And so on a cold autumn day the club that invented the game of Australian Rules Football was chosen by fate to defend the game. Todd Viney, hard nut and former Melbourne captain joined the Demons in 1987. This was incidentally a year that the Demons made the finals after spending over a decade in the football wilderness, directionless, weakened and starved. There was something poetic about Jack Viney being the figurehead in this controversy, and the eras that both father and son entered the club bore striking similarities. Jack Viney is not what the AFL community expect in a Melbourne footballer, he is brash, hard confident and expectant of success. In a week where the club has started to claw back some respect it was thrown into the limelight, all eyes were on Viney and the Melbourne Football Club had to stand up and fight. The fight wasn't just about a player missing out on 2 weeks of footy unjustly, it was about protecting the integrity of the game.

This week Melbourne Football Club was noticed, and for the right reasons. It wasn't being laughed at as a pisspoor opponent, or pitied as a weakling. It was the aggressor. It had the courage to stand before it's benefactor the AFL and demand justice for it's player, the club and the game in general.

For those who opposed the appeal, "up yours". Your attitude is old Melbourne. New Melbourne is hard, brash and uncompromising and Jack Viney is it's face.

Here endeth the curse.

Im so glad it's finally over!

The curse will end when the 13th is raised towards the Northern side of the MCG.

The curse will end when the 13th is raised towards the Northern side of the MCG.

The curse is a state of mind.

We won't be able to rasie the cup UNTIL we shed it.

The curse is a state of mind.

We won't be able to rasie the cup UNTIL we shed it.

Some won't be able to shed that state of mind until the 13th arrives...

Chicago Cubs win the world series. Here endeth The curse of the Billy Goat!

 

Quote

 

The Chicago Cubs shed themselves of the "Curse of the Billy Goat" and ended a 108-year wait for a World Series title 

Chicagoans will only half-jokingly speak of the Billy Goat curse. 

The legend goes that in 1945, Billy Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, was kicked out of a game because of foul odour of his pet goat was upsetting fans. 

Outraged, he then cursed the club and declared it would not win another World Series.

 

 Firstly the Curse of the Bambino left in 2004, now this, next stop..... The Norm Smith curse 

 

On 08/05/2014 at 11:18 PM, P-man said:

I don't know when the cup will be lifted again.

I do know that this week will be looked back upon as a significant moment in our recent history.

You were spot on! ...probably, if only I had any recollection at all about what this significant moment was

On 3 November 2016 at 4:58 PM, jako13 said:

Chicago Cubs win the world series. Here endeth The curse of the Billy Goat!

 

 Firstly the Curse of the Bambino left in 2004, now this, next stop..... The Norm Smith curse 

 

So we bringing Theo Epstein onboard? He was at both ball clubs for the drought endings.

108 years. that's a f#@*ing long time 

I don't want to wait 56 years for the red and blue to hoist the cup again.  Another two years will be long enough.

Need to stop talking about reasons why good stuff won't happen. Optimism breeds optimism. A precursor to success breeding success.  

I feel sorry for GWS who have just about reached their peak and will have to face the might of the MFC, I guess they will have to be happy to be runners up.

 

 

On 08/05/2014 at 8:05 PM, jabberwocky said:

And so on a cold autumn day the club that invented the game of Australian Rules Football was chosen by fate to defend the game. Todd Viney, hard nut and former Melbourne captain joined the Demons in 1987. This was incidentally a year that the Demons made the finals after spending over a decade in the football wilderness, directionless, weakened and starved. There was something poetic about Jack Viney being the figurehead in this controversy, and the eras that both father and son entered the club bore striking similarities. Jack Viney is not what the AFL community expect in a Melbourne footballer, he is brash, hard confident and expectant of success. In a week where the club has started to claw back some respect it was thrown into the limelight, all eyes were on Viney and the Melbourne Football Club had to stand up and fight. The fight wasn't just about a player missing out on 2 weeks of footy unjustly, it was about protecting the integrity of the game.

This week Melbourne Football Club was noticed, and for the right reasons. It wasn't being laughed at as a [censored] opponent, or pitied as a weakling. It was the aggressor. It had the courage to stand before it's benefactor the AFL and demand justice for it's player, the club and the game in general.

For those who opposed the appeal, "up yours". Your attitude is old Melbourne. New Melbourne is hard, brash and uncompromising and Jack Viney is it's face.

Here endeth the curse.

The end of the Norm smith curse will be complete only once the club moves its whole base away from the Mcg.

Only having the Mcg as its home game base.

This is when the Mfc will grow some, & become fully independent & strong on its own.  This will allow the club to grow its own supporter base & from there it will flourish.

Move out of the shade, Mfc.

11 hours ago, Harbinger43 said:

Need to stop talking about reasons why good stuff won't happen. Optimism breeds optimism. A precursor to success breeding success.  

Making strong footy decisions the hard decisions & early is what breeds success.  Not wishful thinking. 

Wishful thinking belongs behind those wrought iron fences & gates where its safe.

Once these strong decisions about the club itself & what it is are met head on, that will turn this club into a strong vibrant stand alone club.

At the moment the Mfc is only an appendage of another.

1 hour ago, DV8 said:

Making strong footy decisions the hard decisions & early is what breeds success.  Not wishful thinking. 

Wishful thinking belongs behind those wrought iron fences & gates where its safe.

Once these strong decisions about the club itself & what it is are met head on, that will turn this club into a strong vibrant stand alone club.

At the moment the Mfc is only an appendage of another.

The opportunity, but not the money was there when the Olympic Swimming Pool was available, if it was there now we would snap it up. 

I can't understand why we didn't take up more space in the AAMI stadium and fully relocate there. We have some facilities at the G and some at AAMI, but nothing that will draw the whole thing together. Docklands was talked about and would be perfect if we had training, administration and gym facilities all in one but it's also a bugger to get to and to find parking etc.

We need to do something and cosying up to the MCC isn't it. 

Another way of looking at it is to think about success and if so how are we going to leverage that success into becoming a team that is relevant to the competition.

North Melbourne is proof that success does not guarantee relevance. At least NM have Arden street but having worked around that area and wandering past the complex a few time I never got the feeling that it was an historical base.

Funnily enough every time I pass the old Victoria Park ground on the train one is immediately hit by the big Magpie on the Social Club and the fantastic black and white pannelling of the stand. That is "history."

As I have often mentioned on other posts the next five years or so will shape this club for the next twenty. It will be a hard road (even if successful on the field) to move out of that group of Melbourne teams that are merely there to make up the television numbers but we need to give it a "hell" of a try.

1 minute ago, DV8 said:

The thing is the money hasn't been there because we are not an accessible Club, like the other suburban based clubs Are.  So our fear of taking it on, & going for it, Re the Olympic pool site, is just another page of fails,,, because we are based inside the Mcg.

If we were based outside & easily accessible, we would be a wealthy club with many members.

 

... the horse or the cart ?   One thing seems certain to me; Keep on doing the same old, & very similar 'occurrences', will very likely continue to happen.

 

We have to change our thinking on this, IF we are to have a long term viability.

We are too closely associated with the MCC and will never be our own masters until we break that connection. It's like living at home with your parents, safe but you will never have your independence if you don't break away. 

On 05/11/2016 at 0:28 PM, Dante said:

The opportunity, but not the money was there when the Olympic Swimming Pool was available, if it was there now we would snap it up. 

I can't understand why we didn't take up more space in the AAMI stadium and fully relocate there. We have some facilities at the G and some at AAMI, but nothing that will draw the whole thing together.

The thing is the money hasn't been there because we are not an accessible Club, like the other suburban based clubs Are.  So our fear of taking it on, & going for it, Re the Olympic pool site, is just another page of fails,,, because we are based inside the Mcg.

If we were based outside & easily accessible, we would be a wealthy club with many members.

 

... the horse or the cart ?   One thing seems certain to me; Keep on doing the same old, & very similar 'occurrences', will very likely continue to happen.

 

We have to change our thinking on this, IF we are to have a long term viability.

On 05/11/2016 at 0:28 PM, Dante said:

Docklands was talked about and would be perfect if we had training, administration and gym facilities all in one but it's also a bugger to get to and to find parking etc.

We need to do something and cosying up to the MCC isn't it. 

Docklands is  a new area that will eventually grow, so offers new support base but it is too far removed from our traditional supporters areas around Malvern, Bentleigh, etc.

Elsternwick is better in this regard, closer to our existing heartland.

IMO traveling too close into the city is just removing us further from the young growth areas of the our fringes.  I think the Casey alignment is based on reasonably good ideas Re the geography around the Sth East.

 

So IMO we should find an inner suburban place to put down roots & to call Home. 

And we should also continue to develop our region out around the Sth Eastern fringes.  We need to start to put more efforts into this & this years grand final appearance may be the right direction for starters.

But I don't think Cranbourne is the right area specificly.

I would prefer to be on the Gippsland train line around Hallam or Narre Warren areas, or even Berwick/Packenham.

 

Cosying up to the Mcc is just giving up.  This reliance on the Mcc & Mcg as shelter, is the reason we are already in this financial hole & lacking a long-term steady membership base.

What if there were someone among us who was born on that very day back in July 1965 . . . . . .

2 hours ago, DV8 said:

The thing is the money hasn't been there because we are not an accessible Club, like the other suburban based clubs Are.  So our fear of taking it on, & going for it, Re the Olympic pool site, is just another page of fails,,, because we are based inside the Mcg.

If we were based outside & easily accessible, we would be a wealthy club with many members.

 

... the horse or the cart ?   One thing seems certain to me; Keep on doing the same old, & very similar 'occurrences', will very likely continue to happen.

 

We have to change our thinking on this, IF we are to have a long term viability.

Docklands is  a new area that will eventually grow, so offers new support base but it is too far removed from our traditi0nal supporters areas around Malvern, Bentleigh, etc.

Elsternwick is better in this regard, closer to our existing heartland.

IMO traveling too close into the city is just removing us further from the young growth areas of the our fringes.  I think the Casey alignment is based on reasonably good ideas Re the geography around the Sth East.

 

So IMO we should find an inner suburban place to put down roots & to call Home. 

And we should also continue to develop our region out around the Sth Eastern fringes.  We need to start to put more efforts into this & this years grand final appearance may be the right directio0n for starters.

But I don't think Cranbourne is the right specific area.

I would prefer to be on the Gippsland train line around Hallam or Narre Warren areas, or even Berwick/Packenham.

 

Cosying up to the Mcc is just giving up.  This reliance on the Mcc & Mcg as shelter, is the reason we are already in this financial hole & lacking a long-term steady membership base.

You're relentlessly pushing this idea of our ties with the MCC and MCG as no more than simply shelter. What a load of rubbish. Both are intrinsic to who we are as a football club. They are our history which may or may not be relevant to you (I don't know) but, for mine, any ultimate success would be lessened if we disregarded our identity. They are also not the reason we have failed in recent times. That's an issue of poor administration more broadly.  

Happy to discuss training base options but your arguments on this are also disjointed.

 

On 4 November 2016 at 8:06 PM, Nasher said:

You were spot on! ...probably, if only I had any recollection at all about what this significant moment was

Had to read the thread to get a reminder  I believe it was the successful defence of Viney's controversial bump in the Crows match.

 

1 hour ago, Return to Glory said:

You're relentlessly pushing this idea of our ties with the MCC and MCG as no more than simply shelter. What a load of rubbish. Both are intrinsic to who we are as a football club. They are our history which may or may not be relevant to you (I don't know) but, for mine, any ultimate success would be lessened if we disregarded our identity. They are also not the reason we have failed in recent times. That's an issue of poor administration more broadly.  

Happy to discuss training base options but your arguments on this are also disjointed.

 

Deeluded is back

Elsternwick Park is a Bog. I live very close. 

The only thing Schwab did was join The MFC back with The MCC. 

Family Blood. 

On 05/11/2016 at 7:48 PM, Return to Glory said:

You're relentlessly pushing this idea of our ties with the MCC and MCG as no more than simply shelter. What a load of rubbish. Both are intrinsic to who we are as a football club. They are our history which may or may not be relevant to you (I don't know) but, for mine, any ultimate success would be lessened if we disregarded our identity. They are also not the reason we have failed in recent times. That's an issue of poor administration more broadly.  

Happy to discuss training base options but your arguments on this are also disjointed.

 

Only to the small amount of members who are rusted on & aging every day.  Many of those members in reality barrack for the Mcg, & only follow the red & blue because of the 'G'  & the traditional links.  This in-breeding of the club culture, is what turns new prospective followers off us. 

Most like to cheer against us, (because of our superior & judgemental supporter culture) unless they tend to feel sorry for us at times of necessity, barracking for the local club, against interstate invaders.

We cannot grow this way.  And the conservative supporters only want this status quo to survive, until they drop off their perch.  Cause it suits them.

 

But it doesn't suit the health of this old club.

3 hours ago, Return to Glory said:

You're relentlessly pushing this idea of our ties with the MCC and MCG as no more than simply shelter. What a load of rubbish. Both are intrinsic to who we are as a football club. They are our history which may or may not be relevant to you (I don't know) but, for mine, any ultimate success would be lessened if we disregarded our identity. They are also not the reason we have failed in recent times. That's an issue of poor administration more broadly.  

Happy to discuss training base options but your arguments on this are also disjointed.

 

Interesting that you & swyl are 2 who think alike.  Both liking the Mcc alignment.

Just as it was.  Unhealthy for our growth.

9 hours ago, DV8 said:

Interesting that you & swyl are 2 who think alike.  Both liking the Mcc alignment.

Just as it was.  Unhealthy for our growth.

It certainly does read like SWYL and I are of the same thought. Good.  I am a Melbourne supporter and member and I like the current MCC alignment as I am a member of the MCC. I derive benefit from this arrangement but at a financial cost. Your implication is that this is a bad thing and have indicated that the best thing for the club is for members in my position to eventually 'drop off the perch.' This is part of your master plan.

 

 

DV8 raises some good points that warrant discussion.

The fact is that that the MCG is now home to at least 4 teams and is occasional home to a few more. Teams other than Melbourne provide the bulk of the revenue to the MCC. (The conflict is obvious whether it be actual or perceived.)

Take a walk around the outside of the MCG and tell me how as an objective observer you would associate the history of the MFC with that stadium. Okay there are some photos on the inner walls and a few rooms named after players. In contrast the statues outside (quite rightly) include greats from all clubs.

As the years go by the percentage of MCC members that also support Melbourne will continue to decrease. In other words our seemingly existing irrelevancy will worsen not improve.

Not saying that the MCC alignment is not beneficial but never think they have best interests of the MFC at the forefront of their future plans. Perhaps we need to be more demanding of the MCC rather than continue like the infant supplicant that we may have become.

On 04/11/2016 at 11:29 PM, Harbinger43 said:

Need to stop talking about reasons why good stuff won't happen. Optimism breeds optimism. A precursor to success breeding success.  

Doesn't seem to have worked for Richmond, those supporters are perennial optimismists.