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A few years back I was working in the Black Saturday affected area trying to help the victims of Australia's worst bushfire - the people who survived that horrific day. The stories I heard in that job I will never forget. In the role I was able to assist many with Govenment grants, food, clothing, counselling, support etc. Often I would talk football to the families as a way to take their thoughts from the pain, loss, mental anguish and devestation they endured. I contacted 2 AFL clubs to ask what they could do to help a couple of families that were avid supporters of their clubs. One was Melbourne who contacted the family and invited them to the MCG VIP area to watch the Dees defeat Port Adelaide. They provided the whole family with food, drink, team supporter scarves and other material as well as introducing them to players during and after the game. It was an experience that had a profound positive affect on them. The other club never responded to my emails or calls. I won't name them but I am glad we have beaten them in 6 Grand Finals! Also, players and officials from the MFC visited the area and assisted the local football teams get back on their feet with administrative support. Karma will prevail - we will taste the ultimate success on the field before this decade ends (eg before 2020)

Thats amazing. I was blown away when I made my first post on here last summer about how they sent me an autographed team photo. There were a handful of stories about how great the club is to members .My favorite might have been on another website but it sent chills down my spine. This woman was visiting her sister in Australia. She was from Switzerland. She wanted to go to an AFL game, just to see the spectacle but knew nothing about the game. Her sister couldn't go with her so she ended up just going to the G alone. In between quarters she had gone to get a drink or something and got lost. A tall man in a suit walked up and asked if she needed help. She explained that she needed help finding her seat, and then said how she didn't understand the game or what was going on. The tall man in a suit was Jim Stynes. He invited her to sit with him in his box. Explained the game to her. And then after the game ended he took her down to the club store and bought her some merchandise.

... and let's face it, the hyphen would be far better suited to the MFC than at sleepy hollow.

So, I finished University last spring and moved to a different state. The address from my 2013 club membership was for my university dormitory. I haven't ordered anything and haven't renewed my membership yet so I hadn't got around to updating it yet. Well last week, I got a call from the dormitory I lived in saying i'd received a package from Australia. I argued with them for 10 minutes trying to get them to forward it to me. But apparently the school is run by idiots and they wanted me to come in person and show ID to get it. So I said i'd try and work out coming down over the weekend to get it. But plans fell through. I called my old school to try and work something out. Turns out they'd all ready returned it to sender, last week. So I emailed the club and told them the situation, and asked if they could forward it to me and that I would be more than willing to pay the shipping costs. I got a reply today. They said that they wanted to send me a little something for my continued support from the states. (I'm assuming it's stemming from a blog post I wrote a few months ago that eventually got retweeted by the Demons.) Then she said they club will pay the additional shipping costs and will notify me when it ships out after they get it. This is about the third amazing experience i've had with the staff of the club. I've heard about five stories from other people who have all had great experiences with the Demons front office. I know we've been [censored] on the field for the past few years, but the way they have treated me, has earned them a life long member.

thank god it's back! I nearly had to have a conversation with my family whilst it was down...nearly.

That was then, this is now. Melbourne is no longer an upper-crust, private boys club. One look at the grammatical errors and the phrasing from some of our contributors shows that there are many people with state school education or worse, tech school, getting around in Melbourne colours. The question is how did these plebs ever get a membership and why weren't they blackballed? The gradual relaxation means that now even a factory worker can get a Melbourne membership and we have lost our appeal to the would-be social climbing downhill skiing set. Where once we had doctors playing for us in the ruck, I have noticed several people in the stands who were possibly not even born in Australia, let alone South Yarra, our recruitment zone. If we are going to run down the path of acceptance, eventually we will have to accept a lower class of member, perhaps even New Zealanders. It is part of the inevitable push to professionalism and we must begin to embrace it in the next fifty or so years as we consider the change. I am as appalled as all of you that the most important thing in the world, tradition is being compromised by that terrible quest for success that the aspirational lust after so vulgarly. We must put a stop to it and simply do nothing, as we have always done.

Now that Sylvia has gone, will Jack switch to his Dad's #12?

If you knew who was actually in the Old Boys Club you would not be so smug.Viney fell out with the oh-so-evil Lyon-Stynes-CC-Schwab Nexus and left the club for Hawthorn as a heralded Assistant Coach (if there can be such a thing), and then poached back to Adelaide before we got him back to run the Development and Player Strategy a couple years back. At some point we are going to have to stop culling and start building and while there may be a hatred of everything related to the MFC at this club it doesn't mean you get to just lump Viney in there without more evidence than vague illusions of his various roles.

if we cant get what we want for pick 2 in trade i am just happy that we now have people at the club, led by Paul Roos, who will be able to finally develop our players Whether that is James Aish, Luke Tapscott or Michael Evans or anyone else its exciting times

What's the bet we trade pick 2, and the player that we would have taken at pick 2 turns out to be an out and out star? So Melbourne lol

I would trade fitzy for only a top line mid. He is one of the best prospects on our list. Blokes with his skill sets don't come along too often. Do not trade unless it is a must.

I'll take this opportunity to remind everyone that Nasher really is the backbone to this site. The work he does behind the scenes is invaluable not to mention that it takes him away from his family. I want to put together some money to pass along to him so if you would like to contribute you can do so in two ways. You can take out a Demonland subscription here: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/subscriptions/ Or if you already have a subscription you can donate here: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/donate/

FWIW and because this is the rumour mill thread, I'll put this in here. Sources are reasonably good and seem to match info being put about elsewhere. * The proverbial is going to hit the fan in the next fortnight with multiple infraction notices to be served by ASADA on several NRL and AFL players with the number of Essendon players hit to be between 10 and 15; and * A Victorian club (not us) in diabolical financial strife with AFL intervention required to bail out the club. This doesn't look promising after the AFL clubs put pressure on the Commission to limit assistance to the MFC. Most of this came at a Friday lunch attended by some people of influence. About Melbourne, I heard absolutely nothing.

Was lucky to get a third season in the first place IMO. I tipped him to be delisted at the end of last year and was surprised at how howled down I got. I doubt anyone's too surprised this time around.

If it was useless then why would they do it? Silly comment.

I love the Viney - no BS approach. Seems pretty confident we will be holding on to Sylvia's compensation pick (by not picking anyone up in Free agency) Would quite like to have a pick in the 20's either for trade or drafting a good mid.

He's not even as fast as Watts over 20m. Ok, I accept that athletically he is gifted. But I'm more concerned with his workrate and ability to find the footy. Don't wanna be drafting another flanker to play in the midfield. His selection would be hard to swallow at pick 2, when Aish is so clearly a cut above.

no thanks

He was taken in last year's draft, with a pick that was compensation for a player from the 2009 draft. To out it down as a coup for the 2013 draft would be wrong. I'm only talking in reference to judging our performance in the 2013 drafting & trading period. Onfield improvement for next year is another topic entirely.

regarding last year i don't understand the logic of "netting" out FAs as was the case with Byrnes this cost us a lot if a side gets a FA but doesn't lose a FA (like Freo currently) there is no penalty yet last year we got a penalty for getting a FA (Byrnes) that to me is illogical. Some get penalised for getting a FA and some get no penalty for getting a FA solution. don't count getting a FA in all cases. compensation given on a per player lost FA so last year we should have got 2 compensation picks based on circumstances of each player just my 2c

Gotta feel for Hoyer. Done his ACL and is out for the year. If you think AFL players talk in circles at interviews Santonio Holmes takes it to a new level. "Our offense is our offense. The Falcons' offense is theirs. We have a defense that plays against the opponent's offense. And vice versa."

Wish we would offer Chip a generous contract extension now...

Hogan would have gone 1, no doubt.

All they have to do if they want Dew is to name him and say he will take over at the end of his Swans contract, he will be released from said contract the next day.

I think lower clubs will just start trading older players with currency before they walk as free agents.

A recent Trade Week Management Meeting

I am biased but I think he has come a long way over the last two years. IMO right now he is easily the best of our Ruckmen. He is only 24 which is still young for a Ruckman. He has some mongrel in him a rare commodity at the MFC. I expect he will improve again during 2014.

Flaky, lazy, doesn't run two ways, outside distributor with good skills, smooth mover, X factor, always injured... Some of that sounds like a typical Melbourne player. The old Melbourne. Not the Roos Melbourne. And not where we are right now.

I think its now been established beyond any semblance of doubt that Mr Colless is full of shlt !!

I thought true demon tragics may like this one. From AROUND THE PACKS by Jack Dunn of the Melbourne Sun, June 1966:

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2013 by The Oracle COLIN GOES WEST On the opening day of the AFL Free Agency period, Colin Sylvia's proposed new three year playing contract with the Fremantle Dockers was lodged at AFL headquarters and by the end of the day he was officially a member of the club that was this year's runner up. It was as simple as that. The player who spent ten years with the Demons and was drafted at pick three was gone without much fuss and little handwringing, his time at the club best remembered for his misdemeanors more than his good play which left him with few decorations and in return for which Melbourne is expected to receive a second round draft pick. How different that is to the brouhaha that surrounded the departure of former captain Stan Alves to North Melbourne in 1977 which was a drawn out affair that ended in bitterness and recrimination. Alves, who was recruited from Edithvale-Aspendale in 1964 (but sent back by coach Norm Smith to grow in size), played 226 games for the club between 1965 and 1976) and finished second in the 1975 Brownlow Medal. The story goes that he chose to play for North Melbourne rather than Collingwood on the toss of a coin and luckily for him, played in a winning premiership against that club in his first season at North. The win came after a drawn grand final the week before. Melbourne received nothing in return when he moved to the Kangaroos. Times have changed over the years in between. The warring and bickering over players continued but the threats of legal action and the need for an orderly competition resulted in the introduction in the 1980s of draft and salary cap rules under an independent commission formed to run the competition over and above individual club interests. Until recently, the trade period was a humdrum affair which ran for a little over a week but most of the real action occurred on the last day or two. Nowadays, there's action aplenty even before proceedings start and the Buddy Franklin to Sydney on a multi million dollar nine year deal story dominated the media in the days after the former Hawk played in the 2013 premiership team. His club will receive a first round draft pick in return. Others changing clubs (or expected to do so) are Collingwood's Dale Thomas to Carlton, the Blues' Eddie Betts to the Crows and Richmond's Matt White to Port Adelaide. North Melbourne is expected to claim Saint Nick Dal Santo in the coming days. On Monday, the official trade period opens and the rumour mill has been as busy as ever on that front. As usual, only a small percentage of those rumours will ever emerge as deals. Still, the period promises plenty of surprises as clubs strive to improve their lists. There are some who have high expectations in the period ahead for the Melbourne Football Club but I am not one of those. The club is desperate for quality midfielders (a hard nut extractor and a line breaker who can run and carry and hit targets would do just nicely) but has a poor list leaving it with very few players it can offer as trade bait. The AFL shunned the club's application for a priority pick despite the fact that the club won only five matches in the last two years (a number which in one year not long ago got Hawthorn such a pick in the Franklin draft) and a club so bereft of recent success is not a popular destination for players on the move so the only real bargaining chip it has in trading is the number two draft pick which has been offered up to all and sundry in recent days. Whether a club bites and coughs up a suitable midfielder or two in return remains to be seen but I suspect the frenetic pace of the last few days will slow in the coming week or so until later on when the free agency and trade period runs its course to finality on 25 October. The other feature of the past week has been the Draft Combine which has showcased much of the young, new talent on offer for the AFL National Draft in November. The draft pool is not considered particularly deep but a few players did put their hands up in the various tests which the hopefuls were put through over the week. I liked the versatility shown by Sandringham Dragons midfielder Nathan Freeman who was prominent in both speed and endurance testing. His teammate Josh Kelly who killed it in the 3 kilometre run and scored well in the beep test and the running vertical jump pushed his top three credentials and Tasmanian Kade Kolodjashnij (if only the late, great Jack Dyer was around to call that name in the heat of the action) also pressed his claims. Probably the most exciting young talent in the draft will be West Australian Dayle Garlett who has a history of trouble but, from all accounts, presented very well at the draft combine. Whoever takes him is almost assured of having a ten year player of quality but also takes a risk of Dustin Martin-like proportions and sleepless nights worrying about what the morning's headlines might bring. A much safer bet for a club like ours might be Geelong Falcons midfielder James Tsitas (aka "Jimmy the Greek") who impressed in several tests and won the all-important kicking assessment. What Demon fan would not be stoked to have yet another player with these initials to join the club's midfield mix? The Oracle will provide his commentary on the free agency and trade period on an irregular basis over the coming few weeks.

It wasn't just Neeld and Bailey it was the Daniher era (or most of it) as well.And it wasn't just angels but spoiled brats who wanted cushy roles. That's why Daniher's great mantra of ruthlessness was such a failure (as if it was ever implemented), why Bailey's team was considered bruise free and why Neeld ultimately failed. Be that as it may, don't hold your breath waiting for the MFC to claim Garlett.

It wasn't just Neeld it was Bailey era as well. Only draft little angels they said... Those angels can't bloody play footy!

According to my wife, the Redlegs' ship arrives in Valencia, Spain later today. No bananas but plenty of oranges in Valencia which sadly, could trigger off some painful thoughts in Redleg's head given the connection between the colour and the team that Voldemort plays for these days.

He'll probably end up at Richmond, North, Essendon or even Collingwood, don't see any way he's coming to MFC.

Brilliant Nasher! Our first genuine star since .........??

Fitzy is displaying versatility and goal kicking ability that exceed the impact Savage would have on a game. I think we may need Chapman for a year,to teach the young mids we draft how to get ball.

offer Savage 3-yr deal. offer hawks pick 21 (sylvia compo). hawks give us Savage and pick 38. We have to get Savage. Exactly what MFC needs. Hawks do not want him going to a serious competitor

Threaten to match it and do a deal. Or not. And I would prefer to keep him aswell, but the point I made was that there are options next summer, there is no need for us to put an ultimatum to him this October.

Why not just hire Dew and use our President and leading employment lawyer Bartlett to defend him in Sydney's case against him. The President wanted the club to be ruthless, here's his chance.

Heath Shaw is a much better footballer than Yarran.

Has fallen out with Mick. I'm thinking Roosy can turn him around and make him the player he can be. Better option than Heath Shaw.

Dew or Sumich for me.

Spring has sprung The grass has grizz And we still don't know Who our senior assistant is

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/cricket/hussey-reveals-tension-among-test-team-20131002-2uswg.html Hussey reveals 'tension' among Test team The consequences of Mike Hussey's shock retirement cannot be underestimated. Photo: Reuters Retired Test batsman Mike Hussey has traced his waning enjoyment of the Australian dressing room to last year's tour of the West Indies, when he observed the first cracks in the team culture and raised his concerns with then coach Mickey Arthur. In his new book, Underneath the Southern Cross, Hussey also describes his dismay at decisions made by Cricket Australia in the aftermath of the Argus review. He felt making captain Michael Clarke a selector, a position Clarke has since relinquished, ''drove a wedge between the players and their leader, and it wasn't fair to either side''. The consequences of Hussey's shock retirement last summer cannot be understated. Australia suffered heavy Test series losses without him in India and England and the extent of the cultural crisis was revealed with the ''homework'' fiasco, before Arthur's sacking on the cusp of the Ashes. Hussey reveals ''warning signs about the team environment'' emerged after Australia's 2011-12 Test series win over India. The first was when Arthur, after Australia won the first one-dayer in Melbourne, told the players they would be ''rewarded'' with an unchanged team for the next match. ''What we needed from our coach was a degree of backing and help with our games, not a veiled threat that if we didn't keep playing outstanding games, our heads were on the block,'' Hussey wrote. During the subsequent West Indies tour, he arranged a meeting with Arthur to discuss his concerns about an ''insular'' culture. ''My view was always that in cricket you have to be genuinely happy for your teammates' success,'' Hussey wrote. ''If it wasn't happening, was it a team culture, or just a few players? I was a bit nervous about that, and organised a meeting with Mickey. ''I sat down with him and got all my concerns out in the open. 'We need to foster a culture that makes them want to think about other people and play for the team,' I said. 'Get them out of insular thinking, about No.1 only.' ''In our chat, I don't think anything I said went in. Mickey definitely listened but he was in tunnel-vision mode too. He had specific things he wanted to focus on, and anything from left-field didn't register. It was understandable how Mickey had his specific plans, and Michael too. But for me it was a big early warning sign that this team had problems ahead of it. ''We were fostering an environment where guys only cared about their own positions and didn't think about the team.'' Hussey said the dressing room ''became just as stressful and tense as out in the middle. It should be a sanctuary, where you can let go and have a joke with your teammates. Our dressing room wasn't relaxed or calm or conducive to good play. I didn't enjoy that tension.'' Elsewhere, Hussey expresses frustration that CA ''went in the other direction from pretty much everything I had suggested'' during his interview for the Argus review. Among his concerns was the aggressive promotion of youth in domestic cricket. Mike Hussey farewells the fans after his final Test at the SCG in January. Photo: Reuters Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/hussey-reveals-tension-among-test-team-20131002-2uswg.html#ixzz2ge52MVJj

Haha, I think your too kind to the club D26... It hurts me to say this, but I think it would be more to do with the fact that we stink compared to the other 6 or so other teams chasing him.

I agree. I don't want to talk about it though in case people haven't seen it yet. Very impressed with the whole series.

off course MFC approached Adams . He just isnt keen on the Dees. you could hear it in his managers voice. "Are Melbourne one of the teams Taylor is considering? " " Ahhh..... no." Who could blame the kid with the other options hes tabling. I look forward to the day when these types are choosing Melbourne. MFC is still the fat girl at the dance. I look forward to when she has lost the weight and the braces.

He will be in hot demand, a few clubs have limited opportunities at a flag or have young lists are likely to go after him. He would certainly be a bonus to us, especially if picked up outside of the draft, maybe get a couple of older good players and then use of draft picks for kids.

Completely read it as Adams has no interest in us, as opposed to the other. Bit disappointed.