I still want to know who is in Collins Street that we need to tap into?

I guess the argument would be that if we become known as a major sporting club (a long bow to be sure) Collins Street is a pretty good place for passing tourist trade to drop in for merch.

Hyperthetically are we in the same position development wise as the suns last year?

Just saying what?

Our song is inherently who we are and there is absolutely nothing to be gained from changing it.

My point being it started as an American March ing Tune. We CHANGED it to suit. It wasn't ours to begin with. Most vfl afl songs are but bastardised versions of classics. Change happens. We evolve. We weren't the Demons always either.

Appreciate your passion.

Geeze, if they change our club's song then my non-football related Demonland Username really becomes extremely relevant, and I may have just predicted the future. Perhaps I'll change it to 'DeesPremiers 2016,2017,2018 etc.'

The Demons becoming the Yankees of the AFL? What a ridiculous statement! It cannot and will not happen with a salary cap in place. No AFL team can achieve this sort of dominance because sooner or later you run out of cap space, lose key players and require a rebuild. You don't have to rebuild as a wealthy MLB club, you can buy a top up every year, making your brand successful year in and year out. This is what the Yankees are, and are in a league of their own for dominance in their sport.

The Yankees are not post season contenders because people buy their baseball caps, and attend their games. They are not pennant contenders because they get good TV slots for viewership. They are successful because Steinbrenner (now his son) spends huge money on the team. If the Yankees have a need, they spend money to go and get it. This is not an option for an AFL club. With the cap in place, all teams will have to rebuild eventually, meaning attendance, profitability and fans start dropping off when you lose.

The MLB has NO salary cap.Just the Luxury Tax system which allows wealthy teams to spend. The AFL does. And lets be real for a moment. If the AFL where ever to remove the salary cap, it would be those mugs Collingwood that could afford to become the Yankees, not the MFC.

Collingwood have won two flags in the last 50 years but they are the biggest club by far, we have won 3 flags in the last 55 years and we are one of the smallest. Success on the field hasn't driven Collingwood's drive to the top.

This comparison is pretty silly - yeah the Pies have only won 2 flags but they've made plenty of other GF's and finals series where they are a threat for the flag, meaning they have won more than their fare share of games over the last 50 years. This is why they are big, because they are consistently up the top, not because they are Collingwood. Give them a period of sustained bottom 4-8 finishes (5-10 years) and their numbers will drop off just like everyone else.

I don't want my team to be compared to the Evil Empire in any way. From living through constant exposure to them overseas, they strike me as very similar to the Pies, right down to the colours. And I don't want to support a Pies-like team.

The Demons becoming the Yankees of the AFL? What a ridiculous statement! It cannot and will not happen with a salary cap in place. No AFL team can achieve this sort of dominance because sooner or later you run out of cap space, lose key players and require a rebuild. You don't have to rebuild as a wealthy MLB club, you can buy a top up every year, making your brand successful year in and year out. This is what the Yankees are, and are in a league of their own for dominance in their sport.

The Yankees are not post season contenders because people buy their baseball caps, and attend their games. They are not pennant contenders because they get good TV slots for viewership. They are successful because Steinbrenner (now his son) spends huge money on the team. If the Yankees have a need, they spend money to go and get it. This is not an option for an AFL club. With the cap in place, all teams will have to rebuild eventually, meaning attendance, profitability and fans start dropping off when you lose.

The MLB has NO salary cap.Just the Luxury Tax system which allows wealthy teams to spend. The AFL does. And lets be real for a moment. If the AFL where ever to remove the salary cap, it would be those mugs Collingwood that could afford to become the Yankees, not the MFC.

Read the article, not just the headline.

The Yankees are an attraction in and of themselves when you go to NY.

That's what he is talking about.

Maybe this Caroline Wilson article hasn't hit the main Fairfax websites yet.

Melbourne president's plan to turn the Demons into the Yankees

I know lets become americans. We love them so much we should be just another state of their corrupt piece of crap union. We don't even go to the toilet anymore most of us go to the bathroom now. We talk like them, we're even thinking like them we are nearly ' them ' anyway.

My point being it started as an American Marching Tune. We CHANGED it to suit.

For the record, You're a Grand Old Flag was written by George M. Cohan for a stage play called George Washington Jnr. First publicly performed on February 6 1906, at Herald Square Theatre, New York City (hey ... there's a New York Yankee connection for you!). It was the first song from a musical to sell over a million copies of sheet music.

Here's the original lyrics:

You're a grand old flag,

You're a high-flying flag,

And forever in peace may you wave.

You're the emblem of the land I love,

The home of the free and the brave.

Ev'ry heart beats true

'Neath the Red, White and Blue,

Where there's never a boast or brag.

But should auld acquaintance be forgot,

Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

(So the "auld acquaintance" part was in the original song.)

Read the article, not just the headline.

The Yankees are an attraction in and of themselves when you go to NY.

That's what he is talking about.

Exactly.

What Bartlett is saying is that everyone who goes to NY ends up with a Yankees hat because it is synonymous with New York City. He's saying that MFC has that intrinsic branding possibility, due to our name and history, but that we aren't positioning ourselves well enough to take advantage of it. He wants people who come to Melbourne to automatically jump on the MFC, because they are now Melburnians and therefor should support Melbourne.

Part of that branding would be to make our emblem ore symbolic of Melbourne, so that it is immediately recognisable as being a team from Melbourne.

Nothing wrong with grand ambition. As long as it makes us money and doesn't lose us money.

I know lets become americans. We love them so much we should be just another state of their corrupt piece of crap union. We don't even go to the toilet anymore most of us go to the bathroom now. We talk like them, we're even thinking like them we are nearly ' them ' anyway.

Yeah well you can love it or leave it mate buddy!

Part of that branding would be to make our emblem more symbolic of Melbourne, so that it is immediately recognisable as being a team from Melbourne.

Perhaps we should change our name to the Melbourne Trams.

Perhaps we should change our name to the Melbourne Trams.

That didn't work out so well for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

A point not often discussed is as Melbourne is a fast growing city, who do the new residents inclined to like the game follow? They are less like to follow a suburban name they never heard of and don't live in. Melbourne is the most likely first connection they will make because they live in Greater Melbourne first and suburb second.

I know quite a few new residents from New Zealand and other places who initially followed us but then ditched us due to consistent poor performances. No one likes to follow losers. If we do become successful on the field this is a demographic that is ripe for the picking for us. In the end any argument about how we grow always comes down to winning games be it attracting new supporters or bringing back latent ones.

Exactly.

What Bartlett is saying is that everyone who goes to NY ends up with a Yankees hat because it is synonymous with New York City. He's saying that MFC has that intrinsic branding possibility, due to our name and history, but that we aren't positioning ourselves well enough to take advantage of it. He wants people who come to Melbourne to automatically jump on the MFC, because they are now Melburnians and therefor should support Melbourne.

Part of that branding would be to make our emblem ore symbolic of Melbourne, so that it is immediately recognisable as being a team from Melbourne.

we rarely agree AoB but on this one you are Bang on.

When i went to New York in 2005 on my list of "must do's" was to buy a Yankees beenie from the stadium. Watch a game and try and find George Costanza's office!!

I did it

It is part of the Big Apple experience.

This is the angle Bartlett is coming from.

Big Task but if he can get it rolling he will be an MFC Legend.

He has put it out there now he must back it up.

For the 1st time in 8 yrs (fields of women night) I was standing in the AFL members where I bumped into an old bloke that bought his 6 1/2ft son with him. I remember him as a tacker and im only 39yo. He knew more about MFC than I and he was bred on the traditions, songs, emblems all over him, etc, etc. This cannot change.

I have 4 other mates now with 10 kids collectively amongst them ( they have been lean times) where they simply dont go to the footy now).. wonder why , and their kids wouldnt even know the first line to the song or probably the colour of our guernsey. I make this point, because, not enough embrace the culture, culture= success, we are partly to blame. The small band we are have to further our support,brag about it, love it and embrace it. imsure you know another 10 kids.

NY Yankees, nice dream, but lets look at the here and now, i hope this president isnt a fruit loop thats all i can say

For the 1st time in 8 yrs (fields of women night) I was standing in the AFL members where I bumped into an old bloke that bought his 6 1/2ft son with him. I remember him as a tacker and im only 39yo. He knew more about MFC than I and he was bred on the traditions, songs, emblems all over him, etc, etc. This cannot change.

I have 4 other mates now with 10 kids collectively amongst them ( they have been lean times) where they simply dont go to the footy now).. wonder why , and their kids wouldnt even know the first line to the song or probably the colour of our guernsey. I make this point, because, not enough embrace the culture, culture= success, we are partly to blame. The small band we are have to further our support,brag about it, love it and embrace it. imsure you know another 10 kids.

NY Yankees, nice dream, but lets look at the here and now, i hope this president isnt a fruit loop thats all i can say

This plan is exactly why the afl gave us funding, because we are named Melbourne and the oldest club we have the capacity to be the biggest club in the home of footy,

Why did he come out and say this stuff?

Why did he come out and say this stuff?

He is quoted as saying: "It's all very well to come in and say we need to model ourselves on the New York Yankees etc…” so maybe the ideas are from a consultant’s report? I wouldn’t be surprised if CW somehow got it (from the consultants??), then quizzed GB. Probably difficult for GB to say 'no comment' and maybe he isn't used to how CW can 'construct' a 'newsworthy' story.

Am guessing that some of the 'quotes' are based on stuff she had waiting to cut-and-paste and snippets she has picked up and now manages to construct an article that will only bring heat on us especially if other 'journo's' start quoting it.

She had to write something to deflect from another Tigers thrashing!!

Like I said earlier lets give GB/the Club the benefit of the doubt and wait to hear it from the horse's mouth.

Exactly.

What Bartlett is saying is that everyone who goes to NY ends up with a Yankees hat because it is synonymous with New York City. He's saying that MFC has that intrinsic branding possibility, due to our name and history, but that we aren't positioning ourselves well enough to take advantage of it. He wants people who come to Melbourne to automatically jump on the MFC, because they are now Melburnians and therefor should support Melbourne.

Part of that branding would be to make our emblem ore symbolic of Melbourne, so that it is immediately recognisable as being a team from Melbourne.

Funny how all of this is lost to those that think everything is either , or.

A lot of what has ( in my mind ) gone under bridges in recent times as far as the MFC and footy goes is our relevance to things. Firstly to the competition. We were a basketcase lets not delude ourselves. We languished and were used as a mop by all comers. This has been addressed and we continue to improve. But there's a more , dare I say holistic approach and that looks to our relevance to this city. What I believe Bartlett envisions is that we arent just a bit part player in this town that we are part of its core. Melbourne as a city is truly nuts about footy. When I first came to Oz as a tacker I was asked as a 5 yo in the school ground , first day , what team I followed. who did I barrack for. Little did I realise how grand an effect on the rest of my life as to how I answered. I didnt even know what footy was, seriously. It was Feb 1965. Another kid prompted me with, what FOOTBALL team did I follow. Even as a foreign 5 yo I knew FOOTBALL meant something even if not what code. I now resided in MELBOURNE, so I figured there must be a team called MELBOURNE. I didnt know we we reigning premiers. Sheer arrse that !! lol. So i declared i was a Melbourne follower and have been ever since.

The point here is that even if one doesnt know what this game is etc you can still relate to a team called Melbourne in the city of Melbourne.If I could there ought to be a lot of others who might also. We need to promote this idea. This is what Glen is suggesting I sense..

There used to be that jingle that Oz was Football Meat Pies Kangaroos and Holden cars. This cleverly suggested that the Holden was THE auto of Oz.

If we go to the City of Melbourne we have to be THE football team that first comes to peoples minds, irrespective of any allegiance we must be this game in this town. Go Glen

I just don't get the Yankees link.

New York attracts 47 million tourists every year, the Yankees have won 27 World Series (more than double the appearances and wins of the next best) and is one of two teams of its sport (1 of 8 top teams in total by my count). They have also won 5 flags in 18 seasons. New York itself also has a population of nearly 9 million and the opportunity to see their team over 80 times per season I'm home games that belongs only to them.

Melbourne attracts 17 million tourists per year, we have won 12 flags (to sit fourth on the list) and is one of ten teams of its sport (1 of 13 top teams by my count). We haven't done anything for half a century. Melbourne has a population of 4 million and we get to see our team play about 9-10 home games a year in a stadium we share with other teams who average bigger crowds there.

It's just words, sweet words that turn to bitter ash in my ears.

The Yankees stuff is being used by Caro/The Age to get attention. What Bartlett was really saying was as AoB put it - it's about making the Melbourne Football Club a bigger and far more relevant club in the scheme of the AFL. That's all he's getting at.

Changing the song doesn't help. Changing the logo might. Moving from Casey I don't think will do anything. Getting on Collins Street, however he envisages that happening, is a waste of time.

Winning games of football, that will help. That will give us more TV exposure, better fixturing, more positive write ups in the papers (we're already seeing that even this year), and that will give us more relevance and more strength in the market. Those are all far, far more powerful than anything Bartlett suggested in his article.

I won't be impressed if they tamper with the song. Bugger Richmond's. Ours is the best song in the league.

If they want to insert "Melbourne" into it, I am imagining "every heart beats true" changed to "Melbourne hearts beat true", or something along those lines.

Even typing that made me cringe. Just leave it alone.

Richmond, Sydney and Melbourne's songs are usually discussed as being the best 3 songs in the competition.

Richmond's song doesn't contain the word 'Richmond' in it.

Sydney's song doesn't contain the word 'Sydney' in it.