Open training miscommunication - another MFC unforced error

[DeeSpencer 23,087]

I thought we could keep the training thread to topic. If mods want to merge they can merge. If anyone wants to send this through to the club they can.

The club has to improve in communication and treatment of members and supporters. I think they do a fantastic job in interviewing players and coaches pre and post game, but everything else is very substandard. The intraclub game staged at Casey at a non fan friendly time of 4pm and without any associated merchandise, membership, food or drink sales was very poor. Today was worse.

I'm calling on Josh Mahoney as head of football operations to get together with Paul Roos (a man who clearly has a firm grasp of PR) and David Misson to make sure they are all on the same page in the footy department. Whilst I never expect them to sacrifice preparation to appease supporters they can certainly be aware of what's happening in the rest of the club. If the club advertise a training time then that's it locked in, it can't be changed merely a couple of hours before.

I'm then calling out the clubs consumer staff. The head of which is Jennifer Watt - General Manager Marketing and Communications is her title according to the website. The following are listed to work under her. If the names are wrong and the positions are blank then guess what, it's still a failure of communications!

- Matt Burgan - Editor & Chief Football Writer

- Debbie Lee - Community Manager

- Ryan Larkin - Media Manager

- Matthew Goodrope - Communications Coordinator

- Ryan Earles - Digital Marketing Manager

- Dave Larkin - Graphic Designer

- Anna Harrington - Digital Media Coordinator

- Georgina Lewis - Customer Relations Executive

- Courtney Hart - Digital Video Producer

- Alexandra Luxford - Community Trainee

If you can't organise a popular open training on a public holiday to start when it says it will start and not change times then I don't know how you can lead a team of 10 others! If you're getting screwed around by the footy department then it's time to stand up for the members who support this club and work it out.

I'm at loss at what those 10 people do considering the majority of website content comes from Matt Burgan and that we seem to be one of the least active clubs on twitter.

Today was simply not good enough. For people to waste 90 minutes of precious time standing around before the main group hit the track is taking your supporters for granted. And no group of members and supporters have been more taken for granted than us loyal demons over the last many long years.

Time to lift your game MFC.

GRRM out

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,636]

It's those that took their young kids along that I feel most angry for. As TDI has witnessed, I've taken my little ones many times and it's hard to keep them entertained even with training happening.

That said, it's also a great way to get the kids hooked, particularly with the players being so good with them generally.

To leave such families waiting 90 minutes from the advertised start time is just deplorable. I would be livid if they treated my family like they have treated others today.

As for not having a membership tent, maybe like with Casey, it was a bit far for them to travel.

[Supreme_Demon 3,009]

Peter Jackson needs to sort this stuff out. I wasn't there today (as I'm on crutches) but I had friends go and they were bitterly disappointed with the lack of organisation and unprofessional approach in regards to the open training times.

The Melbourne Football Club needs to lift it's game. It sounds harsh, but Essendon or Collingwood would not make amateur mistakes like today

[Earl Hood 5,788]

The trainee will probably cop the brunt for this [censored] up

[Cards13 9,117]

As a club we have one of the lowest younger members bases we need to do more to keep the ones we have left interested, along with winning games.

[DirtyDees DDC 171]

Agree. Not one of our better PR days. I works shifts and travelled from Eltham. I have a 3pm start time for my shift so the advertised time on the MFC website (still listed as 12 noon start) was ideal. Or so i thought. I had to leave for work at 1.50 so i saw approx 15-20 minutes of players walking laps, doing stretches, and having pings at the goals. There was a good crowd today...it could have been so much better.

At least I got to watch poor Bernie Vince run repeat sessions around flat cones. He looked buggered at the end, but still had enough air to acknowledge the fans on the fence for watching him. It was one of the few highlights of the day.

[dazzledavey36 48,694]

Like the intra club another opportunity gone out the window.

Dont spruik on some Nathan Jones advertisement about getting 35k before round one when you cant even get the basic most simplest thing done.

Get ya [censored] sorted MFC!

[hardtack 10,126]

I would say we could probably get odds of 1-10 that the MFC do monitor Demonland and read these kinds of threads... so it would be nice if you, yes YOU MFC, could provide some kind of response here in this thread addressing the issue and stating what YOU intend to do about improving YOUR performance. It certainly wouldn't be the first time someone from the club has posted on here.

Edited March 9, 2015 by hardtack

[Machsy 2,856]

Wow.

Intra-club practice match delayed by an hour = massive demonland sh!tstorm.

Not ideal, but overreaction much?

[deeflog 679]

It just wasn't good enough today, I took the 2 boys along with me and by the time the players came out to start training they were well and truly over it.

It will be an effort to convince them to come to another training session

[Outside fifty 967]

Wow.

Intra-club practice match delayed by an hour = massive demonland sh!tstorm.

Not ideal, but overreaction much?

No it was closer to one and half hours, and if your happy with a second rate organisation that treats it's supporters with contempt then good on you. Me I actually think the club needs to understand it's obligation toward it's supporters.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,636]

Deeflog, please repost your post from training thread here.

[P-man 13,161]

Wow.

Intra-club practice match delayed by an hour = massive demonland sh!tstorm.

Not ideal, but overreaction much?

I can absolutely understand the annoyance it has caused. Especially for those who take time out to bring the kids along and are left twiddling their thumbs for an hour and a half.

This is on top of the ridiculous decision to not have one single membership or merch stand at the intra club. I emailed the club regarding that decision and received no response. First time that has happened.

It plainly isn't good enough, and it's something that is very easily fixed. The new direction of the club can't include this sort of shoddy organisation. If it isn't sorted then talk of 40K members is nothing but a pipe dream.

Edited March 9, 2015 by P-man

[Matt Demon 1,385]

Wow.

Intra-club practice match delayed by an hour = massive demonland sh!tstorm.

Not ideal, but overreaction much?

Ha! Yeah I only drove in from Balnarring with a couple of kids to stand around an empty oval for an hour & a half before having to drive all the way home with two upset kids.

[whatwhat say what 18,870]

Very poor.

The worst thing is that that will maintain and strengthen the perception that we are just not a professional organisation.

[Supermercado 2,609]

I'm then calling out the clubs consumer staff. The head of which is Jennifer Watt - General Manager Marketing and Communications is her title according to the website. The following are listed to work under her. If the names are wrong and the positions are blank then guess what, it's still a failure of communications!

- Matt Burgan - Editor & Chief Football Writer

- Debbie Lee - Community Manager

- Ryan Larkin - Media Manager

- Matthew Goodrope - Communications Coordinator

- Ryan Earles - Digital Marketing Manager

- Dave Larkin - Graphic Designer

- Anna Harrington - Digital Media Coordinator

- Georgina Lewis - Customer Relations Executive

- Courtney Hart - Digital Video Producer

- Alexandra Luxford - Community Trainee

If you can't organise a popular open training on a public holiday to start when it says it will start and not change times then I don't know how you can lead a team of 10 others! If you're getting screwed around by the footy department then it's time to stand up for the members who support this club and work it out.

I'm at loss at what those 10 people do considering the majority of website content comes from Matt Burgan and that we seem to be one of the least active clubs on twitter.

Worst part of the post - what do you want the Community Manager, the Graphic Designer and a trainee to do? Is Burgan supposed to be banging out Photoshop on one screen and setting up school visits in another while responding to tweets on an iPad and taking media calls on his phone?

Fair enough points otherwise but this is reaching way over the top to try and add to the argument.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Supermercado

[praha 10,270]

I enjoyed watching them train today. I live in East Melbourne though so I guess I wasn't as inconvenienced as some of you. It did seem a little unorganised and I found it bizarre that after promoting it that there wasn't any merchandise or membership drive.

[dazzledavey36 48,694]

Very poor.

The worst thing is that that will maintain and strengthen the perception that we are just not a professional organisation.

I was going to do the 3 hour drive down and spend the day in Melbourne.

Lucky i didn't make it.

And to the people saying that supporters complaining are over the top? Go and get stuffed! We toss money year after year into this footy club. We expect a little decency respect back.

At the end of the day its the supporters money that keeps this club going. Its no wonder PJ says theres about 2000 supporters refusing to sign up because its the simple thing things that this club cant get right.

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

The other smart desision was for the MFC to close The Demon Shop and not bother having a membership tent nor a merchandise tent. I wrote a post on another thread re the intra club where I had walked past The Filths intra club and observed merch, membership and entertainment booths at their training . We arnt doing it right. It's amateur stuff and I am guessing those in the roles arnt qualified enough.

[Earl Hood 5,788]

The other smart desision was for the MFC to close The Demon Shop and not bother having a membership tent nor a merchandise tent. I wrote a post on another thread re the intra club where I had walked past The Filths intra club and observed merch, membership and entertainment booths at their training . We arnt doing it right. It's amateur stuff and I am guessing those in the roles arnt qualified enough.

Is it the double time on a public holiday stuff that is the problem here? Seems like very few office staff were on deck and only the Footy Department staff and players were working. Of course the only problem with that argument is that looking at GRRM's list of staff is they are all managers, not many doers there at all. As managers they are paid to do a job at any time of the day.

[Dee1987 277]

People are too precious and over reacting something shocking!!!

Comments like: The club wont get 35K by round 1, Kids wont barrack for us anymore all because the players were running late today are rubbish!! Fair enough you take your kids and drive all that way for them to be running late is disappointing but its not the be all and end all! Fine email/Call the club about it!

My missues follows Richmond had a similar situation happen a few weeks back with lack of communication there fans certainly weren't slashing their wrist over it!!!!

What will increase membership is better brand of footy and winning games..... Not Rocket Science!!

I would hate to think that if someone went today that now might be thinking twice about joining as a member shouldn't be following us!! YOU ARE ONLY HURTING THE CLUB BY NOT JOINING AS MEMBERS!!!!!!!!

The likes of Hawthorn and Collingwood are loaded with cash due to high membership and sponsorship/Success so they can afford to splurge and make training sessions for kids exciting!!

It was Only 18 months ago the club was going to the AFL asking for bail out money to give us some breathing space!!!

Does it cross peoples minds that today is a public Holiday most people go away for long weekends so that makes it harder to get volunteers to run membership tents and merchandise stalls otherwise its penalty rates!!

GET A GRIP

[Dockett 32 1,213]

They should have done better. Not sure why but pretty sure they might get the message now.

[daisycutter 28,484]

People are too precious and over reacting something shocking!!!

Comments like: The club wont get 35K by round 1, Kids wont barrack for us anymore all because the players were running late today are rubbish!! Fair enough you take your kids and drive all that way for them to be running late is disappointing but its not the be all and end all! Fine email/Call the club about it!

My missues follows Richmond had a similar situation happen a few weeks back with lack of communication there fans certainly weren't slashing their wrist over it!!!!

What will increase membership is better brand of footy and winning games..... Not Rocket Science!!

I would hate to think that if someone went today that now might be thinking twice about joining as a member shouldn't be following us!! YOU ARE ONLY HURTING THE CLUB BY NOT JOINING AS MEMBERS!!!!!!!!

The likes of Hawthorn and Collingwood are loaded with cash due to high membership and sponsorship/Success so they can afford to splurge and make training sessions for kids exciting!!

It was Only 18 months ago the club was going to the AFL asking for bail out money to give us some breathing space!!!

Does it cross peoples minds that today is a public Holiday most people go away for long weekends so that makes it harder to get volunteers to run membership tents and merchandise stalls otherwise its penalty rates!!

GET A GRIP

don't complicate it deefella.........they effed it up.........for what ever reason.......and this shortly after the poorly timed casey intra club match

surely they can't eff up next weekend's family day at luna park too....

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

Is it the double time on a public holiday stuff that is the problem here? Seems like very few office staff were on deck and only the Footy Department staff and players were working. Of course the only problem with that argument is that looking at GRRM's list of staff is they are all managers, not many doers there at all. As managers they are paid to do a job at any time of the day.

Is it the double time on a public holiday stuff that is the problem here? Seems like very few office staff were on deck and only the Footy Department staff and players were working. Of course the only problem with that argument is that looking at GRRM's list of staff is they are all managers, not many doers there at all. As managers they are paid to do a job at any time of the day.

If people in those roles are demanding double time on a public holiday reach out for volunteers to man the tents. There are enough people willing to work for the club as volunteers. Shouldn't be relied on, but if that is the case it's pretty sad.

[dees189227 10,739]

email the club and tell them. it shouldn't be to hard to work put PJ or Josh's email address. But even if you cant find that out id still email them. it isnt good enough to leave fans hanging that long when they show the courtesy to show up.

although they did put this tweet out but I guess not everyone is on social media. Melbourne FC ‏@melbournefc 12h

12 hours ago

UPDATE: Today's open training will commence at 1pm at Gosch's Paddock, with a BBQ and coffee stall set up from 12pm.

Edited March 9, 2015 by dees189227