Leaderboard

As you know, I keep an eye on Demonland as part of maintaining a feel for what our people are talking about. I haven't posted for a while, so I thought it might be worth clarifying a few matters. We will have a more in depth interview up on www.melbournefc.com.au shortly which covers some of the same topics in a little more detail. Second Major Sponsor: One thing I can say - I'm glad some of you guys aren't negotiating contracts on our behalf! We have explained the strategic importance of the sponsorship 'property' and we will do a deal when the deal is right, and by strategic we mean long term and having a significance beyond the revenue itself. We have locked away some very important deals over the last few years (in particular EnergyWatch) that now underpin our sponsorship revenue, and we have a number of contingencies from both a revenue and cost perspective in the event that we don't achieve our preferred outcome. We will not compromise the value by agreeing to a sub-optimal long term deal because of external or perceived time pressures. In the meantime, we proudly wear the Reach Logo on our jumpers. Compensation Picks: We are required to make a call on the GWS Compensation Selections later this month. Tim Harrington and Todd Viney have put together some detailed analysis, which is fundamentally a trade off between current and future value of the selections, taking into account the fact that we have a Jack Viney father/son selection in 2012. I cannot pre-empt this decision, but what it does show is that the choices are very valuable and will play a key role in the next phase of our list development. Tim and Todd know their stuff and they are working closely with Mark Neeld and Neil Craig in particular to map out our direction. Commencement Dinner: Surprised at some of the negativity. We received outstanding feedback on the night, which continued today. The evening is deliberately nostalgic, and will continue to be, as well as presenting the thoughts of our coach as a lead up to the season. We will never apologise for celebrating our heritage. As I said on the night: - We will look back – for that gives us our identity - We will focus on the now – for that is what our game demands - We will look forward – for that is our responsibility. The feedback from the players who received their blazers, modelled on the 1940's blazer worn by Harold Ball, was one of immense pride. This pride was beautifully articulated by Ron Barassi, Hassa Mann and John Beckwith. These videos by the way, were produced in-house by our new Digital Production man Jack McCowan who has captured the personalities and emotion of three legends. Unfortunately, the audio on the speeches is a bit rough. I won't comment specifically on Liam Jurrah, I think this has been covered off in many forums. I will say, that we are confident in the support he has received in the time he has been at the club, and continues to receive, as he deals with a number of challenging and complex issues. Finally, really pleased with how the football structure and personnel has come together. Capable, committed, directed and passionate, with clear standards and expectations that have been set very high. Importantly, they are loving our club. I won't answer any specific questions as I better head home, its been a solid week, but just to let you know we do follow Demonland, enjoy the by-play, love the passion and we do take on thoughts and suggestions. Cameron Schwab

.......i think i just heard a few testicles retract around here. Thanks Cam!

Great work, and thank you for taking the time to answer some burning topics. I'm glad that for once we are in a financial position which allows us to pick an choose the best possible sponsorship deal for us. This place is a mind-field of crap most days, but one thing it doesn't lack, is passion. We all love this club more than is probably good for us, and everybody expresses that love differently. Some of us love blindly and unconditionally (and are hurt often), others are occasional wife-beaters (Australia says no, people!). Whichever side you fall on, nobody here is completely rational, because love isn't rational. As for the blazers, anything that makes us more on trend and fashionable is approved by me. Now please make replicas available for sale, for women, so I can buy one. Thanks!

I like the Blazer. Yep its traditional. So are we.There is a great story to underpin it. We've got more tradition than Eddie has chins and in recent years we've finally started to own it and leverage it.

I think Fan's point is if you are going to put on an event, provide quality, especially if it is priced at a premium. If the club wants to let its actions speak louder than words, that's fine, but don't advertise and charge an arm and a leg for non-events.

Is this a serious comment? i have found the top 50 an absolute joke. NikNat isnt in it imo atm, he looks good and people get hyped, late last year nobody would have had him in it imo........was an average player. I think his highlight reel gets him off the hook a bit, he will be an amazing player in 24 months but top 50 now is crazy in my eyes.

I'd have liked some comment on the game plan, not chapter and verse. A quick outline on its core characteristics and how long he expects our players to be able to implement it. I'd like some indication of his expectation of the year. What are some of his KPI's. How does he view the list, areas of strength and weakness. Which players he sees as having an impact this year. How Jack Viney is going. How about an explanation of the "Gap Year" initiative, why it was done, what the benefits would be and what the downsides are. How about a discussion over the activation of the CP which will be public in 5 days anyway. What are they thinking, what are the competing strategies and what are the objectives with the CP. How about the relationship between Casey and MFC, how closely will Brett Lovett work with MFC, what are Casey's priorities. What about the issues of list management this year with up to three 1st rounders available. What about some details in what extra work the players have been doing over preseason. What about a comment on how long the "new" PS regime will take to "build" AFL footballers. How about a view of the impact of free agency? How about standing up the MM and WC on their comments on Watts. Hell, that's just off the top of my head. I don't want "inside" detail but some thoughts on the issues. It's a football night about the coming season but that seemed to be a taboo topic All I got was "we want to be elite". I've heard that for far too long and it means, as you say, diddly squat. If the MFC want to make a franchise night of this they will have to offer more because if I wasn't entitled to go because of my player sponsor involvement I would have been very disappointed with the content and wouldn't consider going next year. In the end it's a fundraiser, you've got to give a little to get a lot. $195 a head is not value based on what was offered last night.

I don't mind the blazers. We all get ribbing from fans of other clubs for our blue blood history, but it is our history - we can't change it. We may as well embrace it. Otherwise we are letting other people define who we are and who we were. That may be quite a bit to read into blazers...

Don't give him that number. It's to be left vacant for at least a decade.

No, just making a point that some posters keep going on and on with the same conversations over and over with out knowing any facts.

Hey Cam thanks for this update hopefully some posters will now shut the hell up and let the club get on with it's agenda, it has become a bore reading the same posters saying the same damm thing over and over again.

Thanks for your suggestion. I actually take the training reports with a grain of salt. This thing I find most interesting about training reports is the different drills the new coaches have implemented, and what postions certain players train in, and the times some of our so called "elite endurance" midfiedlers are running in time trials. I judge Gysberts on his footy to date, and the potential that I see in him. It's not my fault I believe his potential isn't as high as some on here, and think he has a lot of areas tha the needs to work on for him to reach the status that a few of you beleifve he will. And while receiving 2 Rising Star nominations is a good effort, he's not the first, and won't be the last to do it. I believe Blease will receive his 2nd this year, and I have more upside for Blease than Gysberts. Jones is also another player who has received 2 nominations, and I'm yet to see anyone on here say that he has reached the heights that we think Gysberts can reach. Jones is a very good player, not elite, not a gun, etc. I don't think the Anthony Rocca comparison is some of your best work.

Well it would seem that I'm in the minority, but I reckon they look great. Nothing wrong with looking classy from time to time.

The media and football cognoscenti have short memories. Last season the media began to acknowledge that Watts looked likely to be a better prospect than Natanui, who couldn't find the footy. It's all media chestbeating, and if anyone falls for it at this early stage of the PREseason, I feel sorry for them.

Judging by the player comments going out into the twittersphere, they seem to like the blazers (I assume if they didn't like them they would say nothing) - if this sort of tradition instills some pride and a sense of history in the players, then hopefully that will be reflected in their performances on-field. Winning is definitely not a tradition, and with the size of the competition now, the game is becoming more competitive and winning is becoming harder and harder; so anything that can give you an edge (psychological or otherwise) is a good thing imo.

Hi guys, Long time reader and newly formed member here. Lots of doom and gloom atm about our lack of class mids and etc etc but in my opinion we will soon be talking about Neeld as a top-line coach. He has said all the right things, given our team a game plan and was genuinely peeved in his presser after Hawthorn. I liked it. Have faith in the game plan. Last year we would have been bottom 5 in contested ball. Although only early days we can all see the style we will play & from memory are in the top 1 or 2 for contested ball in the preseason. Whilst we lack some classy outside mids, our gameplan revolves around getting our hands on the ball first and pressure around the stoppage with the likes of Moloney, McKenzie, Sylvia, Jones etc. Only 2 weeks ago in Q1 v the pies it was our second string mids v Jolly, Pendles, Swan, Ball & Thomas. At qtr time the clearances were 11-5 our way. If we can be in the top 5 for contested ball we will have a great year. It's easy to forget that all throughout the summer we have been trained and drilled into kicking long down the line, at worst create a stoppage/boundary throw in in order to reset & reload. Do you think Mark Neeld cares that throughout the whole NAB series it's been an opposition free kick? We forget this quickly. Come the season proper we will see our gameplan thrive. Lets give it time, but lets be excited about this year. I certainly am!

I'll be sold after he delivers me a flag and a week long bender to celebrate said flag. Until such time, I care not for hasty unfounded judgements.

I differ with opening comment. Personally I think the leadership issue was a debacle. I'm concerned his coaching will turn out to be a one system fits all. Bailey came from a premiership team and thought its pattern was a formula for a priemiership, hand ball, games into players etc. Neeld has come from a premiership team and seems to believe that the system is the thing. Already I fear he may similarly be a one approach coach. If so that's bad. I certainly like much of what we have seen over the summer, some great stuff. High performance. But fancy setting a time for the three k time trial that all players must achieve to play and our 40 goal forward of 11 will probably never get. Good on paper but you could end up shooting yourself in the foot. I certainly love seeing him on TV. Coaching structure is sensational. But the ultimate product will have to develop/ mature as a coach way beyond what we see so far. Having said all that I'm hopeful he'll prove just what we want. I'll disagree on many things over time as I hope our assitant coaches do, but I'll follow him all the way over the next few years as he grows into the role. Let's hop he is our Red Fox Mark 2.

I'll probably get howled down for this, but I don't like the blazer. They look like English private school boys. I would have preferred no red trim.

the piece on Jurrah "training" was a joke..... 2 minutes of him on a bike with no commentary lol but yeah i enjoy most of their work

I didn't know embracing a traditional blazer meant becoming a Dickens character...

Don't know what is about today but there are some greaty lines about. Fair effort Macca

Cameron, you are a good man to come on here an allay the fears of some on this forum. I think it shows how far we have come as a Club. Jimmy set out to make the Club more inclusive, you are continuing Jimmy's magnificent work.

He's a great advocate for Liam. But Liam needs a legal advocate. And he needs to let Cam Schwab do his job and not try to do what's best for Liam. Because in no reality is "what's best" - an interview with Eddie McGuire before a court date on a dumbed down manslaughter charge.

rpfc, it's time to get off the crack son.

I'd like to see the club introducing a tradition whereby the number 31 guernsey every year is awarded to our first draft pick. That way it would be rotated annually and once again come to be an honour associated with our greatest player and not the last holder of the guernsey.

Maybe he's just a naughty boy?

You forgot to mention the contributing factors of Moloney, Jones & Morton

Harden up kid. If the worse thing an opposition supporter has on you, is that you barrack for an elitist club, you're doing alright. We should be proud of the fact that we are a club of educated snobs. Beats being associated with this

Thanks, Cam. Always good to hear from those in the know.

My only criticism is that Jamison is ahead of Frawley.

I motion we change it to "Like a Boss!"

Thanks for the comments CS do not agree with some of your comments but I do not get paid to make them you do So good luck in 2012 PS can you please get a red colour that is not Maroon or has a pink tinge

I have a feeling we might see Bartram used more up ground this year as a mid-field defensive stopper/tagger, just will depend on a few injuries down back.

The jury is still out on JG's future as it would be with someone his age etc. But I firmly believe he has shown way more than TS so far at senior level. And that has nothing to do with TS leaving Melbourne

Just signed up for life. $40 is a small price to pay for a site that I spend alot of time on. Keep up the good work Andy.

Simplistic. Every side is trying to "just do". Arguably, by having a club event, that is time they are "speaking", not "doing". On that argument, club events would be counter-productive. But they are not, they are important. What Fan is rightly saying is that you don't have to be selling the family silver to explain what the challenges are, and the frameworks/perspectives being used to tackle them. That way you can consider whether you think that the approach of the coaches to the identified issues seems to make sense.

I still remember Watts being about the only player having a real crack against West Coast last year. Nothing wrong with his attack on the ball that night, he was in the best from both clubs. He is doing fine as far as I am concerned, but the I'm not trying to make a name for myself in the media by having a crack at a developing playing, knowing it will get my head on the TV.

I dont care what anyone thinks...Jamar is in the top 50 players in the competition. Full stop.

What did you want??? "We will do this,we will do that" Rah rah rah. Action speak a lot louder than words espicially at this club. Too many years we have had the other. This year maybe it will be actions

Look I dont care about the blazers but as Jon Ralph said its typical melbourne. Us fans cop enough stereotyping and this just adds to it. Id rather they focus on getting another sponser. Also round 1 in a few few weeks and I d not want to see bugle boy there. Im sick of getting crap about that as well.

I like the somewhat less 'professional' nature of the interviews (is that damning with faint praise?). Their lack of 'slickness' gives an air of honesty and the feeling you are not being quite so 'PRed' (even though you are). If you want slick professional work, then shift money from the football department and pay thousands to a professional presenter/interviewer, and a camera person. I'd prefer the money to stay where it is. Both Matt and Ellie are doing their best given that they don't really have studio set-ups or the sort of resources that are common in most media outlets. You can do what they are doing with a $500 HD camera or two, a light, a backdrop and a PC. They do OK.

Is there anything that supporters on this site like?? They don't like the team, they don't like the interviewers, they critersise the club,board, players,boot studders,culture,blazers,window dressers,ball boys,fitness staff,coaches,football commentators,civil rights,world peace. Give me a break.

The Herald top 50 is hardly confirmation

Don't think I'd call her a natural in front of the camera. Perhaps you need to turn the volume up when you're watching her! If she is to continue doing interviews, I just ask that she can pronounce our Captain's surname correctly. Maybe she needs to read Demonland to realise that it's Trengove, not Trengrove.

Interview with al clarkson on afl360. Had this horrible brown hawks blazer behind him. Am now a huge fan of ours!

He was also taken as a top 10 draft pick then played in every bloody position on the ground by the Crows. Wasted. Lots of players have gotten a change of scenery and become much better. Tarrant at freo? I'm more confused about Bate. I saw nothing i liked from him in the midfield. Interested to hear how Tynan goes again this weekend, wouldn't mind seeing him thrown in the deep end from round 1. Gives him confidence and would be a bit of a kick up the ass to some of the older guys.

Gerard Whately by a mile. He is a professional commentator and it shows. Bruce was great once - too sugary now. That horrible interview with Dane Swan at the Brownlow last year. Shudder!! Dennis Commetti is still the b est of the TV guys but I also miss Sandy Roberts. For pure enterntainment, Rex Hunt. Yeah, I often had no idea who had it or where it ws going but Rex, Huddo and Robert Walls were a great trio. And I also wish Kerry O'Keefe had played footy. His cricket commentary is very good when he sticks to actual commentary.

Gerard Whately, by a country mile. I believe this guy cut his teeth on horse racing, and it shows. His description of the action is precise and first class. He gets a heap of description into a few, well chosen words. Heard him recently on radio broadcasting the cricket. He actually described what was happening. These days, so many of the comentators are so full of themselves that they just prattle on with whatever's on their mind, and totally ignore the action on the field.

FB: Garland - Frawley - Bartram HB: Grimes - Sellar - Bennell C: Jones - Magner - Tynan HF: Howe - Watts - Davey FF: Green - Clark - Petterd R: Jamar - Moloney - Trengove I: Bate - Martin - Bail S: Nicholson E: Gysberts - Dunn - Rivers