Leaderboard

Don is not delusional, he's doing the right thing, both for him, and by the club. Seems like RR etc. want him to say 'look, clearly we suck, therefore merely 18 months after doing this very thing, we're going to do it all again by throwing the coaches and CEO out the door. In Round 2. After the players committed a pre-season to Neeld. 24 games is enough for us, it's clearly you and not the players. Demonland said so'. Stability is exactly what we need right now. We need cool heads to say 'no, don't just respond in a knee-jerk manner' (which, coincidentally, people whinge about when we got rid of Bailey). We need to stabilise and back our judgments made 18 months ago, that we were right, and that eventually the hard work will pay off. Of course, this is far too simplistic for RR etc., so the 'T_U is an apologist' rubbish shall commence.

Not wishing to steal Nineteen's thunder but we re-signed 40+ members tonight. And a lot said they will be renewing Rangey me old chum, looks like your revolution will not be televised (a bit of musical trivia for the buffs) Also got your PM, not sure what my ice skating ability has to do with anything, can you explain Also shook Mark Neeld's hand this time. We should get a reasonable crowd on Saturday. keep the faith, stay together, we will get out of this hole we are in

I have a better idea, all 35,000 members turn up at the game on Saturday and support the club. And every one bring a friend and give them a scarce.

gday fellow sufferers - first time long time. not sure why i've elected now to post after several years checking this site - also (finally) renewed my membership last week for some unknown reason. something about this current situation is bizarrely drawing me in. i say the following with little confidence and more blind hope, but i think this will turn around. i know all the arguments - culture, Cam Schwab, game plan, etc - but this time i aint buying that there is something seriously wrong here. i just cant see it. we are relatively injury free, if a little underdone. our facilities are on par. our business is solid enough. there are (some) rumours of dissent, but thats probably pretty understandable given the hammerings of recent weeks. the midfield isnt amazing and needs to improve, but it does have running players who were identified for their skill and character, and rated highly because of it (i speak of trengove, viney, grimes, tapscott and jones in particular - all high picks). we have a solid forwardline and backline. we are not Geelong or Hawthorn, but there is no reason we cant be where brisbane, adelaide, north and (deep breath) essendon are. it pains me to allow the same tired excuse of youth, confidence, and inexperience to wash - we have been hearing it for 7 years of [censored] - but in the current environment i wonder whether its finally true. there are other young teams, and few have played as poorly as what we saw on saturday night. but i am old enough to remember the woeful (and constantly criticised), underperforming and young Geelong and Hawthorn sides of the 2000s. look at some of the losses Geelong copped in 2006, the year before they won the flag by a record margin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Geelong_Football_Club_season). we aint geelong, but could this team of decorated junior footballers, now training their asses off, really continue to be so bad? maybe this week they were, but it cant and wont remain that way. the side i saw on saturday night was awful. objectively, it was one of the least competitive efforts from a club - any club - i think i've seen. but we are not the first side to cop it - last year the side that beat us copped a 96 point hammering from carlton in Round 21 and a 94 point thumping from hawthorn in Round 18 - and we wont be the last. in my humble and hopeful view, we are a mid-range side that is utterly bereft of confidence and belief. and, as always, leadership. the bulldogs lost 12 of their last 13 last year when they lost belief. its the same quality that geelong has so much of, but it doesnt come through culture or any other bollocks - it comes from winning. we play a winless and injury depleted WCE this weekend, at the G. we have a fully fit - if shattered - side, with Tappy coming off 6. we dont have a chance to win this game, but we have a chance to start building some belief. the following week against the Giants is a chance to build it further. things can turn around quickly - we just need a start. feel free to shoot this down, but this time im with the club, not the media who want blood and not supporters who are (fairly) over it.

MFC's Paradox: Neeld needs to go, but those with the power to sack him won’t do it because that would turn the microscope on their own ineptitude.

I understand that this has been mentioned elsewhere but felt it was worthwhile to talk about. Just watched 360 and god that footage of one of our brothers that supporter tearing up after the game nearly broke my heart. This club and footy in general means so much to so many and I just pray that the players can give us something to cheer about and some sort of enjoyment this year. Anyway please can someone who sits in the cheer squad and sees that man at the game this weekend go up to him give him a hug and let him know we're all feeling for him and for one another.just as the players need to stick together I hope we supporters can too and keep turning up to support the players no matter how hard it is.

The beard does consume a lot of time. I'm already 1 hour into my beard growing and i'm absolutely consumed by the thought. I think Jack watts wasn't looking at the floor, he was looking at his beard. It's a powerful thing.

I'm sick to death of everyone telling these boys to Shave their beards off. Don McLardy: Grow a beard. Cameron Schwab: Grow a Beard. Gary Lyon: Grow a Beard Every supporter, player, coach, trainer needs to GROW A BEARD. Show some solidarity as a club united as one under the beard. Do you really think a beard makes you play badly? If anything it makes you 10% tougher. Adds to balance and stream lines the body making it faster. A beard demands respect. FEAR THE BEARD. you want a song to play before the match?!? I'm sure this band have one http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBeardsAustralia

He always goes back to "I have nothing to do with the club", "I've been there once in the last 6 months", "I made it clear I didn't want to help and wouldn't be around long".... Garry only loves Garry.... and money. He likes to stick the boot in and give us a "rev up", but don't expect anything from him that doesn't suit his media image or make him money.

"pea-hearts" jumping off and cancelling their memberships is one thing but "pea-brains" who can't see that there is a fundamental problem with the way we're being coached is another. 24.22 to 2.5 in 2 second halves - that's a disgrace, it shames the entire club and destroys its fabric. Old-fashioned strict man-on-man contested footy does not allow this destruction to happen. Sure it couldn't have won us either game but it would've stopped the bleeding.

It a medical fact, the Flu virus can remain active in a beard for something like 7 years. Time to get rid of the beards boys, they're killing the club.

Demonland should run for president. When we get in, every decision is made by a poll. It seriously couldn't be any worse than the last however many years.

Coming in on the train [Monday] I figured for maybe 5 volunteers .... & two would be crying before the night was out - I was going to be one!! Arrived after 5.30 to a meeting area full of volunteers, plus two in club colours. Saw Mark Neeld & Neil Craig in the group & turned around thinking wrong office. But it was us. Mark & Neil really mixed into the group [team' photo will be posted] & boosted our project. Punch & Judy wanted to sing the song, but fortunately ......... The night took off from there & we achieved 40 sign ups - nearly best for the year. Great under the circumstances. Three new volunteers joined 'in our darkest hour' & Catherine, Cheryl & Dave did beautifully. Tim, Julian, Geoff, Pete, Judy, Michael & Anne made up the quorum. My feel is that many volunteers & supporters have traditionally been sitting on the fence. These 'dark cloud days' have shuffled the balance to the extent that we have many more deciding now is the time to sign &/or volunteering. [No doubt the despair group has also grown]. The net benefit is our group is stronger & growing. Tx to Mark & Neil for coming along & genuinely getting involved. Great night folks - well done. Lets go again.

It's true. They caught it from Cameron Schwab.

Unfortunately, anyway you look at it, we have gone backwards under Neeld. Backwards in talent, personell, enthusiasm, gameplan, excitement, fun and most importantly ON THE LADDER!!! Until he and Schwab goes the Melbourne Football Club are without a chance of moving forward. Follow this if you will; 2011 we won 8.5 games - Surely Neeld would back himslef to take that as a baseline and build up from there?? We already had a young list so just develop them beyond what they had performed the year before. We are sooooooooooooooo much worse than 8.5 now. What I'd give for 8.5 wins. In 2011 we often looked fast, competitive dynamic: When we won, we won big - thrashed Adelaide (watch this! ), 94 points, thrashed Freo. Look at them now and then look at us? When we lost we looked spirited yet outgunned and leaky like many a young team does. Our list was good enough to beat teams like the Swans until Neeld disempowered and traded half the talent out and got spuds in. With the talent drain since 2011, even the best gameplan in the world we would still lose uncomfortably. Rethinking 186 - Cats pummelled 2011 runners-up Collingwood by 96 points two weeks later. This is THE Collingwood guys! You know the team that won a flag? The fully grown list and club lost by 100 to the Cats straight after we did. There was a well known power struggle behind the scenes at Melbourne which leaked out onto the field for 186. We were riven with internal tension and flogged by one of the best teams of all time, in top form, on their home turf. The Pies were at their peak and thrashed on the G. Can never be pretty but how is this equation? 186 = 96 (what the pies lost by two weeks later) + 30 (Cats at Kardinia Park toll) + 30 (internal politics leaking onto the field) + 30 (inexperienced and fatigued team). 148 is so much worse than that. In 2011 Brent Moloney came 7th in the Brownlow: The list turnover and spiralling performance of our best talent has been the biggest crime of the Neeld/Schwab gutting. Do they know how many losses we had to suffer to get those talented young players??? Back yourself to make them players, don't just trade out Gysberts for Pederson, Petterd for Byrnes. Moloney for Rodan. Bring more out of players! Furthermore it's well documented that all our AA talent has gone backward Frawley, Jamar, Davey. AFL standard - I am sick of hearing people write about the Neeld as though he picked up a failed rebuild basket case! We were stuttering but definitely on our way up. We were running out games fine. Neeld himself constantly sinks the boot in saying that he is trying to get to AFL standard. What disrespectful rubbish to a peer in Bailey to divert the spotlight from his own dismal performance. We have slipped so far backwards on any tangible scale since Neeld joined. I blame Garry Lyon, Mclardy and the board for supporting snake Schwab over the senior players in the wake of 186. It takes a lot of resentment for senior players to stand up to a bully CEO. (Pavlich vs Schwab at Freo is a happy example of where the players won the day! bye bye Schwabbie!) At the Dees, Schwab had put tanking in place, shelved a 'trust exercise' report and force cut their beloved Captain Jnr Mac! For them to defy the players by sacking Bailey while we were still a chance to make the 8 was just plain weak, reactive and horrible. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying Bailey was definitely going to last the distance, maybe we swap him for Malthouse after his contract was up in 2012 ala Ratts. But one thing is for sure, we have never looked as pathetic and hopeless as we do now under Neeld. But apparently our pre-season GPS data is up to AFL standard so I might be wrong

Our Melbourne Football Club is perceived as being weak, a perception which accurately reflects the reality of our current situation. I was at the cricket ground on Saturday night, and it hurt deeply as a member, it hurt deeply as a supporter, it really did cut deep. I felt frustrated, angry and then even apathetic. The thought of tossing my membership card out onto the turf briefly crossed my mind, but then there was something which stopped me. Deep down something told me that this was the kind of attitude which made our club weak. Its the attitude which some call the curse of Norm Smiths sacking, and its the perception that we head to the snow in July, the reality that our players chose not to gut run to make space, the reality that there were 85% Essendon fans at the game at our home ground. On the field, as soon as the game started to turn against us the players seemed to abandon the club too. The curse of Norm Smiths sacking is the curse of withdrawing support when challenged with a difficult situation and it has permeated the supporters, the administration and the playing group. We often feel that we are powerless as members and supporters, resorting to expressing our frustration and anger with calls to change this or that in the hope that it will turn things around. There are even those who openly withdraw their support for the club. While it may be a way to blow of some steam, and even a noble effort to do something about the situation, I believe that this kind of attitude amongst the supporters is the very manifestation of the culture which we need to change if the club is to succeed. Can we not see the forest but for the trees? If the club is to change then it needs to start with us. Supporters and members of our football club are not impotent. We have to power to provide the support that the players and administrators are crying out for. As supporters we need to commit to our part in supporting the club. If there was ever a time where we are able to cast out the ghosts of Norm Smiths sacking, to be part of the change which we all want to see in the club then that time is now. Stand Up as a Club If you have posted here on-line that youre walking away from the club, please reconsider simply logging back on and stating your support for the club. Its not hard but its a significant step in our collective psyche. We are up against the Eagles this Saturday, and the most likely thing that will happen is that a small but loyal group of fans will be there, but there will be droves of supporters who have decided to spend their time doing something less difficult, maybe checking the scores, maybe not even bothering. I guarantee this, if we could get 60K Melbourne supporters at the game next week in a show of solidarity I guarantee we will see a definite change in the team. They will see that they are supported, that we care, that we are in it with them, that we are committed. We have the power as supporters to do this. We can actually do something. Speak to another supporter and say Hey, we need to get behind the club, come with me to the game on Saturday. Its not really that hard, but this is how change happens, stop blaming others and start doing what we do have the power to do. It's what Norm Smith would do, it's what Jim Stynes would do, it's what we should do. Stand Up.

The media are not just messengers OD, that is the problem, they are bullies and vultures that feed off the carcasses of the weak. They are spineless and don't report the truth, but rather attack those find it hard to fight back.

I felt like leaving because of the tanking but getting flogged....I'm used to that.The 70's and 80's got me used to it. Heads will roll (hopefully Schwab and Mclardy) but we'll be back you can take that to the bank. Now stop your snivelling, buy your membership and hang on tight because we've got a [censored] to fly through Go Demons Unleash Hell

There is so much to feel heartbroken over right now, and Watts is up there near the top of the list. He is struggling, he is scared of the footy, and scared of making a mistake, and scared of not doing well, and in turn that plays with his mind and makes him play worse. He is out of form, and he has inherent issues with his physical application that have to be resolved, but he is also a human being. He has done nothing wrong to anyone, and more than that, he has always been professional and represented the club well off the field, so why then do supporters feel the need to wish him constant failure? He needs a kick up the butt, and he needs to be dropped to find some touch, and he needs a coach who plays him where he naturally should play (half forward flank) and support him, rather than tossing him around like a rag doll. And most of all, he needs pathetic scumbags to stop booing him at every turn. He may never become a successful footballer, but he didn't ask to be a number one pick, and he will leave this game 10 years from now with a whole lot more dignity that some of our supporters will.

Hi All, long time reader first time poster. I think we are all in agreement that we have a pretty ordinary culture at our great footy club. Some trace it right back to the sacking of Norm Smith, and that could well be true. I think that currently it has a lot to do with sacking Junior and Co. (not just the act but the way it was done), the fighting between admin and the football department, and most importantly the tanking strategy. We weren't the only ones who did it but we seem to be the ones who did it most brazenly and to be honest hamfistedly. The first point I'd like to make about the whole tanking debarcle is in relation to the knowledge of the Administration and the Board. Did they know about it or did they not? I think it is daming either way. If a strategy that has such a wide-ranging impact on the clubs future is put in place without the knowledge of the Adminstation or the Board then what sort of organisation are they running? What else is being put in place which they don't know about? On the other hand if they did knowingly put in place a strategy of deliberately losing then they are directly responsible for the debarcle that unfolded. Now I keep hearing that Mark Neeld and Co have been given a remit to changing the culture, as if the culture of the club is just about the footbal department and players. I contend that the culture of the coaching and playing group is a symptom of the poor culture of the entire club, which is a result of the above. Organisations don't change culture from the bottom-up, they change it from the top down. Asking Neeld and Co to change the culture is like asking the Factory Manager at Altona to change Toyota's culture. I'm tired of hearing McClardy and Schwab off-loading responsibility for changing the culture without any acknowledgement that maybe they are responsible for creating it in the first place or any discussion on what they are doing to change the culture. All I hear is about what a great job they are doing. I'm not sure what there mesurement for this is, personally I use finals appearances, flags and membership numbers as the KPI's of a footy club, none of which I would give a satisfactory mark for over the last 40 or even 6 years.

As will i pal. I bloody love footy and i love the Melbourne Football Club.

11. GROW A BEARD

B: 26 Daniel Ward 27 Anthony Ingerson 44 Alistair Nicholson HB: 42 Peter Walsh 28 Matthew Collins 21 Steven Febey C: 13 Adem Yze 22 Shane Woewodin 35 Anthony McDonald HF: 18 Brad Green 5 David Schwarz 7 Stephen Powell F: 24 Russell Robertson 9 David Neitz © 33 Jeff Farmer Foll: 34 Jeff White 43 Guy Rigoni 36 Andrew Leoncelli Int: 4 Brent Grgic 16 Travis Johnstone 47 Ben Beams 46 Troy Simmonds

Geezz Rangy......Congrats....Your the first one on my ignore list.....You yell and curse at this club but have not put up an alternative.... If all the people you want sacked who replaces them....You.....Give me a break...

Media's responsibility is to scrutinise. The club needs to know how people feel. Amplification is important in ensuring people know what the club is doing at all times: we need to put the club under the microscope so that it truly understands the extent of its issues. The best way to avoid this is to do what you're paid to do. The club simply is not doing that. I take pleasure in seeing the media stick the boot in, because it is payback for what we have to put up with in the stands on a weekly basis. We're not paid to be there. They are.

I do feel for Don though - he was never meant to be President and only had to step up due to the tragic illness and death of Jimmy Stynes. He should probably step down though as soon as we can get a better replacement.

BOTTOM LINE... AFTER 7 YEARS WE ARE NOW NOT AFL STANDARD AS A CLUB. AND SOME WANT MORE PATIENCE???? No.

She would know as much as your mum knows about your footy team. Obviously, Lynden has had some issues in the past and communicated that to his mum as she is looking to deflect blame from the players who her son is one. As much as we would all love to read into this - I don't think we can look past the fact that a mum is trying to defend her son and his peers.

Sue Dunn Watts? Must like beards.

One of the most ridiculous comments I've read.

Here you go Rangey, someone already got a photo of your protest...

Yeah, they all have turd flu.

I reckon it goes something like this: Schwab made Bailey deliberately lose games, players know it Players liked Bailey, Bailey gets sacked Tough talking Neeld the tyrant, with much higher demands / standards is appointed Neeld clears out well liked players from the playing group, Schwab gets another 3 years Mates were cleared out for spud players, causing further angst Mates cleared out to other clubs are performing well, current players thinking why bother, get me out of here! Rats like Schwab stay, and good blokes are let go from the club...............stuff the MFC say most of the players That's how I read it!

You are only a phone call way Andy? Well your organisation spent 7 months trying to tear us apart.................... you forced us to outlay at least $500k in legal fees and you imposed on us a $500k penalty........ you reopened wounds we were trying to heal ............................ and now you are only a phone call away!! You have got to be kidding!! The AFL has exacerbated all our failings over recent times. Even McLardy's most strident critics would have to agree that the AFL has quadrupled the problems he has had to confront recently - and now he is supposed to look on it as a a friend ?! The AFL's whose rules encouraged us to establish a losing culture beat us for playing their game.Now they are only a phone call away ! Give us a break!!

I honestly have no idea what some people here would have McLardy say. Ranting and raving, declaring 'Player X is a spud', 'Neeld is the worst coach ever', and 'Cam Schwab must go!'? That wouldn't start a [censored] in any way, obviously. Yes, it's spin, and yes it's the same spin we've heard for years, but realistically right now McLardy is between a rock and a hard place. He responds to the (justifiable) backlash against the club since Saturday night, and gets kicked for responding with spin. He says nothing and is decried for hiding from the problem. He spins some home truths, the media have a field day and it's game over forever. I have no doubt that things are being feverishly investigated behind closed doors, but there's no reason to air any of it in public given the state of the club as it is. Deep breaths, people. Deep breaths.

What rot. We allowed ourselves to be "tormented". We allowed ourselves to be fined. Don't invert things. McLardy rolled over. McLardy caved under pressure. And now we are paying the price.

Yes, yet another media giant sticking the boots in and telling us what we already know. Why do we need separate threads fo all this sh1te?

Just get rid of the coach, Don. Neeld is a poor coach. Make Rawlings the interim coach. That's a good start. The club doesn't exist to make a profit, keep people gainfully employed or the like. It is there to play well and win football games. That's our primary goal and function. If you can't do that well then we're mainly a business. You don't support a company, a business or a firm. But that is what we are supporting at the moment. This business doesn't necessarily need to win games. That's why they never talk about winning. Until the tipping point is reached, of course. We've been at the point with our on field performances for quite some time. Our club merely exists to keep x amount of people gainfully employed (many of whom are earning a truckload of dollars) Need a total clean out and it should have happened a long time ago. If Neeld is kept on and can somehow coach a lot better in the future and we start winning consistently, then that would be great for all of us. I'm only commenting on what we've seen so far and it hasn't been good.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/my-demons-were-even-worse-club-great-tells-the-players/story-fnca0u4y-1226614459791 Robbie was there on Saturday night, and reckons the Demons of days gone by have put in even worse efforts than the one we saw on the weekend. Presumably, he was referring to the 190-point belting at the hands of Fitzroy in 1979. Did Flower play that day? Also says it's not the time for knee-jerk reactions and supporters need to be patient. It's worth pointing out that in 1986, the Dons handed us a 20-goal thrashing... we made the finals just 12 months later.

Won't post the link, but AD was quoted in The Age today offering support to the MFC. He's only a phone call away, apparently. What blatant, outrageous hypocrisy. The AFL tormented us mercilessly for most of last season and the entire offseason, fined us for something that we didn't do, and clearly caused more lasting damage to the club than is immediately obvious. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if at least some of the current problems could be attributed to Chris Connolly falling on his sword just before the season commenced.

schwabby got a vote! I told ya he reads Land

Keep Jamar in so I can make Cox my supercoach captain.

Pick up the phone MFC....Now. 7 years of Failure is more than enough incompetence. The point has been proven.

Anyone who has had the misfortune to read me over 10+ years posting here and demonology knows I'm one of the most conservative supporters going - I've supported admin and footy department thru thin and thinner. But ya gotta read the tea-leaves. We're 2.5 to 24.22 in second halves to teams that finished well outside the finals last year. Second halves where remedial action should be taken to stem the arterial haemorrhaging. The coach has no idea why. We're in crisis all right - any other view is delusional.

The fundamentals are still ok. We have 26k odd members. We are not in debt, although this is because of charity. Our list is not too bad We have a strong relationship with the MCC & AFL We are not dying, we are just playing like shite.

Read it. Want to punch myself in the face as it would be less painful than reading anymore of this spin. How can you offer no solutions and expect people to stick by this club? Only the seriously desperate and mentally insane, like me, would keep turning up to watch this crap.

Sue done what?

Bailey v Neeld is interesting. What I think is more interesting and often overlooked is the job Daniher did as coach for nearly 10 years. In that time we played finals in 6 seasons. He worked under numerous boards and presidents, CEO's and third world (by AFL standards) facilities at the Junction oval, and no money. When he took over we had just finished 14th in a 16 team comp and had just come out of the merger saga. He was our major spruiker right throughout his entire coaching reign. Out of that era came top notch footy operatives in Mark Evans and Chris Fagan, who worked closely with Daniher and Danny Corcoran to build a decent footy team despite all of the other crap that was constantly flying around. His effort to get us to a GF in 2000 was nothing short of remarkable. in 2006, his last completed season, we were the highest ranked Victorian team in the competition. Some will argue he left the list in poor condition. I think he got the best out of what he had and I am staggered he never got another chance somewhere else.

Your revolution looks like a picture of you getting fisted by the MFC. Have fun with that.

Never seen a player cop so much so early in his career. My only emotion is sadness