The Melbourne market is tapped, if a supporter (MCC) isn't paid up for MFC membership no ad or 'brand inforcement technique' is going to help.

The club IS thinking laterally - looking at new Victorians and the large amount of Chinese coming for study, work etc.

I can understand your frustrated passion but let's be honest; there is no return on investment for most initiatives.

i concede...its an uphill battle..but this is a city with near 4 million folk

a difference of 5-10,000 seems to make a difference .. were talking 1/4 of 1 % I wouldnt say were necessarily tapped just yet

Possibly as a start wre talking getting people interested in just coming along to a few games.. geetting interest up.. from acorns ... and so on !!

I hate to admit it.. ( is a personal failing ) my own daughter discarded the Dees in favour of the saints years ago ..as , in her words.. they were cool.. she liked the ads.. they were happening, she sees them as relevant.. and she's just a little beside herself that they are coming down to her Frankston. She gladly informed me that only three people in the whole school ( primary) wore a Melbourne jumper on footy friday..Shes 12.. She'll be a Sainter for life now

Melbourne supporter future is ( long term) the kids and we are nada to most of them...we have no hook for them

So whilst we continue to think its al lbeen done.. then we are doomed to continue as we are. If we want to be relevant to the modern day sports consumer then we need something vastly different happening.

We arent trying to preach to the converted... were trying to convert !!

Im all for the China initiative... have written as such many times..

Its not so much that advetising doesnt work.. but honestly the last few attempts over the years were either lamentable for their obtuse vagueness or quite honestly a lack of encticement to any passion...They might as well have been selling funerals !!

Quite posibly in this day and age .. The net and push advertising might have some results in the right areas, but as a 48 yo fuddy duddy ( though very IT savvy) .. have no interest in facebook etc or the 'popular' places !!

Those of you of the 16-25 age group.. what would impress you ? if you had no real knowledge of the MFc what might make you take a second look ?

Again I dont think its tapped out...were just not tapping into it the right way !!

instead of running to the ground to the tune of "its a grand old flag" we should run out to the tune of Hells Bells by ACDC.

back to my question though, does anyone know why none of the merchandise has 150 on it? surely we're not trying to skimp on costs for such an occasion

One way to get free advertising is through sponsors - the FOOLS thinks they are promoting themselves by having, for example, James Hird plastered all over their mobile phone shop. Actually, it's doing more to increase Hird's 'Brand value'.

We did well for a while with the iPrimus ads which included a couple of cuts of Davey doing exciting, (telecommunications-related, I'm sure) things along the wing at the MCG.

More of that helps. We should be targeting sponsorship deals which can offer us that cross-advertising benefit.

Let's see, Melbourne Zoo could have Ben Holland doing a thing as a gorilla keeper, since that's his main job on-field already.

Carlton have apparently run a few ads in 'Jewish News', the cost savings going through smaller publications make it a good idea - you can reach 100,000 people by advertising very cheaply in a couple of small papers, or pay a lot more to reach the same number through a major daily.

I think the 'Team Melbourne' thing is a good idea but needs to be used more effectively. We (all current participants) should be getting involved with gyms / fitness centres / pools and expanding that brand so it is visible in people's ordinary daily or 3-times-a-week routine. There's even a case for Team Melbourne operating it's own network of sports centres. Again - the centres will benefit from the brand association, the brand benefits from it's extra visibility, eveybody wins.

Also, sports facilities seem like a more wholesome and appropriate investment for a sporting club than, say, poker machine wholesale.

Like the queen thing. The start the action stuff with wheels taking out Terd with system of a down playing in the background. nuff said

How the Melbourne local papers?

how about winnning a flag? um yeah i'm pretty sure that will get more fans.

how about winnning a flag? um yeah i'm pretty sure that will get more fans.

Worked beautifully for North Melbourne.

If we want to translate our impending on field success into off field success through supporter numbers, merchandise sales, higher media profile, better broadcast arrangements, and sponsorship deals, then we must have a full range of strategies in place to tap into the euphoria of the fans and the admiration of the football world in general.

Engaging with the fans, asserting ourselves with the AFL management, and actively seeking out sponsors and new members are the key to off-field success.

It's simply not a case of 'if we win it, they will come'.

instead of running to the ground to the tune of "its a grand old flag" we should run out to the tune of Hells Bells by ACDC.

Bring back the Batmobile

Bring Back Angry Anderson blasting out " Bound For Glory"

Its our 150 B'day so lets " Rock N Roll Alnight & Party Everyday" in season 2008

Back to the point. We are the MELBOURNE football club. Not the Demons football club. That came way later and I won't bother you with the history as most of you know it already.

I couldn't give a rats if we lost the Demons monicker. Or the Fuschias for that matter and that happened and disappeared.

We are the MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB. Time to focus on the original entity.

Especially in 2008 when we celebrate the foundation of the first Aussie Rules club in the land. There's only one other club who should share that celebration next year and that's the current premiers Geelong. The second registered club.

All the others can get stuffed.

we should run out to another song to fire up the fans and leave the team song for when we win

We should also get fireworks going like the WWE, could you imagine how excited the place would be and the kids going to the OZkick for half time football would all want to melbourne fans