Damien Barrett's scathing assessment of the MFC

[DistrACTION Jackson 6,418]

10 minutes ago, praha said:

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. 

And then everyone pulled out and Dusty was left holding his di**

I'm not saying it's the same scenario, but he's in contract so we have a season to sort it out.

[DistrACTION Jackson 6,418]

5 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Playing group is disconected with each other

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

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

So we are the only club with some people married, some unmarried and some young?

Spare me

[binman 37,945]

7 minutes ago, praha said:

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. 

An ultimatum? Really? You know this for a fact? Sheesh

This sort of comment is exactly what I am talking about when I say such rumour mongering is damaging. It is not even an opinion. It is stated as a fact. Who knows it might be true but I'm guessing you don't know it to true. Just another mistrust feeding a particular narrative - one that gossips such as barret, the hun, cornes Morris, McClure st so will run with glee.

[The Stigga 879]

14 minutes ago, binman said:

An ultimatum? Really? You know this for a fact? Sheesh

This sort of comment is exactly what I am talking about when I say such rumour mongering is damaging. It is not even an opinion. It is stated as a fact. Who knows it might be true but I'm guessing you don't know it to true. Just another mistrust feeding a particular narrative - one that gossips such as barret, the hun, cornes Morris, McClure st so will run with glee.

1. how do YOU know its not a fact?

2. How do YOU know what Barrett says is just rumour and innuendo. Its fun to say journalists know nothing to suit your narrative.

3. I'd trust anything Barrett said contact wise over everyone on this forum put together.

4. Your getting into Saty and Drysdale territory here Binman...

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by The Stigga

[Sir Why You Little 34,430]

3 minutes ago, The Stigga said:

1. how do YOU know its not a fact?

2. How do YOU know what Barrett says is just rumour and innuendo. Its fun to say journalists know nothing to suit your narrative.

3. I'd trust anything Barrett said contact wise over everyone on this forum put together.

4. Your getting into Saty and Drysdale territory here Binman...

 

Yep. I am no great fan of Barrett or any of these AFL writers BUT they are sniffing out this stuff 15+ hours a day, every day. It is what they do

Barrett knows something, that is for sure. 

As a paying Member I don’t want to wait for the AGM to find out what it is

[Dwight Schrute 16,749]

I suspect what we are asking for is support to pay out and make changes in the football department based on what the review shows. i think this would include Simon Goodwin incase we don't move up next year and a change needs to be made

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,128]

1 hour ago, demoniac said:

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.  

I think you're on the money.

The fact that we didn't get to host either of QB'day and Anzac Eve and got horrid and severely under budgeted crowds for the Richmond/Collingwood/Sydney August home games is probably going to really hurt us financially. 

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,154]

Vague, non-comital sentence from journalist that lacks any detail or specifics, sets off 4 pages of vague, non-commital hysteria lacking any detail or specifics.

 

Barrett heard our presentation went badly.  If he had anything else, he'd print it.

 

[dimmy 1,114]

Unfortunately the "Football Media"has become so crowded that the only way to get noticed is by making a "Very Loud"negative pronouncement , often without any inside or supporting facts.

e.g. Matt Lloyd's continual criticism of Essendon (and everybody else), Judd's Training wheels comment, Damiann Barret on anything, Schwarz on MFC , . Sam  Newman for just opening his mouth because it is full of vitriol.etc etc

Do not even give them oxygen !!!

[Smokey 4,126]

Pure speculation at best, executed in 2 cryptic sentences designed to have people like us talk about it/get triggered. 

This is a basic revenue raising strategy for online advertising profit. People like Barrett and Cornes exist purely for this purpose. 

[praha 10,270]

48 minutes ago, binman said:

An ultimatum? Really? You know this for a fact? Sheesh

This sort of comment is exactly what I am talking about when I say such rumour mongering is damaging. It is not even an opinion. It is stated as a fact. Who knows it might be true but I'm guessing you don't know it to true. Just another mistrust feeding a particular narrative - one that gossips such as barret, the hun, cornes Morris, McClure st so will run with glee.

You're taking what I said, fixating on particular components and coming to the worst possible conclusion.

I don't have it as fact but have it on good authority. 

You sound like a gestapo lapdog. Do you work at the MFC? This is a forum of discussion, opinion, conjecture, debate, some rumours. I've not often been one to endulge in rumours but I'm hearing what I'm hearing. You seem so offended by certain comments and rumours that one can't help but think you work at the club. I pay $2000+ per year into the club's coffers. I am more than within my right to voice these concerns, even if they do come on the back of rumours.

We finished 17th, binman. Open your eyes.

Edited August 30, 2019 by praha

[Constant Mongrel 571]

4 hours ago, Thehardtackler said:

Barrett is a tool. His grasp of the English language is limited and his intellect is worse. He just likes the sound of his own voice.

but he wears glasses?

[Mel Bourne 3,662]

4 hours ago, Jack Russell said:

Are serious , he was a change agent - yes he did a great job for three yesrs but dont  make big statments unless you know the details Adminstrtor!!. he's  time was well and truely done and to be honest he was  NOT running the club last year. By the way you should talk to essendon?? BTW As the adminstrator, what are you doing. This website  seems to have a very close relationship with the club or someone in the club who aobviously sets up the podcasts that our players give their time to and I see that your website that was in past years not too flash has become some what fancy and has all this advertising thanks to I suspect to the club's involvment. So let me get this straight - your little comment is designed to inflame and is devious in its intent. Are you for real. As the Admisntrator not only are in breach of yo our own code of conduct but my friend, I think you need to think  before you as the adminstrator make comments or start a thread which is in nature ill intended

Edited August 30, 2019 by Mel Bourne

[Tony Tea 2,786]

Bargaining gambit. "You're taking the food out of our players' mouths."

[Ethan Tremblay 28,358]

4 hours ago, Jack Russell said:

Are serious , he was a change agent - yes he did a great job for three yesrs but dont  make big statments unless you know the details Adminstrtor!!. he's  time was well and truely done and to be honest he was  NOT running the club last year. By the way you should talk to essendon?? BTW As the adminstrator, what are you doing. This website  seems to have a very close relationship with the club or someone in the club who aobviously sets up the podcasts that our players give their time to and I see that your website that was in past years not too flash has become some what fancy and has all this advertising thanks to I suspect to the club's involvment. So let me get this straight - your little comment is designed to inflame and is devious in its intent. Are you for real. As the Admisntrator not only are in breach of yo our own code of conduct but my friend, I think you need to think  before you as the adminstrator make comments or start a thread which is in nature ill intended

Well I think we know who Damien Barrett is on Demonland now. 

[dazzledavey36 48,707]

54 minutes ago, The Stigga said:

1. how do YOU know its not a fact?

2. How do YOU know what Barrett says is just rumour and innuendo. Its fun to say journalists know nothing to suit your narrative.

3. I'd trust anything Barrett said contact wise over everyone on this forum put together.

4. Your getting into Saty and Drysdale territory here Binman...

 

[censored] off, the guy has been constantly been shown to be wrong more then right! When he is called out on it he backs peddle and won't own up to it.

An absolute venom and a snake of a journo. He is lucky Luke Beveridge didn't put a fist through his head.

[censored] off Barrett you germ.

Edited August 30, 2019 by dazzledavey36

[The Stigga 879]

[binman 37,945]

2 minutes ago, praha said:

You're taking what I said, fixating on particular components and coming to the worst possible conclusion.

I don't have it as fact but have it on good authority. 

You sound like a gestapo lapdog. Do you work at the MFC? This is a forum of discussion, opinion, conjecture, debate, some rumours. I've not often been one to endulge in rumours but I'm hearing what I'm hearing. You seem so offended by certain comments and rumours that one can't help but think you work at the club.

I'm not offended by rumours. But i really dislike unfounded, unsubstantiated rumors of the 'i have it on good authority' type, particularly when they form a pattern that when put together support a particular narrative or agenda, in your case one that paints a picture of a club in turmoil. 

You made a definitive statement that Trac put an ultimatum to the club. Name your source. If you can't don't report it as fact. Anyone can play the i've heard from reliable sources, who i can't reveal, game. Hacks like McClure do it all the time.

You don't indulge in rumors? Without going back through your posts i'd beg to disagree. You seem to be pushing quite a few of late, most of which that put the club in bad light

There are handful of posters on DL who if they post a rumour and don't back it up with a source i'll take it on face value. To be frank you are not one of them. Which is not to say you don't get good mail or that what you are hearing is not factual. But as far as i am concerned you don't have the runs on the board. 

I don't work at the club. But i love the club and i maintain that spreading unfounded rumors on a site such as DL can be damaging to the club. You'd have to be completely naive to think hacks like Tom Morris and Sam McClure don't scour such sites and regurgitate information they hoover up as 'reliable sources', 'whispers' and 'good authority'. 

[DubDee 20,538]

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Playing group is disconected with each other

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

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

easily fixed.

pre-season camp anyone??!?

[chookrat 3,776]

59 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Yep. I am no great fan of Barrett or any of these AFL writers BUT they are sniffing out this stuff 15+ hours a day, every day. It is what they do

Barrett knows something, that is for sure. 

As a paying Member I don’t want to wait for the AGM to find out what it is

Barrett is just salty because of the time Bernie Vince took his glasses at the urinal while at the Brownlow. 

[Mach5 4,482]

3 hours ago, sue said:

Whatever the case, I love the use of the lazy words "up to" which is so common these days.   When you don't know, pick a number and say "up to" as in "Up to 3 starting players".  It can can mean 0,1,2 or 3 so you are safe as long as there are not 4 or more.

 

"Up to" also indicates the speaker to be clearly exaggerating any supposed knowledge. 

[chookrat 3,776]

50 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I think you're on the money.

The fact that we didn't get to host either of QB'day and Anzac Eve and got horrid and severely under budgeted crowds for the Richmond/Collingwood/Sydney August home games is probably going to really hurt us financially. 

It's a better outcome that we were poor this year than last/next year as having both blockbusters as home games when were top 4 next year will mean we have the bling bling. 

[AshleyH30 566]

One thing I would like to ask everyone is; If the club is in such turmoil as some are saying, why would a player like Langdon want to come to Melbourne at all when he could get the same coin at other clubs?

When you think about it, his Manager would have more inside information on the club than most here would. If anything that is being said was true, I would be telling my client to stay as far away as possible.

Edited August 30, 2019 by AshleyH30

[KLV 1,626]

3 hours ago, binman said:

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. 

 

Agree with both. It is so predictable. There is a bye weekend and journos have to continue churning out the same volume of content as any other week. 

This is a gigantic headline with a very insignificant story behind it. As others have said, MFC would have presented a bad financial loss, and predicted another for next year. That would probably be it. 

Demonland, stop reacting to this pathetic attempt for relevance, by this pathetic man.

 

[hemingway 7,589]

The beating of jungle drums after the poor season that we have had is predictable.

It is perhaps surprising that it has taken so long.

Cracks appear in all clubs when they are performing poorly.

The footy media like all other news outlets are looking for headline stories every day. It is 50 years since Vance Packard wrote about news creation so nothing new about it all, other than the fact that the 24 hour news cycle and electronic media has worsened the environment. Everyone wants to be a media star whether for good or bad and this includes journalists, reporters and news breakers. 

The game is seen as entertainment and the old ideas of footy and the behaviours of all involved in the game has forever changed. 

Like its supporters you would expect some players to be getting itchy feet. With some dysfunction between players and perhaps between players and coach, and admin staff there will be tension. Also the natural reaction of any well performed player is going to be "do I wait to see if things improve or get out now."  With the Demons history and the perennial bagging of the club by all and sundry, players would feel depressed. Hell all us supporters feel suicidal, ashamed and embarrassed by our poor old club so imagine the feelings of at least some of the players. 

With ego massaging that comes from approaches from other better performing clubs, it would be tempting for anyone to consider a move. Better facilities, better money, and perceived stability, the temptation is there. And the grass is always better on the other side of the fence. When you are offered a job you feel pretty good about yourself, life and future prospects. 

At the same time, if players are hearing stories that they may be traded as part of big changes to the playing list, then this only encourages them to look elsewhere, supported by rapacious player managers who have a vested interest in the players career.

Like with most things, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle. 

The next 6 months is going to be a time when the professionalism of the clubs decision makers is going to be fully tested. I hope they are up to it. How much risk does the club take? Will it be able to manage the issues with intelligence, common sense and integrity. Its internal and external communication is going to be very important. Any perceived differences or tensions are going to be exposed and talked about.

Testing times.

I just hope the key people are up to it. At this stage it is hope rather than belief. 

Unfortunately, we will not get any sympathy from the AFL, other clubs, the media or the footy industry per se.  

Huge challenges ahead.