time.

Mods, this is not meant as an offensive expletive but a humerous one...

BULLSHITE don't believe you but very funny. I too cannot believe how much of a bell-weather Melbourne winning or losing can be to my mood.

Born to the club, love the tradition, still believe in the future.

Mods, this is not meant as an offensive expletive but a humerous one...

BULLSHITE don't believe you but very funny. I too cannot believe how much of a bell-weather Melbourne winning or losing can be to my mood.

Born to the club, love the tradition, still believe in the future.

I once went to the footy with a mate of mine who was bemused by my antics during the match. This guy was a Psychologist by profession and had only started following the dee's since recently moving to Melbourne. He said that during the match I visibly aged a couple of years. He said that I displayed every symptom of a host of psychological conditions but in particular from the bipolar spectrum, e.g. depression, elation, anxiety, bravado, humiliation, aggression and ultimately self loathing. He was quite intrigued the state of my football Record, (it resembled confetti ). From that point on I always aware that he was in some way watching me and so I toned down my antics when in his presence, but somehow despite my best efforts the footy record would always end up looking like confetti, which he would duly note. Fast track to couple of years later and I run into the same guy leaving the "G" after a nail-biter.We talked for a couple of minutes and consoled our selves in the knowledge that we were robbed when I noticed the state of his footy record. What was left of it looked like it had been used to clean something a sick dog had done. I couldn't help myself and smiled somewhat insanely at him, to his credit he immediately knew where I was coming from and promptly hit me over the head with record and stormed off yelling "You did this to me you bastard". Thanks to him and my kids I have learned to control my self somewhat but you are right ingeniokinetic, I am a fraud, just ask my footy record.

Just hire the best bloody coach in the land.

Pay top $$$ this time.

"Don't skimp on the paté"as Mr Creasote once said.

My patience is wearing thin after that con man CS took us all on a long and fruitless ride for all but himself.

GET IT RIGHT.

What keeps me going as a melbourne supporter?

Demon for life direct debit of my membership!

I don't need to tell a single person reading this forum that its been a tough several years for us all. Like many on here I love my footy club, its been mine since birth and I find myself caring about it more than I probably should. I don't need to provide a spread sheet of the potential saviours, false dawns, tragedies, mistakes, anguish and failures we as a club have endured. There has been times in the past few years where in my darker moments I was forced to ponder which club I'd barrack for should mine bite the dust? The sad answer is, there is no answer, I'd probably give the game away. During this time I think we've each held onto something that has kept us going. A thought, a hope, a simple wish. I'm interested to know what yours is?

What's the one thing that has kept you supporting our club during these lean years?

Rusted on, no choice

I keep telling myself it's going to be worth the wait