While I respect Jimma as a person and a footballer, I think this is a stretch.

There are lots of wounds that could be reopened by going into the shortcomings of that regime if it were to be clinically analysed. Therefore I think it's would have been better if Don hadn't made the comment in the first place.

Edited September 2, 20186 yr by Colin B. Flaubert

Definitely correct, if not for some of the decisions, we wouldn’t have got Roos?

Jim did help wipe out a lot of debt from the club. It's a great shame he isn't here to see us making finals. Instead he passed away when we were at our worst on the field. 

Also in the article good to see Danners will be there friday night. Wouldn't it be great if he went into the rooms before the game to give them a lift, not that should need much motivation. 

Is he high?

Loved Stynes but that was a dark, lawless and incompetent period in our club's history. 

He oversaw tanking, 186, a failed rebranding, among other things.

Stynes was a member of the boys club, who, along with Schwab, applied bandaid solutions whilst drawing up fantasty ideas and long term plans on whiteboards with zero business or rational case behind the ideas.

Stynes came in and saved us immediately with debt demolition, but it was downhill from there. He was out of his depth. We may as well have picked a random store manager from McDonald's to run the joint.

May cop some flack for that and some may not want to hear it, but we were in a worse place when he left the club than it was in when he started.

I'd rather forget that time and I have no idea why Mclardy would bring Stynes' legacy up in that way. 

Edited September 2, 20186 yr by praha

14 minutes ago, dees189227 said:

Also in the article good to see Danners will be there friday night. Wouldn't it be great if he went into the rooms before the game to give them a lift, not that should need much motivation. 

Worked a treat during the year.

I often wonder how or why these stories even make it to press.

It’s just a crap read to be frank.

The club was on it it's knees when McLardy got ousted as President, the 'Dee-surgence' started when Peter Jackson was appointed CEO

Melbourne are five days away from playing in their first final in twelve years, I'm just gagging to get stuck into some off-field politics from almost a decade ago.

Yeah, let’s not.

Hope to see Don at the footy on Friday night. Onward and upward.

Go Dees.

33 minutes ago, praha said:

Is he high?

Loved Stynes but that was a dark, lawless and incompetent period in our club's history. 

He oversaw tanking, 186, a failed rebranding, among other things.

Stynes was a member of the boys club, who, along with Schwab, applied bandaid solutions whilst drawing up fantasty ideas and long term plans on whiteboards with zero business or rational case behind the ideas.

Stynes came in and saved us immediately with debt demolition, but it was downhill from there. He was out of his depth. We may as well have picked a random store manager from McDonald's to run the joint.

May cop some flack for that and some may not want to hear it, but we were in a worse place when he left the club than it was in when he started.

I'd rather forget that time and I have no idea why Mclardy would bring Stynes' legacy up in that way. 

I would have loved to have seen how things went had Jimma not gotten so sick.  He absolutely oversaw the things above, but some of those happened while he was very unwell and unable to really play the role of president to the best of his ability.  He listened to others around him instead, many of whom made horrible decisions that set us back years.

Again, I don't think anyone could deny that many of those things happened while he was in charge, but I think it's a little harsh considering how unwell he was during that period.

Basically correct @praha

In 2012-13, Jimmy's culpability for the mess we had become was never raised. I understand the reasons. His death at the time was incredibly raw and tragic. Read 'My Journey' and I guarantee there will be times you will tear up.

I remember some sheeting blame home at the time to the 'Schwab/McLardy regime' which made me raise an eyebrow. However, I kept my mouth shut. With hindsight, we can see it for what it was. 

I believe that had Jimmy played more of a Don Scott role with Debt Demolition and then handed the club over to more admistratively competent people, his legacy would have been spotless. 

I reckon the fact that he went on with his illness showed how few true leaders we had at the time and how favorite sons were allowed to call their own shots @Wiseblood 

As difficult as it would have been, Jimmy needed to step down as president. There needed to be someone in the club to sit down and have that heart to heart with him. We needed a full time president in addition to him needing to spend time with his family in those crucial months.

Alas there was no one willing to nor had the stones to do so and we ended up with Jimmy at the post 186 presser: the angriest day of my life as a Demons supporter. Bailey's treatment was disgraceful and it was heartbreaking to see Jim carrying that load.

I wish Don hadn't brought this up in the first place. As has been said in this thread, finals are around the corner and I have no time or tolerance for playing politics or worshipping 'personalities' like in the days of old. How about saying our revival came about from the people ACTUALLY in the club? That would be novel for us. 

Edited September 2, 20186 yr by Colin B. Flaubert
Wanted to add two more things.

I think there’s nothing to gain from looking back at this and definitely nothing to be gained from trying to rewrite history or putting on too thick a shade of rose-coloured-glasses.

2008-13 was two steps forward, seven steps back.  We were a broken shell is a club inside and out when PJ and Roos came in.  

Jimmy Stynes  to Glen Bartlett to Peter Jackson to Paul Roos to Simon Goodwin equates to a  MELBOURNE PREMIERSHIP.

Although there is more involvement in this area Jimmy is the instigator. You kept us afloat in the early stages of our dark days.

 

We saved the club...it was the supporters/fans in the end that made enough noise to be heard.

The club was on it's knee's...

Luckily for us, love him or hate him Andrew Demetriou listened.

He got the right man for the job in PJ, a great get as it turned out.

...but make no mistake, the rebuild of this club started from the fans.

There was no messiah, just a club in turmoil at the top and enough of us day to day supporters that still cared.

Now as Simon said the other day it's ours to enjoy, so enjoy but remember.

...The Dee-surgence started with us. No one can take that away from us.

 

Almost killed the club. [censored] off, McLardy.

Never look back.

It's time for the future.?

48 minutes ago, rjay said:

We saved the club...it was the supporters/fans in the end that made enough noise to be heard.

The club was on it's knee's...

Luckily for us, love him or hate him Andrew Demetriou listened.

He got the right man for the job in PJ, a great get as it turned out.

...but make no mistake, the rebuild of this club started from the fans.

There was no messiah, just a club in turmoil at the top and enough of us day to day supporters that still cared.

Now as Simon said the other day it's ours to enjoy, so enjoy but remember.

...The Dee-surgence started with us. No one can take that away from us.

 

It's your apostrophes I can't tolerate. (it's knee's = it is knee's...err...cap?)

Anyway you're right about PJ. Jimmy inspired Debt Demolition but the rest of the article is nonsense.

How a reporter even knew McLardy was in the country is a mystery. What he has to say is worthless. Let's move on.

When Stynes returned to the club we were on our knees, he helped us get out of debt and for a time gave us stability. Sadly certain choices also lead us back into arguably an even bigger hole, there was a disconnect between the club and the footy department and ego’s ruining the club. 

With the greatest love and respect, Stynes and co created short term solutions to long term problems. He should absolutely be recognised for the help he delivered at the time, but our current team and management built themselves into what they are now. 

The article says McLardy returns from overseas this week.   I wouldn't read too much into it.  Journo looking for 'sound bites'.  Unfortunately, it is the headline that gives a biased slant.  If the headline was 'McLardy remembers Stynes and Flower', I suggest the article would be interpreted differently.

It sounds like McLardy is simply reflecting on our journey.  It is true that we were all excited when Jimmy took over.  It is true that it takes a long time to build/rebuild a club.  He has credited everyone since Jimmy (eg Jackson, Bartlett) and especially recognised those who have stuck with the club through the hard times (eg supporters, Jones, Gawn, Mahoney, T. Viney). 

My take is McLardy is musing on how special this week would be for Stynes and Flower, how special it is for those that endured the hard times and how much it means to Neale Daniher with whom he will watch the game.  I have no problem with them being included in this week's excitement and sentiments. 

Edited September 3, 20186 yr by Lucifer's Hero

Is dee-surgence the opposite of resurgence? A bit like detumescence?  (Look it up).

 

Edited September 2, 20186 yr by Stormy Dee

11 hours ago, A F said:

Almost killed the club. [censored] off, McLardy.

Ignorant and incredibly disrespectful to a bloke who loves the club and inherited a position he never wanted. Put in an unbelievable amount of work for no reward, to the detriment of his own business and personal life, in incredibly trying times.

Not your best post Adam.

With great respect to Jim McLardy is wrong on this one.

Jimmy made one mistake, he employed his mates into important positions. 

We needed the BEST people to fill those jobs, as now has been shown. 

1 hour ago, Members' Wing said:

Ignorant and incredibly disrespectful to a bloke who loves the club and inherited a position he never wanted. Put in an unbelievable amount of work for no reward, to the detriment of his own business and personal life, in incredibly trying times.

Not your best post Adam.

He might have done all that mate but to come back after all of PJs incredible hard work and try and claim credit for it. Wow. Our club was on its knees. If he didn't want the post as President, he shouldn't have stood for Vice Presidency.

And I love the club but I'm not trying to destabilise it. Probably the most egotistical approach to it too. He's very quiet during PJs time and now that we've made finals, he's trying to take credit.

Just yuck.