Demetriou Should be Sacked Now

[Slartibartfast 16,937]

He gave in completely to the clubs leaving the competition exposed to the muscle power of the stronger clubs.

You may think that but you're quite wrong. It was the view of the AFL that we shouldn't get a PP.

Vlad has overseen such a powerful and successful competition that the AFL have had a chance to support basket case clubs who in normal circumstances would now be in the hands of the receivers.

You can snipe at the little issues all you like but the reality is he's been exceptionally successful in growing the brand and he's saved our club.

[Blistering 538]

You may think that but you're quite wrong. It was the view of the AFL that we shouldn't get a PP.

Vlad has overseen such a powerful and successful competition that the AFL have had a chance to support basket case clubs who in normal circumstances would now be in the hands of the receivers.

You can snipe at the little issues all you like but the reality is he's been exceptionally successful in growing the brand and he's saved our club.

If that's true (and Vlad made no effort to state that) it was pretty weak of Vlad to bring in the other clubs to cover his ample backside.

Demetriou has overseen the organisation in a way that robs the poor and gives to the rich and which creates a scenario where the poorer clubs need only one or two bad seasons on the field to become basket cases because they get dud fixtures making it so much harder to get members, sponsors and revenue from the gate. Sad to see we have supporters who apologise for this sort of thing.

[DemonFrog 1,347]

If that's true (and Vlad made no effort to state that) it was pretty weak of Vlad to bring in the other clubs to cover his ample backside.

Demetriou has overseen the organisation in a way that robs the poor and gives to the rich and which creates a scenario where the poorer clubs need only one or two bad seasons on the field to become basket cases because they get dud fixtures making it so much harder to get members, sponsors and revenue from the gate. Sad to see we have supporters who apologise for this sort of thing.

You could added the 100 million given to expansion Clubs. If this money was return to the existing Clubs we would not have needed additional financial support an be a more sustainable Club.

C.Mon uncle Vlad can I have another 2.7 million, pretty please!

The AFL only has the members Clubs Money, not their own. As without the Clubs they would have nothing.

[rpfc 28,075]

I am pretty happy with him from the tanking saga where we were on the same page. I agree that it was a cowardly recommendation from Evans about the PP, and one that will probably be re-thought next year.

But I have always agreed with the expansion ideal and the maintenance of the ober clubs, and he has driven that.

[Tony Tea 2,806]

Are we to conclude Andrew has been using his mid-season overseas trips to seek bigger jobs? If so, he has been shopping around on company time and on the company dime, and ought to be sacked right now.

[Whispering_Jack 29,333]

You may think that but you're quite wrong. It was the view of the AFL that we shouldn't get a PP.

Vlad has overseen such a powerful and successful competition that the AFL have had a chance to support basket case clubs who in normal circumstances would now be in the hands of the receivers.

You can snipe at the little issues all you like but the reality is he's been exceptionally successful in growing the brand and he's saved our club.

A bit precious to suggest that I snipe at "little" issues when you've done little else but snipe at others for the best part of the last two years (eg Neeld trashed Bailey's brand when he outlined how poorly the players came up after their first fitness tests) but I'll let that pass to the keeper.

The little matters upon which I base my contempt of Demetriou range from his appalling mismanagement of the tanking affair, the doping scandal (which could still blow up in both his and the AFL's face), the disgraceful and conflicted manner in which he allowed a new franchise to poach a teenage player before the first year of his contract was out without giving his club any opportunity to match the offer funded by the AFL and the inadequate compensation given at the time. IMO his treatment of the state of the stadium used for the semi final in Sydney was contemptuous and an insult to all concerned and an embarrassment to himself. For reasons outlined by others above I don't think he's done us any great favours with his largesse in the face of the obstacles the AFL sets up for clubs like ours.

My opinion is that it's time for the AFL Commission to delist him even if there are some fawning sycophants around who accept that we should remain beholden to him. The fact of the matter is that while his record might look good in the bigger picture, there are some large cracks emerging and I don't trust him to handle them.

Moreover, when interviewed by Mike Sheahan on Open Mike last Tuesday, Demetriou denied that the MFC was on "life support" but rather had been given a "one off grant which was to help with redundancies and they'll be alright after that".

He's talking about our financial position and not where we are as a football team and that comment is in direct contradiction with your assessment that the club is a basket case that would normally be in the hands of receivers.

Now, if you're right about that, then what Demetriou told Sheahan in public was a lie and good corporate governance demands that he should be thrown out of office for that.

On the other hand, if Demetriou told the truth ...

[monoccular 17,345]

GWS was always going to be a risk, but why not back our sport against other sports? Who cares where it is, the AFL is the biggest sport in the land.

If the GWS fails, then it won't be because the franchise was started there, but because the AFL failed to market their product properly.

The tanking and drug issues funnel into each other, in that basically both can be avoided if organizations are run in an ethical manner.

Look at Port, Swans and Cats and look how those organizations are run compared to how Essendon, Melbourne are run, the difference is they don't take short cuts. Buckley appears to have realized that Collingwood was a long way behind in terms of quality personal - that is why he is making drastic shifts to inject quality people.

Most say Vlad is a dictator and that he has got it all wrong, but they fail to put themselves in his boots and see what he is up against.

The strong clubs push their own agenda to the detriment of the comp and Vlad does not let that happen.

Vlad can never really win though, because for the AFL to be run to the best of it's ability, clubs need to be more ethical and run more professionally.

But for Vlad to keep above the game, he cannot afford to always do that himself, that is why he cannot win.

But overall he is the best man for the job at present.

drastic shifts to inject quality people.

Isn't that what Essendon tried?

[Slartibartfast 16,937]

A bit precious to suggest that I snipe at "little" issues when you've done little else but snipe at others for the best part of the last two years (eg Neeld trashed Bailey's brand when he outlined how poorly the players came up after their first fitness tests) but I'll let that pass to the keeper.

The little matters upon which I base my contempt of Demetriou range from his appalling mismanagement of the tanking affair, the doping scandal (which could still blow up in both his and the AFL's face), the disgraceful and conflicted manner in which he allowed a new franchise to poach a teenage player before the first year of his contract was out without giving his club any opportunity to match the offer funded by the AFL and the inadequate compensation given at the time. IMO his treatment of the state of the stadium used for the semi final in Sydney was contemptuous and an insult to all concerned and an embarrassment to himself. For reasons outlined by others above I don't think he's done us any great favours with his largesse in the face of the obstacles the AFL sets up for clubs like ours.

My opinion is that it's time for the AFL Commission to delist him even if there are some fawning sycophants around who accept that we should remain beholden to him. The fact of the matter is that while his record might look good in the bigger picture, there are some large cracks emerging and I don't trust him to handle them.

Moreover, when interviewed by Mike Sheahan on Open Mike last Tuesday, Demetriou denied that the MFC was on "life support" but rather had been given a "one off grant which was to help with redundancies and they'll be alright after that".

He's talking about our financial position and not where we are as a football team and that comment is in direct contradiction with your assessment that the club is a basket case that would normally be in the hands of receivers.

Now, if you're right about that, then what Demetriou told Sheahan in public was a lie and good corporate governance demands that he should be thrown out of office for that.

On the other hand, if Demetriou told the truth ...

I see you still blame others for our predicament. It's the AFL, it's the other clubs, it's the draw etc etc etc.

It's comforting to know it wasn't our fault which of course begs the question as to why we got rid if Neeld, Schwab, McLardy and Connolly. They should be suing for wrongful dismissal.

And while you snipe at Demetriou just be thankful the AFL wasn't run like the MFC because if it was we wouldn't be here.

[old55 22,996]

The little matters upon which I base my contempt of Demetriou range from his appalling mismanagement of the tanking affair, the doping scandal (which could still blow up in both his and the AFL's face), the disgraceful and conflicted manner in which he allowed a new franchise to poach a teenage player before the first year of his contract was out without giving his club any opportunity to match the offer funded by the AFL and the inadequate compensation given at the time. IMO his treatment of the state of the stadium used for the semi final in Sydney was contemptuous and an insult to all concerned and an embarrassment to himself. For reasons outlined by others above I don't think he's done us any great favours with his largesse in the face of the obstacles the AFL sets up for clubs like ours.

Demetriou has done a terrific job as CEO of the AFL and overall has helped the MFC. Negotiated a series of ever-increasing media deals over the years. Has taken the hard long-term decisions introducing GC and GWS into the competition - yes there is pain now in his time for gain over the long term. More fans, more members and a generally more even competition with close exciting finals series and GFs and a variety of premiership winners from all over Australia.

He didn't start the tanking investigation but he wrapped up a messy power-play created by Adrian Anderson and where is he now? AD handled the extremely difficult Essendon saga well overall - and that is not a problem of his making. I'm sure the AFL would re-draft the GC and GWS slightly differently if they had the opportunity of hind-sight, e.g a low end age limit on the free agents they could draft and mini-draft picks must be traded for player, but overall the compensation we received for Scully has left us in a better position IMO. So it's down to the state of the Olympic stadium surface over his reign?

It is time for AD to move on IMO but he'll do so with a very successful legacy.

Edited September 30, 2013 by Fifty-5

[rjay 24,677]

You could added the 100 million given to expansion Clubs. If this money was return to the existing Clubs we would not have needed additional financial support an be a more sustainable Club.

C.Mon uncle Vlad can I have another 2.7 million, pretty please!

The AFL only has the members Clubs Money, not their own. As without the Clubs they would have nothing.

A bit of a catch 22 this one but without the expansion clubs that money wouldn't be available. The size of the TV deal hinged on having the extra games and clubs in NSW & Qld. The TV deal like it or not underpins the competition.

[DemonFrog 1,347]

I see you still blame others for our predicament. It's the AFL, it's the other clubs, it's the draw etc etc etc.

It's comforting to know it wasn't our fault which of course begs the question as to why we got rid if Neeld, Schwab, McLardy and Connolly. They should be suing for wrongful dismissal.

And while you snipe at Demetriou just be thankful the AFL wasn't run like the MFC because if it was we wouldn't be here.

Really?

Neeld got paid out the remaining time on his contract, so what could he sue for?

Schwab also got a payout and accepted his dismal, did you not watch the press conference?

McLardy was never an employee and he resigned from his position.

Connolly I thought had a contract extension but not sure what has happened with him, so someone else could answer this one.

IMO the AFL is poorly run and if it was not for massive TV revenues which can easy hide bad performance, where would the league be?

The AFL is not a fair or equitable competition.

Many teams currently get an competitive advantage from advantageous fixtures to cash hand outs and favourable picks.

It is my view that without the MFC there would not have been an Australian Football Code and therefore not one of the other Clubs would exist today.

No other professional sporting club has ever lasted as long as the MFC and it still remains a members owned Club. This is something we all should be proud of.

Yes the Club is having so issues and needs support at this time in its history but it in the best interest of all the other Clubs that there is a strong and healthy MFC.

I do however understand that we can not play the victim card forever, but as the owners/members of the Club we were kept in the dark as to what was really happening within the management of the MFC. So there does need to be improvements within the Governance of the Club as well.

Aussie Rules football has withstood competition from many other sports over the years and needs to continue this trend into the future. My worry is the lack of loyalty to players and Clubs will cost this code in the end. Although its important to maintain strong cash flows this should not be done to the determent of the long term good of the League. For example the meat market called the national draft IMO is a system that only encourages football mercenaries. There is a need to create a Clubs identity as well as better encourage investment into the games at a grass roots level.

Is Vlad up to the challenges ahead? IMO he only appears to look after his own self interest and that of his AFL mates. He always appears to be interested in power and self promotion. So I would say NO.

What PJ doing after he leaves the MFC?

[DemonFrog 1,347]

A bit of a catch 22 this one but without the expansion clubs that money wouldn't be available. The size of the TV deal hinged on having the extra games and clubs in NSW & Qld. The TV deal like it or not underpins the competition.

Don't disagree but throwing money at an issues is not always the best way to solve it. So my question is could the ALF achieve the same result but spend a lot less to achieve it?

If Yes, then there would be more funds available to other Clubs.

[Whispering_Jack 29,333]

I see you still blame others for our predicament. It's the AFL, it's the other clubs, it's the draw etc etc etc.

It's comforting to know it wasn't our fault which of course begs the question as to why we got rid if Neeld, Schwab, McLardy and Connolly. They should be suing for wrongful dismissal.

And while you snipe at Demetriou just be thankful the AFL wasn't run like the MFC because if it was we wouldn't be here.

True to the Baghdad Bob tradition you still haven't overcome the tendency to put words into the mouths of others and coming up with ridiculous conclusions which allows you to avoid addressing the issues at hand.

One example of this is your reference to my blaming the draw. This was first raised to me as a subject by a then board member of the club who you and I know well in the context of a diabolical draw (in terms of prime fixtures) around 2007 which he described as "premeditated murder". He was speaking of a fixture that was so slanted against our club that it was barely commercial. I wonder if the position has changed now that different people are in charge?

The AFL can do without Demetriou, his leaks and the way he handles every issue that hits his desk these days. He's tired and he should go and I think your comparison with how the MFC is run is like most of your argument - completely irrelevant.

[Hannibal 5,814]

I hope Bob and Jack continue to bicker over trivialities all summer, as it gets kind of boring without footy.

I can't abide left-wingers, which is Demetriou's bent, but there's little doubt in my mind that his socialist views have helped the MFC and some of the competitions other minnows.

[Whispering_Jack 29,333]

I hope Bob and Jack continue to bicker over trivialities all summer, as it gets kind of boring without footy.

I can't abide left-wingers, which is Demetriou's bent, but there's little doubt in my mind that his socialist views have helped the MFC and some of the competitions other minnows.

A left winger with an annual pay cheque of $2m.

Love it.

[Slartibartfast 16,937]

True to the Baghdad Bob tradition you still haven't overcome the tendency to put words into the mouths of others and coming up with ridiculous conclusions which allows you to avoid addressing the issues at hand.

One example of this is your reference to my blaming the draw. This was first raised to me as a subject by a then board member of the club who you and I know well in the context of a diabolical draw (in terms of prime fixtures) around 2007 which he described as "premeditated murder". He was speaking of a fixture that was so slanted against our club that it was barely commercial. I wonder if the position has changed now that different people are in charge?

The AFL can do without Demetriou, his leaks and the way he handles every issue that hits his desk these days. He's tired and he should go and I think your comparison with how the MFC is run is like most of your argument - completely irrelevant.

You can continue to bicker about the fact the heart surgeon didn't fix your ingrown toe nail when he performed the triple bypass operation that saved your life.

I'm glad we've got men running the show now instead of the boys you supported to the end claiming they were being undermined. Hopefully you can now see the difference or do you still pine for the old crew?

[Slartibartfast 16,937]

I hope Bob and Jack continue to bicker over trivialities all summer, as it gets kind of boring without footy.

I can't abide left-wingers, which is Demetriou's bent, but there's little doubt in my mind that his socialist views have helped the MFC and some of the competitions other minnows.

Glad to be of service.

[DemonFrog 1,347]

I hope Bob and Jack continue to bicker over trivialities all summer, as it gets kind of boring without footy.

I can't abide left-wingers, which is Demetriou's bent, but there's little doubt in my mind that his socialist views have helped the MFC and some of the competitions other minnows.

Now come on Comrade someone got to play on the left wing!

[Whispering_Jack 29,333]

You can continue to bicker about the fact the heart surgeon didn't fix your ingrown toe nail when he performed the triple bypass operation that saved your life.

I'm glad we've got men running the show now instead of the boys you supported to the end claiming they were being undermined. Hopefully you can now see the difference or do you still pine for the old crew?

LMAO

[DemonFrog 1,347]

LMAO

So lets see I have this right.

WJ its your fault the MFC was worse the hopeless this season?

:blink:

[Hannibal 5,814]

A left winger with an annual pay cheque of $2m.

Love it.

King of the chattering classes.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,123]

Lumpenproletariat he aint!

[DemonFrog 1,347]

Lumpenproletariat he aint!

I hear you Comrade, now lets go to the collective farm so we can practice more Democratic centralism.

:rolleyes:

[Whispering_Jack 29,333]

So lets see I have this right.

WJ its your fault the MFC was worse the hopeless this season?

:blink:

Well, yes.

If that shot I took for goal at the 2:35m of the first quarter against Port Adelaide in round 1 had gone through the big sticks, it might have been us out there against Hawthorn and not Fremantle. Well that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

[DemonFrog 1,347]

Well, yes.

If that shot I took for goal at the 2:35m of the first quarter against Port Adelaide in round 1 had gone through the big sticks, it might have been us out there against Hawthorn and not Fremantle. Well that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

You do understand 100m placed kicks are no longer part of the game?