Who was there

[dee-luded 2,959]

We all jump on this site and give our opinions, but today 23,000 people attended a game between two Victorian clubs, IMO 75% North Melbourne supporters so I would love to know which posters on this site attend todays game. Because if you didn't you let the club down just as much as the players.

I loked around a couple of times to study the small crowd to try to ascertain how many people there were ours & I saw red coloured clothes dotted frequently throughout the crowd. This gave me the impression that we had close to 40 - 50% of the crowd.

A poor effort for the Kanga's as this was an away game for us.

[astrodee 0]

I was, and have been to every game I could get to since 1957. I have seen the best and the worst at this club. For all you disappointed people out there (of whom I am one) all I can say is that DB is the first coach who will deliver the medicine required to overcome the malaise that has engulfed this club since round 9, 1965. John Northey inherited a good young list created by Ray Jordan. DB has inherited a pack of older one trick ponies, and a number of talented kids. It will be his way or out.

If you're not prepared to go through the pain that StKilda, Geelong and Hawthorn fans endured to develop competitive successful teams (and who kept turning up regardless), then p**s off - we don't want you. You represent the downhill skiers that our last coach loved. Perhaps the people of Casey will have stouter hearts.

Bailey offers no excuses - he presents an honest picture of what happens on the field. Game plans are irrelevant when the team can't kick, handball or make a decent decision in the heat of battle. Remember the calls to sack Clarkson all through his 1st year. As a player he was just an honest toiler who gave everything to his teams (including ours - under Northey, a great builder of culture). Just as Bailey was(under Sheedy). Both these hard men are students of the game, and have long term plans. Skills take time to learn.

We all know there was no skill development under our former coach and abominable list management. Therefore players have to unlearn all the bad habits that were fostered, and then learn correct ones. This can't be done over a short period. I am no longer concerned about the scoreboard. I just want to see the steady improvement of the youngsters. The older players had their chances and (with the exception of mid 1996 when Byron protected them until he did his hammy against the dogs), always floundered when mental toghness was needed. As it is now.

DB will develop an honest, skillfull, and mentally tough team that will make good instinctual decisions. Cuddles said that he will coach us for a least 6 years - about as long as it should take a team to be up there for years. Get used to it. Cultural change takes time - just ask anyone who's beem through it. It took Bomber around 7 years to develop his side. He stuck to his plans while a great number of Catland ( or kittylitter land or whatever) users were calling for his head.

Have all you people who want to dump DB noticed that the ex-Northey players are coming back to the club to help with the rebirth of this once great club. Perhaps they like what the footy department is doing, and will stop the off field mismanagent that has has plagued us since Cameron Schwab left.

Let's get a president who has bled for the RED & BLUE. As Stuey did. As Jimmy did.

[joeboy 3,166]

Yes , I don't have a life - I was there .

[timD 994]

I think I left my life somewhere else too Joe. If you find yours, can you give me a call 'cause mine might be nearbye.

I was there, 1st level, centre wing, members stand with my brothers and father. My 11 months old son is still at home - it is lucky that his sleeping hours are still when the footy is own, or my own weirdo version of child abuse would have well and truly started: watching the MFC.

[Pepe Dee Pew 0]

Three of us there.

I could not believe the basic turnovers. Even more perplexing was the failure of players to run to present a targwt.

Its chicken and egg stuff.

Failure to present = turnover or turnovers = failure to run (ie players know that disposal will be crap so do not waste time presenting)!!!

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

We all jump on this site and give our opinions, but today 23,000 people attended a game between two Victorian clubs, IMO 75% North Melbourne supporters so I would love to know which posters on this site attend todays game. Because if you didn't you let the club down just as much as the players.

I thought the Kangas were around than 60%.

MFc suppporters are masochists.

BTW, 23,000 at the game is an absolute disaster for North.

I dont know why so many people think that North are out of the mire. I suspect many of the memberships are charity donations and wont be repeated next year.

Its a terrible outcome for them given they have a competitive team out there.

[Demonic_Inferno 17]

I was there behind the goals 2nd level. Unfortunately not too many people around me.

Almost marked a Robbo goal, it was a gimme until this north joker stuck his hand out and fingertipped it damnit! (bounced off shoulder lol).

Definately more north supporters there.

[Hannabal 4]

I was there - standing on the middle steps at the bottom level. I always stand at the football and usually see the same tragics year after year.

Quite a funny place to spend the day. Getting less so, though.

[Jarka 767]

I was there - standing on the middle steps at the bottom level. I always stand at the football and usually see the same tragics year after year.

Quite a funny place to spend the day. Getting less so, though.

Standing at the footy is a tradition that we had in the old members stand, nothing like going down to the old bull ring to drown the sorrows of another defeat.

[Kit Walker 225]

I thought the Kangas were around than 60%.

MFc suppporters are masochists.

BTW, 23,000 at the game is an absolute disaster for North.

I dont know why so many people think that North are out of the mire. I suspect many of the memberships are charity donations and wont be repeated next year.

Its a terrible outcome for them given they have a competitive team out there.

I went with a North supporter and I agree with your comments. There are three clubs in real trouble - we're one of them but North and the dogs are the others.

23 000 to a game against another Melbourne club when they've made such a callout for members to attend this game is shocking. Likewise was our 27 000 against the Bulldogs when it was a game that their members could get into for nothing too.

[Deefeast 0]

My son and I were there as we are each week.

[Sir-Allen-Jakovich 0]

I was there. The only game I've missed so far was down at KP, and that's because I was not diligent enough to get tickets early in the week and read in the paper it was a sell-out as I was planning to go down.

I agree with the post RE the MCC. I am an MCC member but have had both MCC and MFC memberships every year, even when I was skint uni student working part-time. What angers me is this expectation from a fair chunk of the Melbourne-supporting MCC members that the club owes it to THEM to lay on benefit after benefit to convince them to spend their $50 or whatever.

I think the biggest illustration of this was when got invited to an MFC business focus-group meeting last year. The topic of our (lack of) signed up MCC members came up and this stereotypical MCC member was whingeing how the club never did anything to try and attract the MCC members to join the club, and that there needed to be far greater inducements to do so. It turned in to quite a stoush when I pointed out to him the number of letters and ads in the MCC newsletter the club had sent, as well as volunteers at the games inside the gate. Even on more the philosophical question of the responsibilities of a committed supporter to a struggling club he still turned up his nose.

My frustration is that there are far too many MCC members who are "downhill skiiers" - pardon the stereotype - and are glued to the mindset of "What can the club do for me?", rather than "What can I do for the club?". Passion? Zilch. Committment? Likewise.

[Hannabal 4]

Standing at the footy is a tradition that we had in the old members stand, nothing like going down to the old bull ring to drown the sorrows of another defeat.

I stood then and stand now. I go to the Blazer Bar for a beer as last year I noticed the BR gets too crowded. But both are equally bad. I pay a considerable amount to be a member yet struggle to get a beer even with a small crowd as they close off sections of the bar for service. What a joke. Have the whole bloody bar open. Then I have to walk a mile downstairs for a [censored]. A further joke. And they even have the 'Ladies' closer to the BR and staircases. Is there no tradition left ?

[Lord Byron 32]

Even the catering contractors knew it would be a miserable turnout.

Several outlets were closed up in the northern stand.

They used to do that when we played Freo in the middle of winter.

[Demonised 1,354]

Was there, MCC with daughter.

Melbourne players are the Kings of Fumbletown.

When we did get the ball, no one made position for the kicker. Disaster ensued.

Umpires. Don't get me started.

[Gouga 569]

I was there and will continue to attend. I am no longer critical of supporters who don't attend however.

[Pipefitter 2,159]

Wasnt there this week but ive been to 2 beltings so far this year. Missed yesterday with back soreness haha.

[Dee Dee 1,108]

As ever, I went along with a couple of fellow MCC/MFC members and sat on the top level of the members stand among both Melbourne and North Supporters. We thought crowd numbers were pretty even; maybe just favouring North!

At half time, I went downstairs and walked passed the Long Room (I never go in - can't be bothered dressing up); it seemed to be populated by men wearing red and blue ties but I'm not sure how many were card carrying members of the MFC!

Went passed the committee room and saw Stuart Spencer, Sean Wight and Steve Smith and wives/partners. Gee - would liked to have had a chat to them about the game but of course I'm not one of the privileged ones who gets an invitation into the inner sanctum (and of course I can't be bothered dressing up)

And just as an aside, I was at the MCC during the week and saw a notice in one of the offices showing crowd estimates of 29K for Saturday and 59K for Sunday! So North would have been very disappointedly! A North supporter we sat near told us that, yes they may have over 30,000 members this year but most of them are silent members.

Other than that the game plan stinks and a long swift kick into the forward line before the whole opposing team can rally down back while we [censored] fart around with handball, is the way to go!

[LIFT 0]

yeah i was there; olympic stand. I have seen all 3 MCG pastings this year. The crowd was about 14:9 Kangas fans: Dees Fans ratio.

Kangaroos are K I Kidding themselves if they think they have 30k passionate members ready to tip cash into the club.

I think we should absorb them in some sort of corporate takeover and put Gibson, Boomer, Corey Jones and Daniel Wells etc into our side.

Davey was good. Miller has improved from a very low base on his 2007 form. Sylvia is just travelling but the talent is there and it just needs to be harnessed.

The game plan stinks. The forward line don't know when to present because "THE GAMEPLAN" requires a handball to someone under pressure or a poorly executed handball and then when all the leads have gone it is a short kick to a contest.

The amount of times I said "promising build up" with utter sarcasm was a worry.

I think the club needs to realise that they are well and truly past the 11 - 1 premership clock window and hopefully the ageing stars will do the right thing towards the end of the year. Although I will be disappointed that Yze will not get to 300 games.

I can't wait 4 BATE

GO DEES!

[sideshowbob 0]

I stood then and stand now. I go to the Blazer Bar for a beer as last year I noticed the BR gets too crowded. But both are equally bad. I pay a considerable amount to be a member yet struggle to get a beer even with a small crowd as they close off sections of the bar for service. What a joke. Have the whole bloody bar open. Then I have to walk a mile downstairs for a [censored]. A further joke. And they even have the 'Ladies' closer to the BR and staircases. Is there no tradition left ?

I was at the footy yesterday in the MCC section. So that people will continue reading this, I will point out i have both an MCC and MFC membership and that way you won't think i'm a free-loader who doesn't support the club.

I have a few observations.

1. The bullring was empty after the game - you should have come down there!

2. Two blokes in the standing section out the front of the doors leading to the bullring should hang their heads in shame after yesterday's deplorable performance. You made the Geelong supporters I saw last week look GOOD. Screaming at our players that they are a joke because they missed a goal (using much more colourful language) isn't really all that positive. Particularly in light of the fact that when you chose to yell at that player they had 3 North players bearing down on them and NOBODY ahead of them to kick to - they either blazed away at goal or coughed up the footy. What would you have preferred?

3. So many MCC members need to learn the holding the ball rule. Yes, we should have got a free when Grant missed his kick in his own goal square, but it's not holding the ball every time a North player gets tackled. I'm pretty sure 0.0000000001 of a second ISN'T prior opportunity.

4. Don't blame the umpires for the soft free kicks. We're the ones who give them away despite knowledge of the rules, and the umpires are told how to interpret them.

[AdrianOB 0]

I was there as usual and will be back next week.

Interesting that the media have not really picked up on the fact James Brayshaw who spent the week imploring Kangas fans to get there was not there himself. Was calling the other game on Triple M. If that was our Pres the media would have had a field day with it

[Damo 3,356]

I got there at 12.30 as I thought it would rain and I figured it would be a good turn-up.

I saved seats for a couple of mates and wandered around the empty members.

I was happy to see the $40 membership stand was front and centre and picked up my fridge magnet and sticker.

I have a problem with ties that come in clear plastic wrap and asked for a scarf before i realised there were only Pasimas...

The friendly lady informed me there was no other options.

I asked for a blindfold. She was very nice about it.

The joint was basically empty.

I stayed in my seat as opposed to standing on the steps as I do when Im on my own.

I knew the gnashing of teeth there would get to me as people get emotional. They face the front in the seats but on the steps there are always those that want you to watch their pain.

I felt sorry for the Demons supporters around me in the seats.

They ended up looking like how our team looked from the beginning of the match.

Exhausted and depressed.

The Blazer bar was so empty we could get two shouts at half time without effort.

Back in our seats I watched many young supporters leave before 3/4 time.

North and Melbourne wont be around much longer I thought.

Somethings got to give.

[Rampaging Demons 1]

i attended the game on saturday - my weekly dose of therapy!!

i turned up 15 minutes into the first quarter with a thumping hangover.. night before watched the storm carve to pieces last season's runnersup and had many a celebratory shandy...

i am a member of the mcc, the melbourne footy club and also the storm..

there has been much criticism of our supporters, etc but on saturday it was without doubt the kangas that should be the talking point... their first home game, a tight loss to the hawks and the call to arms from their president could only see a 60/40 crowd of 23,000.... a disgrace and shows that there are a significant level of sympathy memberships out there, that have been purchased by memebrs of other clubs and so why would they attend?

the demons crowd was pretty loud - especially with some of the decisions, when flash and aussie kicked their goals, etc...

i will stay to the end and watch the players walk off - if their faces are anything to go by, they were disgusted and embarrassed by a performance that was so bad, that sandringham would have a chance....

i felt sorry for the captain - the number of times that he had the ball kicked a metre in fron tof him, so he could half volley another one.. he does not deserve this crap!!

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

.......

North and Melbourne wont be around much longer I thought.

Somethings got to give.

Poignant thoughts Franky.

It was a miserable day indeed.

[Old Man Rivers 326]

We all jump on this site and give our opinions, but today 23,000 people attended a game between two Victorian clubs, IMO 75% North Melbourne supporters so I would love to know which posters on this site attend todays game. Because if you didn't you let the club down just as much as the players.

First Vic Based Game missed for a long long time

I was still walking in the Oxfam 100km Trail walk

Walking that far or watching The Dee's in 08 I was always in for serious pain on Saturday.

But I'll be back next week.