MFC Annual General Meeting tonight 20/2/2023 at 6:30pm

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 2,952]

1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

I think the lack of spectators has a lot more to do with Melbourne supporters as a whole rather than the location. Melbourne supporters don't even turn up to games at the MCG when we are top 2, let alone pre season games.

The area where Casey is located is not that horrible, granted there is no train, but there are several shops very close by, and there is a giant opportunity to develop the area.

Have you seen where the Hawks are building the Kennedy Centre? That is one hell of a dump. There is nothing there either.

We can either keep waiting around for years in some deluded hope that we can get an inner city location, or we can work with what we have and use the opportunity to develop and grow the area.

Why not use some of the funds from the sale of the Bentleigh Club to create a facility out in Casey that also accommodates shops and cafes and enjoy long term income streams from renting the spaces out?
There is nothing  stopping us from thinking outside the box here, except our own stubbornness. 

The shops are across a four lane road and barely walking distance. It’s a plaza with shops akin to something in Midwest America. Sorry jaded, your area has no appeal … except to low income families and migrants. I bet the red rooster is a big hit on Friday nights. 
 

melbournes home attendance last year was actually very good. Ranks 2 overall if you look at it from a percentage of members perspective. Also higher than many others. So that is a myth. 

Edited February 21, 2023 by Kick_It_To_Pickett

[rpfc 27,590]

Just now, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

The shops are across a four lane road and barely working distance. It’s a plaza with shops akin to something in Midwest America. Sorry jaded, your area has no appeal … except to low income families and migrants. I bet the red rooster is a big hit on Friday nights. 
 

melbournes home attendance last year was actually very good. Ranks 2 overall if you oook at it from a percentage of members perspective. Also higher than many others. So that is a myth. 

A myth? We got 6k to an AFLW Preliminary Final at the G. 

At the effing G!

Probably would have got more at Casey. So you can leave that BS before heading down the highway…

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 2,952]

9 minutes ago, rpfc said:

A myth? We got 6k to an AFLW Preliminary Final at the G. 

At the effing G!

Probably would have got more at Casey. So you can leave that BS before heading down the highway…

AFLW …please…

 

I think you are referring to the game at IKON mate. We didn’t play a prelim last year at G at AFLW level. 

Edited February 21, 2023 by Kick_It_To_Pickett

[old dee 22,946]

10 minutes ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

The shops are across a four lane road and barely walking distance. It’s a plaza with shops akin to something in Midwest America. Sorry jaded, your area has no appeal … except to low income families and migrants. I bet the red rooster is a big hit on Friday nights. 
 

melbournes home attendance last year was actually very good. Ranks 2 overall if you look at it from a percentage of members perspective. Also higher than many others. So that is a myth. 

That’s an elitist  comment if ever there was one. Right now there are no options to Casey and won’t be for the foreseeable future. So get use to the idea. 

[Grapeviney 8,867]

7 hours ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

 The residents of CASEY could not give a rats t0ssbag about AFL. You could remain there for another 10 years and you'd be unlikely to get 1000 additional members. 

 

7 hours ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

what have we done to engage the City of Melbourne residents? It's a huge opportunity. Many people who have zero links to AFL clubs, just waiting to be engaged. Do they even know we exist?

So people who live in Casey have no interest in AFL, but the CBD is full of footy fans waiting for a team to market themselves properly? Lol.

Not sure where you live, but it's somewhere in la-la land.  

Edited February 21, 2023 by Grapeviney

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 2,952]

1 minute ago, Grapeviney said:

 

So people who live in Casey have no interest in AFL, but the city is full of footy fans waiting for a team to market themselves properly? Lol.

Not sure where you live, but it's somewhere in la-la land.  

Ok GV let’s just rebrand as the Casey Demons then

[old dee 22,946]

1 minute ago, Grapeviney said:

 

So people who live in Casey have no interest in AFL, but the city is full of footy fans waiting for a team to market themselves properly? Lol.

Not sure where you live, but it's somewhere in la-la land.  

I would suggest Hawthorn Gv. 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,498]

1 hour ago, demon3165 said:

Understand your point but what I do laugh at is the rest of the population travel large distances to work everyday 8-9 hours a day in peak hour but for footballers that's to much to ask I wouldn't mind traveling for $300 - 800 thousand a year for 10 months of the year.

Seriously? Where did you pluck this figure from?

[Jaded No More 58,584]

18 minutes ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

 Sorry jaded, your area has no appeal … except to low income families and migrants. I bet the red rooster is a big hit on Friday nights. 
 

 

You literally have no idea what you are talking about.

It is actually pathetic for you to degrade an area you know nothing about.

Low income families are buying million dollar houses are they? I live 15 mins from Casey and most houses here sell for over a million on a bad day. 

Casey is about 20 minutes from the Peninsula which is one of the most expensive areas in Melbourne. 

Please stop letting your clear snobbery get in the way of the truth.

 

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 2,952]

2 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

You literally have no idea what you are talking about.

It is actually pathetic for you to degrade an area you know nothing about.

Low income families are buying million dollar houses are they? I live 15 mins from Casey and most houses here sell for over a million on a bad day. 

Casey is about 20 minutes from the Peninsula which is one of the most expensive areas in Melbourne. 

Please stop letting your clear snobbery get in the way of the truth.

 

Yeah I just made it up. There are no asylum seekers or migrants flocking to Casey. I’m just a snob. 

https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/our-community-location

[Redleg 37,896]

58 minutes ago, demon3165 said:

When I played you were lucky to get a warm shower after the game...

When I was Team Manager of the Dees, I was warned about standing in the race at Victoria Park. I avoided a warm shower of urine in a cup, thrown at the players one game there, when we hurried down the race, instead of walking slowly.

Nice bunch of people.

[Jaded No More 58,584]

11 minutes ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

Yeah I just made it up. There are no asylum seekers or migrants flocking to Casey. I’m just a snob. 

https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/our-community-location

And how many commission houses and immigrants are there in St Kilda, Prahran, Richmond, Flemington?

I don't know what is so wrong with immigrants. You are much more likely to get them converted to support the Dees, than people who have been in Melbourne for 3 generations and already have a footy side.

I migrated to Australia at 12 and had no footy team. Melbourne did a footy clinic at my school, and my Dad and I are going on 25+ years of membership with the club as a result. 

Our supporter base is old. Lack of success for 5 decades does that. If we don't move with the times and go where the people are, and just keep servicing the old generation of Melbourne fans who might live in and around Toorak, our club will die a very slow and painful death. 

 

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 2,952]

5 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

And how many commission houses and immigrants are there in St Kilda, Prahran, Richmond, Flemington?

I don't know what is so wrong with immigrants. You are much more likely to get them converted to support the Dees, than people who have been in Melbourne for 3 generations and already have a footy side.

I migrated to Australia at 12 and had no footy team. Melbourne did a footy clinic at my school, and my Dad and I are going on 25+ years of membership with the club as a result. 

Our supporter base is old. Lack of success for 5 decades does that. If we don't move with the times and go where the people are, and just keep servicing the old generation of Melbourne fans who might live in and around Toorak, our club will die a very slow and painful death. 

 

I’ll ask you again, how many people have we converted out there? Where is the data tht shows they are interested in football, as opposed to soccer, which has also moved out there? We now are competing with Melbourne City for support. You think we have a chance at beating City Football Group at winning over people with an interest in the world game?

 

where did I say there was an issue with migrants? I’m just stating that immigrants are less interested in our code of football. Look at soccer participation in Casey. It’s sky high. Which is why Melb Cuty shifted from Bundoora to Casey 

[Dante 2,562]

1 hour ago, demon3165 said:

Ahhh suggest to listen to Pert talking about Casey's facility's regarding the recovery pool there is one there and yes there is an aquatic centre down the road there so I suggest you don't make statements that you don't know

Well I went to breakfast with one of the club fundraisers, Pert was supposed to be there but had to pull out, and was asked if I'd like to contribute to the building of a RECOVERY POOL which they had planned. That was about a month and a half ago and they haven't asked me for my contribution yet. I got a copy of the projected construction, they hadn't started at that stage.

They certainly got that built pretty quickly.

[Jaded No More 58,584]

4 minutes ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

I’ll ask you again, how many people have we converted out there? Where is the data tht shows they are interested in football, as opposed to soccer, which has also moved out there? We now are competing with Melbourne City for support. You think we have a chance at beating City Football Group at winning over people with an interest in the world game?

 

where did I say there was an issue with migrants? I’m just stating that immigrants are less interested in our code of football. Look at soccer participation in Casey. It’s sky high. Which is why Melb Cuty shifted from Bundoora to Casey 

How many people have we converted in inner Melbourne? Do you have data on that?

When was the last time anyone with deep family roots in a footy club has switched teams? Do you really think that having a home close to the MCG will help us gain new members? You might get a few international students, but they are often not here for long and might come along to a few games for the novelty.

Immigrants with kids who go to schools in the Casey area are much more likely to get involved with a footy team. Every school has footy days and footy clinics.

Most immigrants in the Casey area are from India and surrounding areas. They are not in any way shape or form devoted to soccer. They would be happy to follow a winter sport when Cricket isn't on.

Likewise there are loads of young couples buying new house and land packages out Casey way. Young couples who plan on having kids. Kids who then go to school and get influenced to follow a team that just so happens to be located close to home.

Not many young couples can afford to buy or even raise young kids in inner city Melbourne anymore. 

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 2,952]

10 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

How many people have we converted in inner Melbourne? Do you have data on that?

When was the last time anyone with deep family roots in a footy club has switched teams? Do you really think that having a home close to the MCG will help us gain new members? You might get a few international students, but they are often not here for long and might come along to a few games for the novelty.

Immigrants with kids who go to schools in the Casey area are much more likely to get involved with a footy team. Every school has footy days and footy clinics.

Most immigrants in the Casey area are from India and surrounding areas. They are not in any way shape or form devoted to soccer. They would be happy to follow a winter sport when Cricket isn't on.

Likewise there are loads of young couples buying new house and land packages out Casey way. Young couples who plan on having kids. Kids who then go to school and get influenced to follow a team that just so happens to be located close to home.

Not many young couples can afford to buy or even raise young kids in inner city Melbourne anymore. 

So the young couples moving there are going to switch teams because Melbourne train there? I thought that wasn’t how it worked. “When was the last time anyone with deep family roots in a footy club has switched teams?” 😉

All I’ve said is that we are alienating our existing supporters if we move away and stop paying attention to our traditional heartland. I rebuke the notion that Hawthorn moving to Waverley did that, as the east was a hawthorn area before they moved. In addition, they have 13 premierships since 1965, which is why they were able to grow their supporter base. 
 

I understand that you are passionate about Casey, as you are a resident there, but I don’t think the move has done much for our club, other than create an inconvenience  for the existing member base. If it was so appealing, would we even be looking at the inner city ? 
 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2023 by Kick_It_To_Pickett

[Jaded No More 58,584]

Just now, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

So they young couples moving there are going to switch teams because Melbourne train there? I thought that wasn’t how it worked. “When was the last time anyone with deep family roots in a footy club has switched teams?” 😉

All I’ve said is that we are alienating our existing supporters if we move away and stop paying attention to our traditional heartland. I rebuke the notion that Hawthorn moving to Waverley did that, as the east was a hawthorn area before they moved. In addition, they have 13 premierships since 1965, which is why they were able to grow their supporter base. 
 

I understand that you are passionate about Casey, as you are a resident there, but I don’t think the move has done much for our club, other than create an inconvenience  for the existing member base. If it was so appealing, would we even be looking at the inner city ? 
 

 

 

I have no allegiance to Casey. I would support Melbourne whether the home base was in Richmond, Cranbourne, Frankston or Werribee. Because I am not a fickle snob who thinks our club has to stay connected to the rich white inner city suburbs of Melbourne, which are becoming less and less attainable to 90% of the population of Melbourne, including Melbourne supporters.

My only concern is to get our club a home base, and the reality is that getting one in inner Melbourne is looking less and less likely to happen.

We need to look outside the box or we will end up homeless for another 3 decades. That is just the reality.

If we could get a home base in inner Melbourne, it would have happened by now. It hasn't.

Time to look elsewhere, or stop complaining about a lack of home base. You can't have it both ways it seems. 

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 2,952]

1 minute ago, Jaded No More said:

I have no allegiance to Casey. I would support Melbourne whether the home base was in Richmond, Cranbourne, Frankston or Werribee. Because I am not a fickle snob who thinks our club has to stay connected to the rich white inner city suburbs of Melbourne, which are becoming less and less attainable to 90% of the population of Melbourne, including Melbourne supporters.

My only concern is to get our club a home base, and the reality is that getting one in inner Melbourne is looking less and less likely to happen.

We need to look outside the box or we will end up homeless for another 3 decades. That is just the reality.

If we could get a home base in inner Melbourne, it would have happened by now. It hasn't.

Time to look elsewhere, or stop complaining about a lack of home base. You can't have it both ways it seems. 

You keep mentioning race…why?? Pretty sure the affluent suburbs of Melbourne have a lot of races, particularly those from the East. I reckon we are going around in circles here.

 

I also think we should look outside the box. I’d be looking at Caulfield. I’d be looking at the Mornington Peninsula, which is now connected by Peninsula Link. 

[daisycutter 28,635]

2 hours ago, Dante said:

They haven't built the recovery pool, as yet.

You believe there is an aquatic centre across the road, well is there or isn't there. Don't make a statement when you aren't sure.

Casey race (aquatic centre) is across the road, but it is about 1500 metres walk (acc to google maps)

[demon3165 2,006]

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Seriously? Where did you pluck this figure from?

You are joking are you? how much do you think they make a year with a salary cap of nearly 13 mill?

[demon3165 2,006]

1 hour ago, Redleg said:

When I was Team Manager of the Dees, I was warned about standing in the race at Victoria Park. I avoided a warm shower of urine in a cup, thrown at the players one game there, when we hurried down the race, instead of walking slowly.

Nice bunch of people.

The urine at Vic park was over flowing before 1/4 time the womens was even worse.

[demon3165 2,006]

7 hours ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

I respectfully disagree with you. Collingwood still have very big links to Vic Park. There are many many Hawthorn supporters in Hawthorn, Camberwell, Kew and the leafy eastern suburbs. They grew their support when they moved to Waverley, expanding their supporter base, and by engaging the community out that way. I do agree that onfield success helps. 

 

You say "Your point about the heartland, hate to tell you but that has changed with different demographics of people,..." - I don't really understand what you are trying to say. Melbourne heartland still appears to be Malvern, Glen Iris, Armadale, Toorak and the bayside areas. This was fairly evident during our 2021 finals campaign, where many of the homes were sporting melbourne colours. For me, this is why the Caulfield Racecourse makes a of of sense.  

I hope it is Caulfield but that will take a long time, as for the demographic people that have been living there might be Melbourne supporters but the kids follow family, friends, in their choices of teams, an example past players who had kids where they follow another side and not the side their father played for it's all changed in how they pick their sides to barrack for.

 

[DeeSpencer 23,273]

There's 3 big problems when it comes to Casey that make me think it won't ever be Geelong of the East, and whilst we can mitigate against them I think they are significant obstacles in the place being successful at all:

1. Unlike Geelong, the immediate surrounding area (15 minute radius) isn't an attractive place to live for AFL footballers. At a minimum they'll be living back by the bay, 20-30 minutes away. Many staff and players will probably stay towards the city and won't enjoy the commute if it's permanent. The peninsula - which is an attractive place for players - can very quickly be way out of budget for even on AFL wages. And it's not an easy place to rent (although nowhere is at the moment). There's a lot of places in and around Geelong that are the right fit for a footy players budget and lifestyle. In and around Casey it goes from too cheap and undesirable to too expensive or too far away pretty quickly.

2. We won't be playing regular men's games there. The best way to truly capitalise on a population - particularly one that either supports existing AFL teams or is new to the country and follows their own sports is to play games. VFL, an occasional practice game and AFLW don't really cut it. You don't get large crowds of potential members at those events. There has to be an understanding that establishing a foothold in the area will be very slow. 

3. There's a lack of commercial opportunities involved with the site as is. Ok, you get a new facility, that's great, but if you aren't turning that investment in to a profit you're losing out.

If we were to go all in at Casey there's 3 things I'd like at a minimum to stop it being a disaster:

1. A commitment by the club to house young players somewhere between Chelsea and Mornington. Whether that's by buying homes and renting them back to the players or finding host families they have to be proactive. We won't be able to run the same kind of protection Geelong gets when they stuff up in local nightclubs but at least we'll have them in the area rather than living close to the city and wondering whey they spend close to 2 hours in car all day. If we're promoting the lifestyle of coastal living and convenience we have to provide that. 

2. Vic Government commitment to build the Casey Fields railway station as part of the Clyde rail link. The station is vital for growing the AFLW and VFL crowds and it's just important for the area generally. It puts Casey Fields on the map and provides foot traffic for the area.

3. Opportunity to develop the area around the train station, the stadium car park and even other parts of Casey Fields to build seemingly the only bit of dense housing in the entire area as well as a some business opportunities and a profitable community center. You aren't going to be able to run cafes or other businesses when it's suburbs full of people who jump in their cars or on trains and are seen 9 hours later. The only cafes in the vicinity are at the shopping centres. The place needs a development like Toorak Park or Caulfield Village with a minimum of a few hundred homes located next to the stadium and new train station. You'd obviously need the council and state government on board for the planning issues and cost involved. 

Our pitch to the Government would be that instead of further funding to build the 10th elite AFL footy facility in the state - something of very little community benefit - please direct us funding so we can help shape the Casey area with actual community infrastructure. Transport, housing and genuine community facilities.

 

[BDA 20,388]

1 hour ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

We didn’t play a prelim last year at G at AFLW level. 

We played the Lions at the G in early April last year. Remember 2 AFLW seasons were played in calendar year 2022

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,498]

32 minutes ago, demon3165 said:

You are joking are you? how much do you think they make a year with a salary cap of nearly 13 mill?

Not that figure. I was asking where you got the travel time from. You wrote:

 "...the rest of the population travel large distances to work everyday 8-9 hours a day in peak hour ..."