Given Guerra's desire to create 'events' - which to me is a good idea - unfortunately he seems to be getting ahead of himself. What on the surface seems topical and well intentioned, it's hard not to feel like he is looking at it as a financial opportunity once he starts using terms like 'marquee' games.

It is his job to grow our crowds and brand, find revenue, etc - and marquee games are a genuine means of doing this - but this needs to be well thought through and carefully planned - and genuinely useful.

Hopefully he gets feedback that an interview with the Hun the day after Hollands is hospitalised was a mistake and learns from it. Time will tell.

30 minutes ago, Wylie D said:

Given Guerra's desire to create 'events' - which to me is a good idea - unfortunately he seems to be getting ahead of himself. What on the surface seems topical and well intentioned, it's hard not to feel like he is looking at it as a financial opportunity once he starts using terms like 'marquee' games.

It is his job to grow our crowds and brand, find revenue, etc - and marquee games are a genuine means of doing this - but this needs to be well thought through and carefully planned - and genuinely useful.

Hopefully he gets feedback that an interview with the Hun the day after Hollands is hospitalised was a mistake and learns from it. Time will tell.

He decided to move us into the other rooms because they're bigger & we can do more, he also decided to put the songs on after each goal to get more people to come to games & provide entertainment.

I know he didn't come from a football background, but you know what brings people to games, the team playing well, winning & playing good football which we are doing. We don't need the other stuff

2 hours ago, Chook said:

I don't see what one thing has to do with the other. "I don't like commodification of X" doesn't mean "All things that bear a resemblance to X must go away."

i think its a great initiative, we have had mental health issues with some of our recent players ( and ex players RIP) and its fantastic we are leading the charge for this, not to raise money for MFC, but to raise awareness and money for said charities and helplines that help these young men and women

3 hours ago, The heart beats true said:

I think it’s a logical step forward, and I think it’d be great if we could be a part of it. While it’s easy to focus on the mental health of players this week, the wider community is also grappling with this problem at an unprecedented level.

I found it interesting that Sheeds was on the front foot pushing this initiative. He’s done more to damage the mental health of Essendon supporters in the last decade than anyone.

Had a very close friend who played 40 senior games for Essendon

Sheedy never ever spoke to him ,he doubted if he even new his first name

Sheedy I suspect only spoke to his stars

Can’t stand the bloke ,l have heard many negative stories about him

Not the person to be promoting this

Demons vs Blues - logical choice for mental health awareness, I would think…

This shouldn't be a game, it should be a dedicated round and in no way should Carlton be involved, they completely failed to have any duty of care for Hollands.

Expand on spuds game, get the Selwoods involved, it is something the AFL and broader community need to really take seriously. Unfortunately, like many ive known a few men that have taken their own life, it is usually never someone you think would.

It cant stop there, needs to launch support programs into local footy, education, there are some really good organisations in that space now but needs they need help to cover more clubs.

19 hours ago, Chook said:

I don't want us to have anything to do with this. Mental health is important, but the way we commodify these causes in sport is unsettling to me. It all feels a bit cynical.

You'll know it's gone too far when they release a special jumper for the game.

If there is 2 clubs' supporter bases that do not need to be aware of mental health issues after the past 30 years, it's us and the Blues

They should hand out anti-depressants at the gate

If it means we play Carlton twice a year (for the first time in how long?) I'm all four

20 hours ago, Chook said:

I don't want us to have anything to do with this. Mental health is important, but the way we commodify these causes in sport is unsettling to me. It all feels a bit cynical.

You mean like how Sydney have a pride game whilst taking sponsorship money from the state owned airline of a country that persecutes people for their sexuality?

It’s a great initiative …and with a big vic club even better.

21 hours ago, Chook said:

I don't want us to have anything to do with this. Mental health is important, but the way we commodify these causes in sport is unsettling to me. It all feels a bit cynical.

I like the initiative and our willingness to get behind it as a club but there is something about it that didn't quite hit right. I don't know if it's the timing straight after Hollands was admitted to hospital but I can see why people are apprehensive.

I'm also getting tired of special games and regular fixtures. Maybe rotate this game each year so it's not the same teams holding it up for a change or do a mental health round.

23 hours ago, Mickey said:

This is a great initiative. But what happened to Spud's game? I thought that was to raise awareness for Men's mental health

I also feel like this is tricky territory to cover, Spud's game works because there is the connection between himself and the Tigers/Saints. Creating a marquee game off the back of mental health (when Spud's game already exists) gives me weird vibes. I get its about raising awareness, but also feels like it could be about trying to generate further interest in a game of footy rather than the cause. Just my thoughts though.

(Also I swear the Hawks used to do a game connected with Beyond Blue)

Most of the low hanging fruit in the raising awareness field has already been picked. Hawthorn had to go with an emergency services appreciation game where half the state's first responders troop out onto the G and give the crowd a wave whilst Essendon and Geelong play in a country game where they drag out bales of hay and parade a few sheep.

Edited 20 hours ago20 hr by Rab D Nesbitt

@Pates agreed, tricky territory given St Kilda already have "Spuds Day". Actually last season "Spuds Day" had St Kilda hosting Carlton st the MCG.

@Rab D Nesbitt the Essendon v Geelong "Country Game" is one of the lamest concepts I have ever heard of in AFL footy.

If Melbourne are looking for marquee fixture concept playing Carlton, I have already given this some thought. The "Old City Derby".

The early history of football in Melbourne had one rivalry that was seminal to popularising footy into the cultural fabric of gold rush boom "Marvellous Melbourne" of the 1870s, that was Melbourne v Carlton games. These two clubs at that stage in history had growing and passionate support and a genuine rivalry emerged years and decades before some current Melbourne AFL clubs were even founded.

The 1876 game at Carlton's then Madeline Street (now Swanston Street) Reserve on land reserved for the Roman Catholic College (now Newman College) at the University of Melbourne was the first ever game that charged an entry free and thousands turned up to watch.

The entry fee was to recoup the costs of levelling the reserve and fencing it off for football. Surplus funds were donated to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. After this 1876 game many cricket ovals who had shunned football clubs from using their ovals suddenly realised the popularity and commercial appeal of football in Melbourne and opened their cricket ovals to newly formed football clubs.

A sport that was a quirky winter pastime for cricketers had evolved into a sporting obsession for many in 1870s Melbourne.

Funds could be collected to donate to a health related charity, this would mirror what was done 150 years ago.

The winner could receive a cup named after player that had a major impact at both clubs, the Ronald D. Barassi Cup.

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by No. 31

35 minutes ago, No. 31 said:

If Melbourne are looking for marquee fixture concept playing Carlton, I have already given this some thought. The "Old City Derby".

The early history of football in Melbourne had one rivalry that was seminal to popularising footy into the cultural fabric of gold rush boom "Marvellous Melbourne" of the 1870s, that was Melbourne v Carlton games. These two clubs at that stage in history had growing and passionate support and a genuine rivalry emerged years and decades before some current Melbourne AFL clubs were even founded.

The 1876 game at Carlton's then Madeline Street (now Swanston Street) Reserve on land reserved for the Roman Catholic College (now Newman College) at the University of Melbourne was the first ever game that charged an entry free and thousands turned up to watch.

The entry fee was to recoup the costs of levelling the reserve and fencing it off for football. Surplus funds were donated to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. After this 1876 game many cricket ovals who had shunned football clubs from using their ovals suddenly realised the popularity and commercial appeal of football in Melbourne and opened their cricket ovals to newly formed football clubs.

A sport that was a quirky winter pastime for cricketers had evolved into a sporting obsession for many in 1870s Melbourne.

Funds could be collected to donate to a health related charity, this would mirror what was done 150 years ago.

The winner could receive a cup named after player that had a major impact at both clubs, the Ronald D. Barassi Cup.

Just keep it simple and call it the White Collar Derby. Donations in large denomination notes only are collected by volunteers with brown paper bags and transferred to the winners nominated offshore bank account. Conversely, Collingwood and Essendon can then play in the Ankle Bracelet Derby with the proceeds from all inner city burglaries over that weekend used to fund a new city centre injecting room.

“Mental Health Round - proudly brought to you by Sportsbet, Bet365, Carlton Draught and Crypto.com”

Edited 16 hours ago16 hr by Ethan Tremblay

7 hours ago, Wells 11 said:

It’s a great initiative …and with a big vic club even better.

What’s the initiative though?

It’s a subject the AFL need to get better at, with each club allocated a mental health officer.

No need make a show out of it.

On 21/04/2026 at 20:24, Rab D Nesbitt said:

I'd rather we raise awareness of something that people literally aren't aware of like trypophobia.

or even coulrophobia?

especially on demonland

36 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

or even coulrophobia?

especially on demonland

Don't watch the Krabby the Clown episode on Sponge Bob Squarepants. It will be a double hit!

11 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

“Mental Health Round - proudly brought to you by Sportsbet, Bet365, Carlton Draught and Crypto.com”

"Ain't social isolation a terrible thing? Also, here's some ear-blasting music you can't stand and which will prevent you from getting a moment's peace while also stopping you from talking to the person next to you! Aren't you ENGAGED, fan!?!"

Edited 5 hours ago5 hr by Chook