2 hours ago, 3183 Dee said:

I think Damo’s being sarcastic here - it appears that the tide has turned against The Brand.

 

Imo most commentators are stuck in the past here  His account is up several thousand in the past few days. It's growing fast.  Trac5 is bigger than Collingwood football club social media presence.  Ad revenue for social media v TV is about on par these days, it's no small feat.  Clicks, views, shares and likes are the new  kicks, handballs, marks and tackles for him and right now Brand Petracca is doing pretty well.  I've heard this argument - he needs football. Yeah eventually he does but a few months of solid internet traffic def ain't hurting. 

He's going to leave a legacy alright, bringing the AFL into the modern digital age.  Have a look at the AFL ig page if you ever need to get to sleep. Barely any videos, bunch of boring photos. It's pathetic. Compare it to the NFL, heaps of highlight and content.  I'm not saying the game needs to be fully Americanised (z?), or even partially but at least get into 2024.  This is all about going viral and massive on social media in particular. 

Edited August 30, 20241 yr by Jjrogan

CP5 as a brand doesnt work at other clubs unless you punt Jamie Elliot, Adam Cerra, etc from their current numbers….

The unfortunate thing about this season is that everything that has happened has left us in the middle of nowhere between rebuilding and contending.

The emotion of losing Petracca stems from the man himself being a beacon of our rise from basket case to powerhouse - to have that very beacon *seemingly turn his back on us, is heartbreaking. The contending side of our brain as supporters is desperate for him to pledge commitment and come back happy and healthy, and for his magnificence as a footballer spark another resurgence.

The painful, less pleasant, but, perhaps logical course of action would be to cash in our biggest asset at the peak of his value and fully commit rebuilding this list while we still have legends of the club & premiership players to guide the new wave.

It is crystal clear that this is a gigantic fork in the road for our club - irrespective of whether Trac stays or goes, he is undoubtedly going to be an agent of change for the back office and somebody that said enough is enough. Nobody takes joy in seeing the club suffer and get thrown to the wolves, but maybe it's what was needed to wake everybody up. 

Edited August 30, 20241 yr by RedFox

46 minutes ago, Superunknown said:

I find it puzzling the media piles onto Melbourne so much. I mean, I get it - papers to sell, clicks to collect. Maybe it’s just a reflection of actual issues in the club. But I also wonder - why aren’t Collingwood under scrutiny for missing the finals? Why isn’t alleged wantaway Josh Daicos part of the cycle.  It’s just weird.

 

41 minutes ago, Norm Smith's Curse said:

It's either because we are genuinely hated or because we are seen as an easy target

 

29 minutes ago, Left Foot Snap said:

Odds on there is a bigger underlying story that they (media) are sweating on. Piling the pressure on to attempt to break something and someone to reveal something that will allow them to pursue the bigger story. This year is bordering on a campaign and the media wouldn't do that unless they smelt blood and bigger profits in the future. 

Melbourne Football Club: A Critical Reflection on Recent Turmoil

It’s astonishing to see the level of confusion and misplaced blame being directed externally when the reality is much closer to home. The narrative that the Melbourne Football Club (MFC) is a victim of media scrutiny or some external vendetta fails to acknowledge the undeniable truth: we’ve been feeding this beast for at least the last 12 months. Now, as one of the biggest stories in the history of the game unfolds, once again, the Dees find themselves at the centre of it.

Self-Inflicted Wounds

There’s no escaping the fact that much of the chaos surrounding the club is of our own making. The dysfunction within the club, which has been an open secret for some time, has led us to this point. While the premiership win in 2021 and subsequent top-four finishes in 2022 and 2023 gave us a temporary reprieve, they also allowed underlying issues to fester unnoticed. Unfortunately, the goodwill generated by these achievements has now evaporated, leaving us exposed.

The Media’s Role vs. Our Responsibility

It’s easy to point fingers at the media, claiming they’re complicit or exacerbating the situation. However, this deflection only serves to distract from the internal issues that are the real culprits. The truth is, we’ve been getting away with far too much for far too long. The media is merely amplifying the chaos we’ve sown, and we must accept responsibility for our part in this mess.

A Star Fading into Darkness

The star that once shone so brightly in 2021 has faded into the vast reaches of the cosmos. The optimism and hope that followed our premiership win have been replaced with disappointment and frustration. Instead of building on our success, we’ve allowed dysfunction to creep in and undermine everything we’ve achieved. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but we deserve much of the criticism coming our way.

The Final Straw: Leadership and Accountability

And then there’s Kate. Her actions yesterday, whatever they may have been, seem to have poured another gallon of petrol on an already raging fire. The situation has escalated from a mere “dumpster fire” to a full-blown catastrophe. Leadership is about more than just guiding a team on the field; it’s about steering the entire club in the right direction, especially in times of crisis. Unfortunately, it seems we’ve lost our way.

Moving Forward: What Needs to Change

The MFC needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Blaming external forces won’t fix what’s broken within. We must address the dysfunction, enforce accountability at all levels, and rebuild the trust and unity that once defined us. It won’t be easy, but it’s the only path forward if we hope to restore the pride and integrity of this club.

In conclusion, while the flames of controversy burn bright around us, we must remember that we are the ones who set the fire. It’s time to stop playing the victim and start taking responsibility for our actions. Only then can we hope to extinguish the flames and rise from the ashes stronger than before.

54 minutes ago, von said:

I’ve only recently come to realise how much other teams supporters genuinely dislike us. I always thought we were too irrelevant to hate.

Recent success will do that to you 

48 minutes ago, roy11 said:

It is especially puzzling for a club which is deemed somewhat "irrelevant" or small by some.

 

I actually think that’s part of the phenomenon.

So many current fan bases grew up with the notion of Melbourne being ‘irrelevant’ or a basket case, that when we put it altogether and became a consistent contender, we moved out of our ‘station’. Any goodwill dissipated quickly and we were viewed to have gotten too big for our boots and the resentment came quickly.

Add in that we’re getting wall to wall negative coverage (disproportionate some might say) drowning out their clubs coverage and we’re likely to experience Essendon levels of derision (when they hijacked the news cycle).

What a time to be alive.

Edited August 30, 20241 yr by ChaserJ

3 minutes ago, RedFox said:

The unfortunate thing about this season is that everything that has happened has left us in the middle of nowhere between rebuilding and contending.

Recent occurrences have nudged us further down the re-build path than the club would like.  

I was anti-rebuild - thought we could top up with some smart recruiting (eg Dan Houston) but Trac’s silent outbursts have made that infinitely more difficult now so I’m more open to the cultural and attitudinal cleansing that a re-build could bring.

it's incredible how two players on dream contracts can cause such a maelstrom

... and neither has made a single public utterance yet

is this chaos by proxy?   have player managers been studying up on iranian geopolitical tactics?

Everyone else seems to have posted here, so, in FOMO fashion...

When the Club removes the YoPro ads from its website videos, then I'll be worried.

 

18 minutes ago, buck_nekkid said:

CP5 as a brand doesnt work at other clubs unless you punt Jamie Elliot, Adam Cerra, etc from their current numbers….

He'll just rebrand with a new number and colours. Depressing to think about

The club allowing  Petracca go to Noosa for 6 weeks with his partner instead of rehabbing at the club and getting around your teammates as they push for a finals spot

 

seemed to me like the club is pretty accomodating, putting   his metal health first.

29 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Where did these quotes come from?

I'd like to know, as well.

15 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/mark-robinson-former-melbourne-president-joe-gutnick-backs-calls-for-a-fullscale-review-of-embattled-demons/news-story/9636566a415bf3fefa9d5d4aad9b4cd5?amp

Gutnick’s concerns comes as the Herald Sun can reveal Petracca’s partner Isabella Beischer – formerly a lawyer at the Hall & Wilcox legal firm, is now the business manager of Trac 5 Pty Ltd.

She is the key driver of “Brand Petracca”, which reportedly is one of reasons influencing Petracca’s desire to pursue a trade to a big Melbourne club.

She became Petracca’s business manager in April this year, two months prior to Petracca being severely injured in the King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood

As much as I believe a review should take place, Joe Gutnick is the last person who should be demanding any kind of moral culpability, anywhere. 

34 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Where did these quotes come from?

 

1 hour ago, Superunknown said:

I find it puzzling the media piles onto Melbourne so much. I mean, I get it - papers to sell, clicks to collect. Maybe it’s just a reflection of actual issues in the club. But I also wonder - why aren’t Collingwood under scrutiny for missing the finals? Why isn’t alleged wantaway Josh Daicos part of the cycle.  It’s just weird.

There are several reasons Collingwood is protected but the biggest one is Eddie's control/influence on the media, particularly in Vicotria. 

It's not just Collingwood that have been very successful at keeping a lid on less than tasteful or things that the media would salivate over it is was at Melbourne or a handful of other clubs. 

Geelong have done it very well. Richmond as well. Carlton have gotten a lot better at it in recent years.

Some of it comes from the inherent respect the leaders have earned (rightfully or otherwise), some of it is they are proactive and forceful with the media and the narratives they try to push. 

Sadly we; 

• have little inherent respect (aside from Max) 
• we have not made any inroads into building that respect 

our leaders, it seems, either:

• don't know what they are doing, or;
• aren't doing what they should be very well, or;
• they  are doing the best they can but it's not working/can't articulate it publicly in a manner that inspires confidence

1 hour ago, Left Foot Snap said:

Odds on there is a bigger underlying story that they (media) are sweating on. Piling the pressure on to attempt to break something and someone to reveal something that will allow them to pursue the bigger story. This year is bordering on a campaign and the media wouldn't do that unless they smelt blood and bigger profits in the future. 

That’s one option. Another is that they think they can create the story by piling on the pressure. 

If they can drive an external review that gets them a whole bunch of stories about the review, who’s conducting the review, what are the potential outcomes etc. 

Even better if they can get a sacking or two then there’s more clicks to be had. They smell blood alright and are going to keep going until they get something to happen, or someone else shows signs of becoming a live target. 

I don't use social media so don't know anything about his presence in that space.

But I'm pretty sure his Brand (and income) will do very well even post football whenever that may be.  There will be books (food, football, career), reality tv stuff, guest tv appearances, event guest appearances, product promotions, sports lecture circuit etc.

Should those ever run out and as times change he will reinvent himself in other ways. 

At least the memes are keeping me sane throughout all this unpleasantness. 

Edited August 30, 20241 yr by OhMyDees

1 hour ago, Superunknown said:

I find it puzzling the media piles onto Melbourne so much. I mean, I get it - papers to sell, clicks to collect. Maybe it’s just a reflection of actual issues in the club. But I also wonder - why aren’t Collingwood under scrutiny for missing the finals? Why isn’t alleged wantaway Josh Daicos part of the cycle.  It’s just weird.

I think clubs like Collingwood have very strong connections with media powerbrokers (including people like Maguire) and therefore journalists are less inclined to throw as much dirt at the risk of their careers. 

The transcript Demon Dynasty provided is legit and was taken from an interview with Christian, conducted on July 1st I think, and is freely available as "A sit down with Christian Petracca" posted on MFC's official site one month ago. It is also available on YouTube.

Edited August 30, 20241 yr by waynewussell

1 hour ago, Fat Tony said:

Trac is getting some really bad advice right now and is obviously not in a good frame of mind.

If Trac wants to save Brand Petracca, he needs to kiss and make up with Melbourne.

If he leaves, all the stories about his historical behaviour will come out which will make him seem weird and selfish, and he will be booed by all clubs' supporters like JHF for being disloyal.

Plus, he has got to realise that Melbourne can't given him away cheaply. If we do that, key people at the club in positions of power at MFC would lose their jobs for being spineless. Lamb, Richo, Pert, Roffey would all have to go.

What has Tracc said or done that is wrong. So far all he has said is that he is suffering from Trauma and Max and Goody have said there are frustrations that they are working through. For all we know the rest if this is a media beat up that has escalated because Tracc and the club refuse to be drawn into answering to the media.

12 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

I don't use social media so don't know anything about his presence in that space.

But I'm pretty sure his Brand (and income) will do very well even post football whenever that may be.  There will be books (food, football, career), reality tv stuff, guest tv appearances, event guest appearances, product promotions, sports lecture circuit etc.

Should those ever run out and as times change he will reinvent himself in other ways. 

Yes and no. He is a great footballer and very good looking and a very good cook. But he isn't Hollywood good looking or a Michelin chef. Brand Petracca works only because he is a great footballer and AFL supporters are much more loyal to their clubs than other codes.

Max Gawn Explains The Hard Conversations He’s Had With Christian Petracca

13 minutes ago, OhMyDees said:

At least the memes are keeping me sane throughout all this unpleasantness. 

Fixed