Damien Barrett's scathing assessment of the MFC

[FireInTheBennelly 4,099]

57 minutes ago, SFebes said:

facts are facts, open your eyes. You should probably put some time into your spelling and grammar also.

Fair go, that wasn't too bad for a Jack Russell!!!

[praha 11,240]

25 minutes ago, binman said:

And on this, so what? 

1.  Lets see what happens. Might go the same way as the so called 'big' announcement that was supposed to happen last Sunday that you jumped all over. But lets say it is true we don't want the tail wagging the dog and to be honest there are only 4 or 5 best 22 that i woud be shattered to lose. In any case we have most of our best 22 under contract and i suspect might be  looking to trade some anyway (eg Brayshaw, Hunt)
2. Der. No sheet sherlock
3. Stuff happens in a year like the one we have had in a very emotional environment like footy clubs

The Doom Loop? Most important off-season in the club's history? hyperbole much. What a load of over the top histrionics. 

The Doom loop is good name for death metal band by the way.

 

35 minutes ago, binman said:

You're dead keen on the club is in crisis narrative aren't you Praha.

And dead keen of helping drive it too i might add. 

Either Barrett reads Demonland or we have heard the same things.

And binman, a financial loss would be disastrous and an indictment on the viability of the club's current plans. Not all debt is bad but in our case adding to it raises serious questions if after a record breaking attendance year last year and membership this year we are still losing money. 

I'm really not keen on this ending badly binman. But all signs point to things going badly here and I keep saying it's the most important off-season of Goodwin's and many others' careers. We are on knife's edge atm. This I am 99% sure of. Why would I hype it up as being an important off season if not because I want to see them right the ship? Situations like this separate the professionals from the amateurs. Geelong 06. Collingwood 2017. Richmond 2016. All teams bounced back. It takes us years to turn things around and one pre season sees us finish 17th. 

26 minutes ago, chookrat said:

I don't buy this. Petracca's actions on the field are not the actions of a disgruntled player. He's vocal, team oriented and has played his role beautifully. I'd be staggered if he requested a trade.

I don't either but it's what I'm hearing. Not necessarily that he wants a trade but that there is more to the meeting. It is never a good sign if a player's manager is meeting with the club. You don't think it was an ultimatum? It 100% was. Goodwin's and co's response at that moment alone would have determined Trac's intentions.

[DubDee 26,128]

Pert coming in would want a financial loss so he has something to fix.  so he'll make sure it looks bad. and then he'll seem like a genius when its better next year.  easy to manipulate the numbers from one FY to the next

[reynolds46 1,275]

Barrett has achieved what he wanted by his comment. Basically said nothing but planted the seed of panic which is growing very quickly. He has to provide some trivial/semi-relevant comment  on each club every week in his ludicrously named "Sliding Doors" column. I'm sure everyone in the football world knows that the club has a quite a few issues to deal with right now and has nearly always had financial challenges.

[Dee*ceiving 1,690]

11 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Pert coming in would want a financial loss so he has something to fix.  so he'll make sure it looks bad. and then he'll seem like a genius when its better next year.  easy to manipulate the numbers from one FY to the next

New CEO 101... 

[Cam Schwab's Whiteboard 209]

29 minutes ago, Clintosaurus said:

Tracc just wants more midfield time, and he seemed to get a fair bit last Saturday. Reckon Burgess will have him in run all day shape by JLT.

Amazing though that players would want out after one bad year.

I'm not sure they would want out after just one bad year.

Perhaps it's more about the Football Department itself, as opposed to onfield performance?

One bad year is just one bad year. One bad year as a result of a bad direction and a stubbornness to change is deeply problematic.

[Diamond_Jim 12,628]

19 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Pert coming in would want a financial loss so he has something to fix.  so he'll make sure it looks bad. and then he'll seem like a genius when its better next year.  easy to manipulate the numbers from one FY to the next

those occur due to writing down internal valuations such as previous purchases. He may have written down the poker machine licence values etc assuming they have not been pre-sold.

However MFC is looking at a simple revenue shortfall. So to come off that base he has to do one of two things grow revenue or cut expenses. Traditionally new CEO's cut expenses.

[binman 43,822]

28 minutes ago, reynolds46 said:

Barrett has achieved what he wanted by his comment. Basically said nothing but planted the seed of panic which is growing very quickly. He has to provide some trivial/semi-relevant comment  on each club every week in his ludicrously named "Sliding Doors" column. I'm sure everyone in the football world knows that the club has a quite a few issues to deal with right now and has nearly always had financial challenges.

Spot on. I mean talk about an over reaction to a single line indicating the AFL are worried. As an example of an over reaction you only need to read the thread title. Talk about poetic licence.

Similar over the top reaction to some random caller to 3aw's rumor file that some jumped on evidence of goody being a poor coach and other hoping it was true and that he was going to be sacked

Praha, on the money front of course we lost money this year. How could we have failed to give our home crowds and QB or ANZAC day were both away games (which by the by the AFL could have avoided by simply staggering).

Agree this off season and next season is critical. And have said as much myself. But the most important preseason in the clubs history? More critical than during the years where ceasing to exist as club was a very real possibility?  C'mon.

Are their issues? Yes, it would seem to be the case. Perhaps a fracture between young and older players and conflict with the FD and the younger players (who Lewis suggested did not come back in great nick)? Maybe. But losing 17 games will inevitably create and heighten tensions. 

Such hyperbole and over reaction from fans is in my opinion not helpful. Plays into the hands of the gossip mongers in footy media that masquerade as journalists. 

The club have been proactive thus far and have not sat on their hands. For the first time in long time i have faith in the current administration and FD to get things right. 

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by binman

[Supermercado 2,802]

I have no doubt we're in trouble financially but I'll wait to hear it from a non-germ source.

[chook fowler 19,565]

Purple is, as Purple does but i think we are fooling ourselves not to believe there are big issues at the Club. There needs to be a lot of digits extracted before next season.

[AshleyH30 566]

5 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

Purple is, as Purple does but i think we are fooling ourselves not to believe there are big issues at the Club. There needs to be a lot of digits extracted before next season.

I don't think anyone is denying that there are issues. Most are arguing about the depth of them. Some think we're so deep in the [censored] that we can't swim, while others only think it's ankle deep. I'm in the later camp.

[P-man 13,366]

1 hour ago, chookrat said:

I don't buy this. Petracca's actions on the field are not the actions of a disgruntled player. He's vocal, team oriented and has played his role beautifully. I'd be staggered if he requested a trade.

Really? I wouldn’t be. Of all the big(ger) name players on our list to request a trade, Petracca would surprise me the least. He won’t tolerate seeing his career pan out the same as Jonesy’s. Let’s also not forget his parents having reservations about him being drafted to Melbourne in the first place. I have little doubt there would be people in his ear telling him to get out now. 

Hopefully he stays though. It would be a real kick in the teeth for him to leave right on the verge of becoming the player we hoped for. Surely when you’ve invested this much into something, it’s worth giving it more of a chance than one failed season.

[chookrat 4,268]

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

It would be pure frustration. Five years in or thereabouts and you find yourself in a team that goes dramatically backwards big time with a coach who just doesn't have the answers.

Player loyalty disappeared years ago. He wants a successful football career. Can he get it at MFC. I don't know and I am sure he and other players are wondering the same thing.

I don't have an issue with Trac being frustrated and meeting with the club to understand where it is going and where he fits in and discuss what he wants. Anyone who wants to be successful at whatever they do should be doing this.

[chookrat 4,268]

3 minutes ago, P-man said:

Really? I wouldn’t be. Of all the big(ger) name players on our list to request a trade, Petracca would surprise me the least. He won’t tolerate seeing his career pan out the same as Jonesy’s. Let’s also not forget his parents having reservations about him being drafted to Melbourne in the first place. I have little doubt there would be people in his ear telling him to get out now. 

Hopefully he stays though. It would be a real kick in the teeth for him to leave right on the verge of becoming the player we hoped for. Surely when you’ve invested this much into something, it’s worth giving it more of a chance than one failed season.

Given that up to last year we have improved every year for the last 5 years and played in a prelim last year it would be pretty dramatic for him to request a trade after one poor season. The club would be under no obligation to facilitate a trade after one horrible season and would be well within its rights to say it wouldn't even entertain the idea of trading him.

[P-man 13,366]

Just now, chookrat said:

Given that up to last year we have improved every year for the last 5 years and played in a prelim last year it would be pretty dramatic for him to request a trade after one poor season. The club would be under no obligation to facilitate a trade after one horrible season and would be well within its rights to say it wouldn't even entertain the idea of trading him.

I agree it would be a dramatic move. Unless the picture behind the scenes is even worse than what we are aware of.

Comparatively speaking though, Trac requesting a trade wouldn’t leave me staggered based on what we know of his personality and ambition. Oliver requesting a trade, yes, I’d be staggered.

[DistrACTION Jackson 9,250]

6 minutes ago, chookrat said:

I don't have an issue with Trac being frustrated and meeting with the club to understand where it is going and where he fits in and discuss what he wants. Anyone who wants to be successful at whatever they do should be doing this.

Agreed. Remember Dustin Martin was potentially leaving and then nothing eventuated.

Then look what happened.

We don't want players controlling decisions, however it's also important they have a voice. It's a fine line.

[3183 Dee 2,907]

1 hour ago, Clintosaurus said:

Tracc just wants more midfield time, and he seemed to get a fair bit last Saturday. Reckon Burgess will have him in run all day shape by JLT.

Amazing though that players would want out after one bad year.

I agree - this time last year, everyone was clamouring to get on board. Obviously, big changes need to be made after such an appalling year, but et’s see where we are, at the end of next year.

[Sir Why You Little 37,151]

The season from hell is over, it’s time to hear from the board what they have been told. 

 

[The Lobster Effect 893]

2 hours ago, DemonLad5 said:

This doesn't bode well, I'm anticipating a big name such as a Petracca or a Brayshaw to be requesting a trade 

Already have a bad sense about Hunt as well

Yeah but if a journo like damo knew someone like petracca wanted out he would report it to get the glory rather than his cryptic comments on afl.com today. 

[demoniac 1,336]

I thought I'd got the starting time wrong and arrived way early to my reserved seat in the Tridents on L2 of Southern Stand for the Tiges game. I'd arrived 30 minutes before the first bounce. I suspect that attendances at home games were significantly under budget forecasts, particularly for the run of home games against the Tigers, Pies and Swans, and we're going to make a reasonably significant loss. I could be wrong.  

[beelzebub 23,383]

Fellow Demonlanders this is just the beginning of the torch ( and think acetylene not lumens ) being applied to us. Finals will act as a diversion for a short while only.

More than one source/informed jungle drummer has suggested to me it's  not all happy families  at Melbourne. .emphasis on 'families' 

Everyone  of course is at liberty  to believe  what they will. That's  a given.

Another given  is that the Purple was is something  of a muppet puppet but really  ppl need to to consider who the muppet puppet's master is ??

The media IS now the domain for the AFL, clubs, managers etc to come dancing in. 

The music has started. ...and im not thinking it's on 'Smooth'

 

[praha 11,240]

58 minutes ago, Collar-Jazz-Knee said:

Agreed. Remember Dustin Martin was potentially leaving and then nothing eventuated.

Then look what happened.

We don't want players controlling decisions, however it's also important they have a voice. It's a fine line.

Martin was set to be out of contract and being offered millions to leave. Petracca is in contract and has his management giving the coaching team an ultimatum. Completely different. 

[praha 11,240]

37 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

The season from hell is over, it’s time to hear from the board what they have been told. 

 

AGM.

[picket fence 17,539]

Playing group is disconected with each other

Young guys, Middle unmarrieds, Families, is what I have heard!

Disconnected ! Hnmm leads to discontentment, leads to???

[Sir Why You Little 37,151]

2 minutes ago, praha said:

AGM.

I think we need to know a bit before then. I would like to find out during September whilst a Finals Campaign, that we are not involved in is active. The Media will be looking elsewhere