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Matt Jones averaged amost 20 disposals a match, 4 marks and 2.7 tackles a game. He was top 5 in the bluey. It was his first year. There is no reason why he can't get better next year I ha ve no idea why people are so surprised he got a contract extension

Found footage from Nov 2012 Bulldogs time trial Princess Park Cross won easily with Boyd second then Gia.

It is frustrating that the top three runners are probably the worst three kicks.

You know times are tough when people are arguing over who out of Godfrey and Nicholson are better kicks.

He obviously watches far too much soccer

Sorry, but this is utter nonsense.

Well done Ignition. Some really good thoughts here. During Cameron Schwab's time I sent him a series of concepts to build the MFC supporter base, by applying some my professional marketing techniques - I never got a reply, but he or someone in the marketing department pinched some of the ideas which turned up mysteriously about 12 months later. The approach was to understand where the MFC strengths were and look at how they could be applied to various target segments of the markets. Some examples were (I actually suggested 10 but I will outline a couple here). 1) the obvious market are the immigrants, both internal and external, who settle in Melbourne every year. This has averaged over last five years about 1500 people week, most of whom are not Aussie rules supporters. On the basis that most new arrivals want to fit in to their new environments, an obvious way to do that is to adopt a local footy team. So I then broke down these arrivals by sub segment and looked at their characteristics which may lead us to match that to our MFC advantages. An obvious sub segment are sports lovers in general, and these can then be sub segmented again into football lovers (eg soccer, rugby union, gridiron) and cricket lovers. Football followers instinctively understand football cultures but usually not Australian rules. Many of the Union followers are also cricket lovers ( people from the UK - fourth biggest source of migrants, South African - seventh biggest source, and NZers - second biggest source) All these people know and understand the fame and importance of the MCG, (as do people from the Indian subcontinent - now our biggest source of migrants), which also happens to be our biggest strength, and many of those same people take a tour of the MCG soon after they arrive. Each year something like 350k people take the tour of the MCG. What I suggested was we (MFC) should own this space via our association with the MCC by providing seminars for these people taking the tours which explain the Aussie Rules game, and provide free passes to those people to the next Melbourne game as guest of the MFC and even provide complimentary MFC scarfs which we should get sponsored by WEBJET or someone associated with the tourist industry. We then should follow this up by providing commentary on the web on MFC games in Hindi and Mandarin so they could follow the Dees when they return to their home country, and also for local supporters ( a suggestion the MFC subsequently took up for Mandarin both for tourists returning home and new arrivals emigrating). I also suggested that we should give a free season's ticket to those new arrivals, provide facilities for them after the game and have someone analyse the game on their behalf perhaps in their native tongue. The test for this of course is the number of season tickets you sell the following season, but if you can't convert 10-15k new members from this exercise I'd be surprised, and considering we only have at most this year 40k this would be significant. It would also help in having much bigger crowds at home games; 2) Melbourne is the biggest destination for Indian students in the country, some 120k study here at any one time. About a third of them stay on after graduation and subsequently become some of the biggest money earners in Melbourne. They are also almost always obsessed with Cricket and therefore see the MCG as a Mecca, and therefore often take the tour and tell this (loudly) to their envious relatives back home. Indian students are also notorious for being isolated in this society and sometimes have very little social life not only within the broader community but even within their own community. I think there is an opportunity here. Why couldn't the MFC build an Indian student branch of the MFC which is as much a social club for them to get together and meet people as it is a football club but it has football at its core. We would hand out to them free members tickets in the first year of their arrival and sell them discounted student tickets in subsequent years until graduation, but we would provide in ground facilities on match day as a social venue. We could sell them drinks etc to cover some of the cost, and perhaps sign up an Indian oriented company as a sponsor. The task is then to sign a significant number of them up as permanent members after graduation and set up branches of the MFC Indian Social club in major Indian cities for when they return home and they can then listen to the game on the net in Hindi. When and if they become subsequent immigrants, which statistically many of them do, they will be already converted Melbourne supporters and hopefully members. The same idea could also be tried with Chinese student although it would need to be in a different form, but with many of the same ideas. We must remember education is in our top half dozen export industries, and Melbourne is at the centre of it. It has got to be a huge opportunity for the MFC as long as we are culturally sensitive in the way we go about it; and 3) the recruitment of kids. We are up against the recruitment of kids because of our small supporter base and the biggest characteristic of choice of club for kids is inherited behavior. BUT there are opportunities if you look. There are families whose sons and daughters play Aussie rules who are not strongly affiliated to a club, and there are new arrivals whose kids take up the game as a means of social acceptance. What I suggest is the MFC heavily sponsor underage footy teams, invite the three best players along to a games as guests of the MFC every month where they will be introduced to the players, given insights into how the game is played, and analysis of the game they have just seen by MFC coaches. At the end of the season the Club could invite the 6 most outstanding players in each junior competition to a function where they can informally talk to the players and coaches and are given football related prizes (eg junior club memberships which entitle them to attend MFC games for free) maybe even giving educational scholarships for the most outstanding players (need a sponsor for this, maybe a major private school interested in recruiting outstanding Aussie Rules players). The idea in this is to get word of mouth going amongst kids and parents that the MFC is a great organisation, and therefore it is ok to become a Melbourne fan. Winning games will help enormously of course, but grass roots action will back this up. There were numerous other ideas I had in the paper, a few of which were taken up. The point is that there are lots of sophisticated marketing ideas which can be applied to building a supporter base. I don't think we are even close to maximizing our numbers yet, but Ignition's idea to start with individual action by our own supporter base is a really good place to start. Great suggestion.

That's not quite true. According to our records, poster Thomo was banned from the site "for his nastiness and insensitivity" on a thread about Liam Jurrah back in 2012.If that's you, the decision to remove you was made after several instances of obnoxious behaviour. In short, you were and are, a serial pest and our moderating team were all happy to see the back of you. Cheerio.

"There were a lot of PBs and a lot of blokes beat their times from the start of the pre-season, so that was good." Jack Grimes http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2014-01-10/nicholson-win-threekm-timetrial

You are basing this on an assumption that they haven't improved. For all we know every player ran PB's. You only can assess improvement against each players personal times, not where they finish. Someone mentioned Blease finished near last, not good for a bloke that wants to be in the midfield but if he is improving his own times the club would be happy.

Just saw Billy watching training for a bit. He & Jack Viney headed off to the gym apparently. Good to see him around the club already.

The guy finished top 5 in a B&F in his first year (granted performances around him weren't great). Whilst his B&F position may not be as high in 2014 I doubt you will see lesser output from him and his position in the team will only be lost because others go past him not because he goes backwards. I doubt this would have cost us much and is a fair risk investment. I saw enough of Kent to see he was worth backing in a further two and again it wont have cost us much.

Only till CC TV later reveals that he secretly hopped on a bus for the middle 2,800m

On another note it was good to see Billy Stretch at training having a kick with Toumpas. Then went inside with Viney, made me feel old seeing Viney & Stretch together.

Oh so you're admitting you're constant standing up for bad players is just your form of trolling. As for the 3k is a good measure of endurance and speed. Some clubs have moved to 2k to get more focus on speed. Either are more relevant than 10-12k because players do that distance over 2 hours with plenty of rest. Testing a straight up 12k would be useless

#reversethecurseMFC

Thanks 275 for checking this out. Its obvious that Daniel Cross is an elite endurance athlete. Whether he's 25 or 30 doesn't really matter for the enduro runners. There is a lot of evidence around that tells us that these types of athletes don't peak until they are in their late 20's to mid 30's. For him to "only" come 4th says a lot about the other 3. Its rare for clubs to have a large number of players on their list that fall in this category. The only real measurement of whether our list has improved their overall fitness is the number of PB's recorded.

I think you are a little harsh on 30 year olds D_T

I think the performance Matt jones was able to give in such a pathetic year under such a demotivational coach speaks volumes about his ability to contribute further. Most seem to think the bulk of the playing list will improve under Roos as coach - why not Jones? Unfairly maligned indeed.

Just read the above thread. What's this wife brought, wife approved stuff? Where are the real men? What's the world coming to, giving wives a say as to whether we should be footy club members or not? Christ they'll want the vote next. Back in the 50's early 60's the story was that when the filth got beaten so did 50000 wives.

Not as sick as I am watching them.

The bad news has rolled in early this year.... Normally our bad news come just before the season starts, and finishes just before the draft... but hey, this way we still have time for more disasters...

That means 12 weeks if the past is anything to go bye.

AFL website reporting jarred Knee, 1-2 weeks

Wow. And let's bring back Simon Godfrey and Luke Williams while we're at it, because it's still not too late to learn how to kick. Nicholson and Bail are nothing but list cloggers mate.

All we need now is for Roosy to be eaten alive by a game park lion in Africa!!! The curse of '65 still exists until the club becomes strong enough to break it

I like to see the good in people. It's why I still respond to you every now and again.

There are worse players than M.Jones walking around with premiership medals. Seriously misguided statement.

Travis Cloke and Kennedy didn't make elite. Don't hold your breath on Mitch. Who GAF anyway. I just want to win a few games.

Imagine if our Rd 1 forward line ends up missing all of Dawes, Clark and Jesse I'll cry a little.

I really like Nicho after this effort. He must know it's going to be hard for him to crack more games going forward but I love the way he always seems to give it everything he's got which you can't help but admire. Even if he is not getting a game he sets the fitness bar high and makes people chase him all the time which at least is a positive. Same as Bail, they mightn't be quite good enough but at least they are fair dinkum in giving it there all.

Mine is 100%, like your players stalked efficiency.

Bail is one of the worst kicks we've ever had and Nicho can't even hit targets at training. I don't know why anyone would argue that they're not that bad. Anyone know where Trengove finished? He's usually right up there, I hope his endurance hasn't gone backwards as well.

I am loving having Crossy on board... however it does speak volumes about the groups fitness that a 30 year old (no matter how good he is) finished 4th in the time trial.

Please note times were not given....refer MFC website later. Blease ran near last but ahead of Kingy....both put in....Blease vomiting after finish....at least he is putting in..doing his best.and he can kick...

No doubt you'd have said the same about a certain other Jones on our list a couple of years ago.

Both are promising players with features we need. Contracts probably not that inflated, likely that both of them were putting the chance to prove themselves and get a bit of security, ahead of any chunk of extra dollars. Neither of them are list-cloggers. Astute and respectable decisions, I reckon.

Can't wait to read up on the results. Fair enough it won't be times but just knowing where they all finish up will be well appreciated. Thank you in advance to all the Demonlanders who are making it down there today.

Yep. I'm doing the same thing. My son was born on NYE. My wife has already approved of me getting him a MFC Membership.

I know my wife will have me in the dog kennel for this - but I'm about to sign up my son who is 18 days old!

Roos and co. must have made these two priorities... Kent looks very good at this early stage and Jones, while unfairly maligned because of his age and pedigree - was our second best midfielder and worked very hard. If he improves, and there seems to be a backer on here for every player bar Jones to improve under Roos, he will continue to be given responsibility and time in the middle.

Time trials mean plenty. A great performance doesn't mean you can play but a poor performance more or less means you season is cooked in a game style requiring two way gut running with a cap on interchange. The most important thing is to see improvement from the start of pre-season or the previous year.

Blease in a boil over.

G'day again all, We are approaching the cusp of the 2014 season and I am curious if anyone else has plans, no matter how big or how small, aiming to convert a friend or family member into the MFC fold. Each and every year I have attempted to do so, within the last few (eventhough it's been very hard) I converted my partner from Carlton (get her to pick a favorite player and teach her the song, it was as easy as that) and a friend of a friend from GC (gave him the MFC sob story regarding the "curse of Norm Smith" and he liked the concept of supporting the underdog and he is done, I do owe him a trip to a game though). This year I have two in mind, firstly my best mate who I have slowly hacked away at the last few years and secondly a friend I have grown up with since birth every summer. My best mate: As a child he never really had much of a team, was kind of Essendon and kind of Richmond only becasue he liked the scarfs. Through high school I had him untill he met the dark side at the age of 19... his girlfriend and soon to be fiance'. She is an Essendon supporter and so he then went back, although neither never really watch the footy or follow it. Since I have taken him to a few games in the MCC and we always have a pretty good time despite the losses. All I need now is some solid performances from the club week after week and he will be a convert. My beach mate: This ones new but should be easy. Originally a Fitzroy supporter who loves his sports. Doesn't attend the footy much but this year just got his MCC membership, we are already set up to go to the MFC games. My plan is if he goes to the MFC games overtime he will follow, I don't care if he supports Brisbane on the side, given enough time and hopefully fun he will convert. So please share your targets, tactics and thoughts. I will load up a few pictures in the coming weeks in scarfs and what not, a few frothies should do the trick also. Cheers

Who cares. Can we get back to talking (fantasising) about how stuffed the bombers are??

As part of the membership, why can't interstate members be given a code to use in an online purchase instead of a bloody paper voucher that you need to present at the actual shop FCS.?

well, I did a search and all your old posts are there (I searched on "forums" not "members" because "thomo" is no longer a "member")

That's quite hypocritical of you WJ. My account 'Thomo' was banned and all posts deleted for being critical of Cameron Schwab, Mark Neeld and Liam Jurrah, and Demonland admin will not give any other reason to me except this. My posts were not crude or defamatory , but the content was not liked by your team, even though in hindsight it was all spot on. How are bomber blitz any different?

Mine is a few days in the brewing, Wifey is about to pop with the a little demon! Hopefully the kid is tall good overhead and will end up playing CHF for the dees circa 2035