Demonfolk,

Who do you rate highly as a Demons player recruiter during your time?

If you have a small list of the MFC players recruited under your choice please feel free to list them.

I'm not 100% sure of who recruited Schwarta or Jakovich but I'd like to know!!

No contest! Jim Cardwell, the "Prince of Secretaries". He assembled the greatest playing list(s) ever to represent the mighty Demons.

No contest! Jim Cardwell, the "Prince of Secretaries". He assembled the greatest playing list(s) ever to represent the mighty Demons.

Yes Cardwell,J. © was the greatest of them all...Not even Stephens Wells is worthy to lick Jims Boots...

Not even the might Jim had all success.

He got us the mighty Diamond Jim Tillbrook.

Good one Jim

Caldwell was a different era where MFC had the great advantage over other Clubs to offer players opportunity through the connection with the MCC. He did well and exploited the advantage during the golden period. However, his final 10 years reflected a loyal servant who like a number of his contemporaries at MFC who could not cope with the changing game. The Tilbrook and Ditterich deals were detrimental.

In the competitive modern game Stephen Wells is a gun. Cardwell and Wells both stand tall in their respective eras.

Nothing wrong with the work of Big Carl. He worked hard for the club twice.

Diamond Jim was a failure.

I'd like to know who recruited our Coaches.

Skilton, Jones, Barassi

Those appointments all come down to the "Board of the day" They were BOZOS.

Success starts at the top. CEO, Board, Coach, FD & Players.

We presume we have all this in place. Time will tell.

Stephen Wells' philosophy is simple....he only recruits those with an appetite for the contest.

Nothing wrong with the work of Big Carl. He worked hard for the club twice.

Diamond Jim was a failure.

I have a friend who played for the Dees in that time wyl ( mainly reserves I might add )

He has told me that while Diamond Jim was not what he was cracked up to be 50% of the problem was the players took a dislike to him before he arrived.

Most of them were getting $5- 10 000 PA and Jim was getting paid $60 000 from memory.

There was an attitude of " if he is that bloody good let him get the ball himself".

I remember a game at Vic park where he was constantly loose on one flank calling for the ball and they kicked it to the opposite side all afternoon.

It is third hand I guess but my friend swears it is true

Whoever recruited Strauss over Zaharakis and Bennell over Sloane in the same draft.

I have a friend who played for the Dees in that time wyl ( mainly reserves I might add )

He has told me that while Diamond Jim was not what he was cracked up to be 50% of the problem was the players took a dislike to him before he arrived.

Most of them were getting $5- 10 000 PA and Jim was getting paid $60 000 from memory.

There was an attitude of " if he is that bloody good let him get the ball himself".

I remember a game at Vic park where he was constantly loose on one flank calling for the ball and they kicked it to the opposite side all afternoon.

It is third hand I guess but my friend swears it is true

Have heard that said over the years OD.

Whatever the real reason the deal failed.

I do not put Big Carl in the same category.

No contest! Jim Cardwell, the "Prince of Secretaries". He assembled the greatest playing list(s) ever to represent the mighty Demons.

pretty sums it up right there. And over a very long period too, not a flash in the pan luck.

No contest! Jim Cardwell, the "Prince of Secretaries". He assembled the greatest playing list(s) ever to represent the mighty Demons.

Just read up on him and didn't realise how big a figure he is for us.

Hopefully we can get another recruitment genius like him from somewhere in our ranks.

Nothing wrong with the work of Big Carl. He worked hard for the club twice.

Diamond Jim was a failure.

We couldnt afford either at the time. We signed Carl on a six year contract and had to get rid of him after three years due to finances

Its outrageous that we hocked the Club at the time for Diamond Jim and Carl while we refused to pay more to the Club topline stalwarts Alves, Wells and Hardeman more than a pittance.

We treated them shabbily and Old Dees information is correct.

I have a friend who played for the Dees in that time wyl ( mainly reserves I might add )

He has told me that while Diamond Jim was not what he was cracked up to be 50% of the problem was the players took a dislike to him before he arrived.

Most of them were getting $5- 10 000 PA and Jim was getting paid $60 000 from memory.

There was an attitude of " if he is that bloody good let him get the ball himself".

I remember a game at Vic park where he was constantly loose on one flank calling for the ball and they kicked it to the opposite side all afternoon.

It is third hand I guess but my friend swears it is true

imo that shows the Lack of team disciplines, coming into the club.. I don't think they were there when Smith & Barassi were both around?

I wonder if it was the same time as when the Aus tennis hierarchy was still playing amateur tournaments, as well as our cricket still paying peanuts.

it seems we were slow & awkward, coming to terms with the modern changing times.

* buy the wayz, Capper also, when he went to the Bears on Big money,,,, they wouldn't kick the ball to him as well. a parallel to us in the '70's & the bears @ carrara?

I have a friend who played for the Dees in that time wyl ( mainly reserves I might add )

He has told me that while Diamond Jim was not what he was cracked up to be 50% of the problem was the players took a dislike to him before he arrived.

Most of them were getting $5- 10 000 PA and Jim was getting paid $60 000 from memory.

There was an attitude of " if he is that bloody good let him get the ball himself".

I remember a game at Vic park where he was constantly loose on one flank calling for the ball and they kicked it to the opposite side all afternoon.

It is third hand I guess but my friend swears it is true

Ah ... So that's the reason Mitch Clark's got so few kicks from the Melbourne mid-field!

We couldnt afford either at the time. We signed Carl on a six year contract and had to get rid of him after three years due to finances

Its outrageous that we hocked the Club at the time for Diamond Jim and Carl while we refused to pay more to the Club topline stalwarts Alves, Wells and Hardeman more than a pittance.

We treated them shabbily and Old Dees information is correct.

That was not the fault of Carl though. He worked his butt off and ovviously enjoyed his time as he returned for a second stint.

The problem was that we recruited just him and expected it all to change.

Norf did it right. Got outside money to help finance 5-6 players and RGB. Instant team

They were shocking in 1972, in 1974 runners up.

The problem was that we recruited just him and expected it all to change.

Well done.

I do not blame Jim Cardwell for that. What is said above by another poster is correct. We were far to slow to embrace the modern era.

Supporters should have been bought in to financially exploit the 10 year rule.

That will be the Stynes legacy going forward. He empowered the supporter base.

I do not blame Jim Cardwell for that. What is said above by another poster is correct. We were far to slow to embrace the modern era.

Supporters should have been bought in to financially exploit the 10 year rule.

That will be the Stynes legacy going forward. He empowered the supporter base.

Sorry. Caldwell was front and centre in the MFC decisions post 1964 including the sacking of Smith. And he was part of the Group that failed to embrace the modern era or at least operate effectively within it.

Caldwell was a loyal long term servant of the Club who was part the magnificent era for which he is praised. He was also central to the first 10 years of the current drought we are in

The Stynes legacy will also include what his Admin achieved (or didn't) when the empowered supporter base donated over $5m

Believe what you like Rhino i do not mind.

Stop rewriting my posts.

I do not hold Cardwell responsible post 64. He had to answer to a very fractured club board.

Stynes will be remembered above his boards record as the man who empowered the MFC Supporters again. Something i hope continues.

Believe what you like Rhino i do not mind.

Stop rewriting my posts.

I do not hold Cardwell responsible post 64. He had to answer to a very fractured club board.

Stynes will be remembered above his boards record as the man who empowered the MFC Supporters again. Something i hope continues.

Talk about believing what you want!

You are very selective with culpability WYL. The same ill conceived cop out could be inappropriately applied to a number of past incomptent CEOs MFC hsve had

And your alleged legacy of Stynes is whoop de do at best. The only visible evidence of their empowerment is that membership and attendances dropped off. Thats not solely Stynes fault but your claim is meldramatic fluff.

Stynes will be remembered above his boards record as the man who empowered the MFC Supporters again. Something i hope continues.

I think Stynes will be remembers as one of the great stories in footy for his Brownlow win and number of Bluey's. He was a fantastic player.

What do you mean by "empowered the MFC supporters"?

Dear WYL and Rhino read chapter 24 of the "Red Fox". I believe Cardwell was the prince of recruiters but his role in Norm Smith's demise has had long lasting repercussions. In particular page 609 and the recollections of John Lord who was confronted by Cardwell about an address to the players. Cardwell was checking up on Norm and a statement he was supposed to make to the players about hi support of the committee. When he believed this didn't happen, based on mis information from Lord he called a players meeting and was clearly talking to the committee who sacked Norm and gave them the feedback resulting in his sacking. It shouldn't have happened and when I re read the chapter I could not believe how much Cardwell had been involved. Smith was sacked then re instated but the club has as many said been cursed ever since.

I think Stynes will be remembers as one of the great stories in footy for his Brownlow win and number of Bluey's. He was a fantastic player.

What do you mean by "empowered the MFC supporters"?

Foundation Heroes.....Should have been done 20 years earlier.