Kate Roffey

[FreedFromDesire 898]

5 minutes ago, george_on_the_outer said:

She has been on the facilities committee for 10 years and we have no trading base still.

It's a long time for someone with the specific expertise in the area isn't it? I think we would all agree it's a top priority for the club and they're doing everything they can, so I guess the question is - What specifically is stopping it from actually happening now? 

[Adam The God 29,941]

I was expecting more dynamite in this thread.

Look, to be honest, it is hard to know precisely what Kate is like as a leader, but I'm not a fan of the board. They had one important job RE facilities and very little has happened. And to put it mildly, they appear hostile to differing views.

I much prefer leaders to operate quietly and collaboratively in the background, an Eddie McGuire or Jeff Kennett type would [censored] me up the wall.

So I prefer to hear less, but the president and her board need to ensure the facilities are sorted by the time the likes of Trac are done. Any longer would be a disaster.

[Canplay 634]

I have heard this morning that a lot of player frustration sits around having the worst training conditions in the league -  seeing what all other clubs have (now including Bulldogs and North Melb) -  we are miles behind high performance and players think Roffey / Pert have failed and dragged players along with promises -  they hate driving out to Casey.

[Ethan Tremblay 30,773]

Can’t see funding from the Government coming anytime soon for a home base. Was in Melbourne last month and felt like being back in Mumbai. Obviously no funds to even clean up rubbish from around the streets, sides of the freeway, or to remove weeds or cut overgrown grasses. 

[Bitter but optimistic 22,216]

3 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Can’t see funding from the Government coming anytime soon for a home base. Was in Melbourne last month and felt like being back in Mumbai. Obviously no funds to even clean up rubbish from around the streets, sides of the freeway, or to remove weeds or cut overgrown grasses. 

Bloody whinging Westralian !

[spirit of norm smith 16,087]

Gary Pert. Thank you 👏👏

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,661]

2 minutes ago, Canplay said:

I have heard this morning that a lot of player frustration sits around having the worst training conditions in the league -  seeing what all other clubs have (now including Bulldogs and North Melb) -  we are miles behind high performance and players think Roffey / Pert have failed and dragged players along with promises -  they hate driving out to Casey.

Thats a fair point. MFC Players would be really disappointed that low market VIC clubs like Dogs, North and St Kilda get brand spanking new facilities and full time venues as opposed to our less than desirable situation.

On Roffey, I thought she showed good leadership in 2021 when she allegedly sacrificed her spot in the WA hub in replacement for someone else. However the AFL stepped in and required her to head over. Whether that’s or true or not I’m not sure but I do recall the story at the time.

[rolling fog 1,207]

2 hours ago, waynewussell said:

What other Club Presidents have you heard from lately?

Luke Sayers?

 

Does the Senate inquiry into PwC tax leaks count?

If so, then yes I have. 

FWIW, it’s an absolute travesty that Sayers can continue in a board/governance position given the gravity of what he oversaw at PwC - just goes to show how pervasive power influences can be in this country, but alas I digress. 

Edited August 13 by rolling fog

[Ethan Tremblay 30,773]

4 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Bloody whinging Westralian !

WA: Whinging Australians? 
Legit though, Melbourne is filthy (and I don’t mean good filthy). Can’t see any money coming our way for new facilities anytime soon, the Vic State Gov is broke.

[rolling fog 1,207]

2 hours ago, waynewussell said:

What other Club Presidents have you heard from lately?

Mark Korda?

 

Also, Mark Korda is now largely irrelevant at Collingwood. Aside from probably continuing to pump money into the coterie etc. he’s been well and truly usurped by Geoff Brown - a bit happening there too by the sounds. 

Edited August 13 by rolling fog

[Adam The God 29,941]

20 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Can’t see funding from the Government coming anytime soon for a home base. Was in Melbourne last month and felt like being back in Mumbai. Obviously no funds to even clean up rubbish from around the streets, sides of the freeway, or to remove weeds or cut overgrown grasses. 

Yep, that's what Commonwealth austerity will do to the place.

I notice the weeds bloody everywhere for the last 12 months.

We need to get creative with funding sources and find angles that attract government funding.

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, Canplay said:

I have heard this morning that a lot of player frustration sits around having the worst training conditions in the league -  seeing what all other clubs have (now including Bulldogs and North Melb) -  we are miles behind high performance and players think Roffey / Pert have failed and dragged players along with promises -  they hate driving out to Casey.

You’re right about the players hating having to drive out to Casey, despite the great new training facilities.

But the players I’ve spoken with are happy with the AAMI facilities and like training at Gosch’s.

I suppose it depends on with whom you’re speaking on the subject.

preemptive answer: of course they’d love new facilities the likes of which WB and North have, but in the meantime they are satisfied with AAMI. 

Edited August 13 by WalkingCivilWar

[Jaded No More 68,819]

7 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

You’re right about the players hating having to drive out to Casey, despite the great new training facilities.

But the players I’ve spoken with are happy with the AAMI facilities and like training at Gosch’s.

I suppose it depends on with whom you’re speaking on the subject.

preemptive answer: of course they’d love new facilities the likes of which WB and North have, but in the meantime they are satisfied with AAMI. 

I find it funny that so many of our players live on the Mornington Peninsula but hate driving to Casey. It’s a far easier drive from there to Casey than it is to AAMI. 

[drysdale demon 4,819]

47 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Can’t see funding from the Government coming anytime soon for a home base. Was in Melbourne last month and felt like being back in Mumbai. Obviously no funds to even clean up rubbish from around the streets, sides of the freeway, or to remove weeds or cut overgrown grasses. 

Been like that for decades Ethan, some areas are just downright filthy. Councils spending all the cash in all the wrong ways.

[daisycutter 29,590]

47 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Thats a fair point. MFC Players would be really disappointed that low market VIC clubs like Dogs, North and St Kilda get brand spanking new facilities and full time venues as opposed to our less than desirable situation.

On Roffey, I thought she showed good leadership in 2021 when she allegedly sacrificed her spot in the WA hub in replacement for someone else. However the AFL stepped in and required her to head over. Whether that’s or true or not I’m not sure but I do recall the story at the time.

aints got new relocation gov subsidy twice

[dazzledavey36 54,004]

41 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

I find it funny that so many of our players live on the Mornington Peninsula but hate driving to Casey. It’s a far easier drive from there to Casey than it is to AAMI. 

It's literally like 2 players who live out there lol Gawn and Lever. 

Then you have someone like Ben Brown who's all the way out at Moonee Ponds, Ed Langdon in Fitzroy. That's a hike for these guys especially. 

Majority of the playing list are based around bayside and East Melbourne area.

[Jaded No More 68,819]

Just now, dazzledavey36 said:

It's literally like 2 players who live out there lol Gawn and Lever. 

Then you have someone like Ben Brown who's all the way out at Moonee Ponds, Ed Langdon in Fitzroy. That's a hike for these guys especially. 

Majority of the playing list are based around bayside and East Melbourne area.

May also lives down there and we have a number of players who are in the south east which would see them drive against traffic to Casey. 

By the way the drive from Bayside would take the same time if you get on the Peninsula Link. A lot less traffic. 

My best guess is that Casey fields is not surrounded by much and the players would rather have somewhere to go between or after training/meetings for a coffee etc.

[Sir Why You Little 36,859]

The Training Facility farce that we have had to endure over many decades, must be a hindrance in Recruitment 

No other Club works under these Conditions 

The only resolution i can see is that we borrow money against the AFL to build, the State Government are obviously not interested 

The whole thing has been a farce ever since Diamond Joe

[rolling fog 1,207]

37 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

The Training Facility farce that we have had to endure over many decades, must be a hindrance in Recruitment 

No other Club works under these Conditions 

The only resolution i can see is that we borrow money against the AFL to build, the State Government are obviously not interested 

The whole thing has been a farce ever since Diamond Joe

Not to mention any momentum gained from 2021 has well and truly been squandered. 

A) Supporters were willing and able to open their pockets back then if presented with a vision to get around, B) electoral cycles were favourable to obtain govt funding and C) money was cheap - however the board’s dogmatic approach to facilities persisted - and now none of those three elements are true. 

[Sir Why You Little 36,859]

2 minutes ago, rolling fog said:

Not to mention any momentum gained from 2021 has well and truly been squandered. 

A) Supporters were willing and able to open their pockets back then if presented with a vision to get around, B) electoral cycles were favourable to obtain govt funding and C) money was cheap - however the board’s dogmatic approach to facilities persisted - and now none of those three elements are true. 

Yep. We are still at Ground Zero. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

 

My best guess is that Casey fields is not surrounded by much and the players would rather have somewhere to go between or after training/meetings for a coffee etc.

I was gonna say this but I thought for sure I’d be laughed at.

There’s a coffee shop near AAMI that the players go to after training. The name of the shop escapes me. They look forward to it and most of them go. Some never miss out.

Casey Fields is literally in the middle of nowhere. There’s no shops or restaurants or anything, really. The train station and shops and other signs of life (🤭) are a bus ride away. And not a short bus ride, either. I get depressed just thinking about it, especially with the AFLW season fast approaching.

Incidentally, the girls don’t like playing at Casey. They’d much prefer playing their home games at Ikon. 

[demon3165 2,654]

3 hours ago, george_on_the_outer said:

She has been on the facilities committee for 10 years and we have no trading base still.

The only people carrying on are supporters, they have 2 bases, won a flag with them a weight is a weight, an oval is an oval, all this conversation is about complaining about something and someone.

[demon3165 2,654]

3 hours ago, BDA said:

None. What’s your point?

More important things to worry about than a home base we have 2, if something comes of good if not no problem.

[Jaded No More 68,819]

17 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

I was gonna say this but I thought for sure I’d be laughed at.

There’s a coffee shop near AAMI that the players go to after training. The name of the shop escapes me. They look forward to it and most of them go. Some never miss out.

Casey Fields is literally in the middle of nowhere. There’s no shops or restaurants or anything, really. The train station and shops and other signs of life (🤭) are a bus ride away. And not a short bus ride, either. I get depressed just thinking about it, especially with the AFLW season fast approaching.

Incidentally, the girls don’t like playing at Casey. They’d much prefer playing their home games at Ikon. 

It's all about lifestyle, especially for younger players.

You will never find a training location that will suit absolutely everyone, unless you are Geelong and all your players live in the same concentrated area.

You will always have players who choose to live all over Melbourne, which is vast and full of gridlock traffic. 

Caulfield is not going to be any closer for Max Gawn, or Caleb Windsor (Lysterfield to Casey would be way quicker than Lysterfield to Caulfield), or Christian Petracca than AAMI is, but Caulfield is a stones throw away from like 10 cafes, and Gawny's favourite bakery.

Whereas at Casey you need to get in the car and drive a good 15 minutes down to where I live which has a high street full of great cafes and restaurants. 

Edited August 13 by Jaded No More

[DeelightfulPlay 2,543]

3 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

WA: Whinging Australians? 
Legit though, Melbourne is filthy (and I don’t mean good filthy). Can’t see any money coming our way for new facilities anytime soon, the Vic State Gov is broke.

Wow, y'all would hate Sydney.  I live in one of the nicer suburbs over SCG way and regularly see rats and cockroaches... I'm always impressed by how clean Melbourne is whenever I visit 😂