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I don't think it is a massive issue but i think this comment sums it up - as do the others that noted it was an opportunity lost. They could have - and probably should have - done better. And the concerns raised they didn't are completely valid. Like another poster i went past the Pies intra club game last Thursday night. The place was rocking and you could not help be jealous of the buzz. It is worth noting it was held at night, when obviously players would not ordinarily be training. Which implies the maggies were thinking of their fans when scheduling the game (and perhaps also an opportunity to show of the impressive ground and lighting set up) as opposed to not deviating from the regimented pre season training routine for fear of impacting on player performance. I went to the AGM and listened with interest to PJ's overview of the new Strategic Plan. Two key planks of the plan are building the membership to 50,000 and reengaging with the supposed supporter heartland in the south east and bayside suburbs. All decisions an organisation makes should be done using a lens of the Strat plan and the question asked - how does activity x contribute to achieving specific strategic goals. If you apply that lens to the decision to hold the intra club game at Casey on a Thursday arvo this decision can only be seen as a fail. Hold the game on a Saturday or even under lights somewhere (if available) in the South Eastern bayside area - an area which by the by is very accessible to people living in Casey. Pump it it up in those suburbs. Put a bus to and from the Casey ground to show support for that area and the club. Provide entertainment, food, access to players not involved etc so people are encouraged to bring their kids. Have merch and membership sales available. In short make it an event. This approach would have supported the achievement of two of the clubs brand new strategic goals that the CEO trumpeted at the AGM to members and would likley not impact on the overarching goal of winning more games of football. Again it is completely reasonable to question the clubs decision on this one.

No, you don't. I attended one of these events years ago. Barely any merchandise. Couldn't buy a membership. A handful of players, at best, were around after the event...and years later nothing has changed. I talked to one young chap on the day and said, in effect " I'm here with two kids, trying to spend money and you have nothing for me to buy!" Bloody amateur hour. Again. Saty, I get that you defend the club regardless of what it produces. I bemoan our state out of a desire for us not to be a laughing stock. We have so far to go it is just maddening.

I'll see your couple of points and raise you a couple of points. Don't try and put your own spin on it. Where did I mention Fitzpatrick and him kicking goals? Re-read my post (take off those rose coloured glasses) "Butter fingers" is a local term around these parts, for a player dropping his marks. Fitzpatrick needs to improve in this area. In case you havent noticed at training. That had nothing what-so-ever to do with his amount of goals kicked. If he continues to drop sitters, one day it might be costly. 2: criticise a player ? ... I stated Terlich would be getting nervous about getting a gig on the backline. 3: Never assume sunshine. I was referring to Grimes bringing the ball (football), from the backline then spraying his kicks during a game. (Jones has enough brownie points. *meaning, he can be forgiven* for the odd stuff up.) I really don't think this thread is for you my friend. If you don't, or prefer not to discuss players under the pump to retain his spot on the list,then rack off. ** NEWS BREAK ** At the end of this season, some players will be moved on. Reality, I have named a few that need to step it up. *Apart from Trenners*

Exactly. If Hogan or Tyson have poor seasons, are we going to put them in the gun? In theory everyone is tradeable, but in practice only the middle 1/3 of the list are tradeable and only the bottom 1/3 are on notice.

It must just be a coincidence that players who spend most of the pre-season injured have poor seasons.

Had it been on a weekend I could've taken my young kid to sign up and get a few autographs. Might've even brought along some school friends and encouraged them to follow the dees. The kids love to watch a game, even if it is an intraclub. Sausage sizzle, drinks and merchandise... easy $150+ there for the club. At Casey on a Thursday at 3pm, no chance. Sure, it was about the coaches and players getting a match simulation going, but the club lost an opportunity to generate a little more income and much more supporter enthusiasm. We need to learn from this.

Thats one tough looking SOB (Son of Brett)

Mate, quit acting like you're Paul Roos' Demonland mouthpiece.

Daniel Cross will only be rested to preserve him for this year and next year. Bonus for the club, bonus for the youngsters, hard as a cat's head and an absolute exemplar of professionalism. I'd love to see him managed well so that he plays next year as well.

It's really disappointing that certain posters here seem entirely incapable of keeping it to the training reports and continually play the man instead of the ball. First of all, it's bloody tedious to read. Second, it's genuinely pathetic. We all support the same club. And, for me at least, Saty is possibly the most important poster on this site - he continually provides information that I find interesting and relevant.

go right ahead.....we'll wait

Typical old dee response. If all supporters were like you we would be a boring, passionless bunch who would simply shrug their shoulders at everything and allow the club to fall behind because we didn't do anything new. I mean, how dare people show some passion and disappointment at Christian Petracca's injury? How dare people show some passion and disappointment at the fact the club missed out on a great early season opportunity to get more members and make a positive impression? Thank goodness you are the minority and not the majority. Go ahead and shrug your shoulders and ignore it, but at this point in time the club needs to get everything right in such a competitive market and we got this one wrong. Even St. Kilda got it right, so that should say something about how much we missed the mark.

This where we differ Cards What proof do have of your statement. I know a lot of AFl devotees who are the reverse. The mistake I see lots on here make is they assume that the general public feels the same as us fanatics on Demonland. We represent 0.01% of the football lovers .

As a member who defended the Casey practice match before the event, and was present on the day , the organisation was pitiful. No food or drink. no memberships sold, no talking with supporters. But I still think the Casey idea is as good as we can afford at the present. BUT for all you complaining posters I assume you will be at docklands for the druggies game. I HATE docklands ,cold ,spiritless,expensive and lets be truthful here drab. Concrete hell. Then we come to game day and the mighty Dees are playing there. Everybody get off their collective bums and GO. Support the team, if Casey is the outback for you, just this side of outer woop woop, GO to eckythump, close enough. Go and support a non druggie team against a druggie one.

Wow......All this angst over a scratch match played in Feb.......

Saty, you have unfortunately over the years made an art form of defending the indefensible. Even allowing for the unfortunate timing of the practice match, to not have membership staff and some form catering shows how shortsighted this club can be.

After seeing what other clubs have done in terms of their intra club what we did with ours is indefensible. These are professional athletes being trained by professional coaches and fitness staff - surely they have the smarts to alter the plan slightly so the intra club can be played at a time when they get as many people there and make a day out of it. Supporters, and memberships, are the lifeblood of the club. To not put more weight behind that is disappointing from the club.

Just about everything has been reported, but I would like to add a couple more observations: * Viney is one tough, hard and competitive beast. Brayshaw thought he had a chance one on one going for the loose ball. Not only did Viney win it hands down, but Brayshaw walked away holding his jaw. Certainly hope he was OK, and although he played on for another 10 minutes, he was last seen going up the race with a trainer, still feeling the side of his face. * Garlett was simply a streak in the forward line. Something we haven't seen since Flash. Just when you think the ball is bouncing around going nowhere, in he comes...making everyone else look like they are standing still. And his snap from deep in the pocket under pressure was an obsolute pearler. Most of the crowd were silent, because they didn't believe it was a goal. * Salem kicking in will be an monumental step up. Accurate, raking kicks to the open man was a delight to watch. Grimes is going to struggle to find a spot when you already have Garland, Dunn, McDonald, Lamumba and Frost filling the main spots. Where do Howe and Jack fit in if Salem is in the mix as well? * Gee Jonesy is great. His carving through a series of players in the first quarter was beautiful to watch. And Cross is another one who seems to make time stand still when he has the ball in his hands. Again poetry in motion * Jamar absolutely owned the ruck, but dropped out of the game around the ground too quickly. Pedersen is going to be the bonus player for us as he can play in virtually any role....forward, back or ruck. * Lamumba is something special to us as well. Finally, we have someone who can break lines and open the game up. Even when he marks with his back to the play, he twists in mid-air looking for the next option...no static play in the backline with him around!

Every team listed has Lumumba. H, HL, Prince and Lamumba are all Lumumba.

ummmm........that is what this thread is essentially for you are not forced to read it........hundreds of other threads

You are the king of jumping to conclusions.

I like how you agree that the lack of memberships etc on the day was strange from the club, then go on to blame the 'minority' for the whinging when you've clearly agreed it's a valid point. For many of the pages the discussion focused on the game, and as more info came to hand in the later part of the thread we discussed other elements of the day. Perfectly fine in anyone's book.

this is exactly why all the evidence needs to be laid very clear, very publicly. otherwise people will never understand whats happened.

Further to this discussion I reckon they should consider having training on sat morning in the pre season. This would allow many more fans to come along and would help with fan engagement. Have a demon army BBQ and occasionally some added extras for kids like a mini clinic or team mascot and make it a ritual. No reason why players couldn't have the Monday off instead. Tyson (or frost?) said gws train sat

Everyone is tradeable.... for the right deal....

And yet you "like" posts that label people "morons". Turn it up. Saty has defended the decision. His view has been contested. He can handle himself just fine on his own without you continually pointing out how wonderful you think he is and asking people to stay on topic by making off-topic posts. What.I find tedious are comments that derail a legitimate debate that you already saw fit to label as "petty". It's anything but petty. It's perfectly reasonable when looking at the way in which other clubs, large and small, have used the opportunity. Getting a glimpse of Hogan clunking marks and ragdolling teammates would've been good for 50 memberships on its own.

Garbage. I don't think anyone is playing the man. The club could have done this better, it's posts like this that try to limit legitimate discussion about the Melbourne Football Club that irk me. We all have a stake in the club and if I want to talk about what it can do better I will. As I will about the team or an individual. If we can't talk about what the club can do better then we really wouldn't have much to talk talk about. We can't exactly bask in the glory of recent achievements.

Unless I've missed some stuff that the mods have deleted, I'd say the last few pages have been pretty tame Ron. It's been constructive disagreement IMO, and I'm sure most have listened to the mods warnings. By and large it's been relevant to the practice match and how practice matches can be used to generate supporter interest and club revenue. It was on topic until your post and subsequently now mine.

I'm perfectly calm. If you read this thread, objectively, as I do - you will see that there's a little brigade of posters who continually disagree with whatever Saty posts and then they furiously 'like' one anothers posts to the extent that they express a contrary (albeit at times a completely legitimate and relevant) view. I have not met one other regular poster on this site in person. I do not particularly care to meet anyone either. That said, I really enjoy reading the content here. I just find it annoying when posters attack each other - it's simply unnecessary and, for most others I expect, boring. If people want to attack others over the net, log onto BomberBlitz and wreak some havoc over there. Don't terrorise the Demons community.

Having it at Gosch's isn't necessarily the problem - not taking advantage of a day when people are coming along to watch is. In that regard it is most certainly an opportunity lost.

Yeah but I think the point is that you take every opportunity. Winning games is the ultimate sales pitch, doesn't mean that you ignore any other possibilities.

Someone spoke to Soon or too Soon? http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/us/ties-to-corporate-cash-for-climate-change-researcher-Wei-Hock-Soon.html?_r=0

But disenfranchising the rest of the entire support base by there actions is ok? I find the whole Ess is needed in the comp argument hard to swallow. The game will evolve and move on no matter what, it will take a hit but it's is probably needed. A wake up call for all clubs and the AFL.

That is never going to happen they are simply too big and the total effect on the AFL would be large.Please stop letting your hatred of the EFC get in the road of the real world position. The vast majority of non EFC footy followers really don't care any more. They want the competition back to normal and the penalties finalised ASAP. Most people I know don't care about wada or international penalties. Local small time attitude ? Yes Just what I think the majority feel at this point.

Quite frankly, we would all be better off if they expelled Essendon from the AFL, established a new franchise in Canberra and let their 'innocent' players form the basis for the new team (to be coached by Bomber Thompson)!

& while your doin' those stats h_h, maybe you would like to do a comparison of how fit the boys were/are now... the workloads differentials & the laziness factor, compared to the hard workers factor. injuries are a Fact of life when doing Pro elite sports.

If other clubs can manage a more supporter friendly time and day then why can't our club? Given our last number of pathetic years our club should be doing the most out of every afl club to try to get supporters back.

Some of the Casey players that played on Thursday will play some games in the development squad this year whats your point? Again missed the point again. I am not saying all will be available BUT I am pretty sure you will find most blokes will be free to play on Saturday especially when they are given bit of notice. Thursday at 2-3 o clock? when most young guys are at Uni or at work doing long hours? Il let you do the maths there.. Yeah im sure the crowd was... healthy.. Meanwhile St Kilday rack in about 2000 people today at Seaford.. Out of all places! argh what a cringe worthy comment. Our clubs professionalism has been poor for the last 8 years! It still needs a lot of improving and im pretty sure Peter Jackson is aware of that. To improve the small things need to take place and grow from there. We aren't a hawthorn or a Sydney where we can just cruise on through like this with this kind of timeslot. As much as its important for players it is just as important for supporters to who put in their hard earn't cash into the club. We are still coming off a 4 win year where there are still some disgruntle supporters who refuse to sign with the club because of the poor professionalism of the club on field and off field.

Completely missed the point.. What has playing on a Saturday got to do with 10 Casey top up players? Casey has a squad of about 30 to 40 im pretty sure a lot of these blokes would be free on a Saturday to fill in. And exactly what program are you talking about? My issue is when you put a timeslot of Thursday 3 o clock on a school week you are going to get a lot of disappointed supporters and kids who are unable to attend because of work life and school times. A lot of these people would have been hanging all summer wanting to go to an intra club match to see improvement and new recruits only to be let down by the timeslot. Me included. Yes its all about the players getting match fitness but supporters have just as much as right to this. After all we are paying for this club. It is also another day to boost memberships if it was held on a Saturday. It would have attracted a lot of kids and families and merchandise sales would have gone through the roof. Nothing better then going to a footy on a Saturday with bright sunny skies right? Yes the family day at Lunar park is good aswell. But why not having one at Casey aswell while being treated to a scratch match huh? I wouldn't have had it on Goschs paddock anyway. Casey on a day like today would have been brilliant. Like I said I would have done a 3 hour road trip down by myself just to have a look...

I'm not against Casey and made it out there. But there would've been 500 people there. Collingwood had 5000 in a centralised area at a fan friendly time. Of course they have swindled their own training oval which is now a mini stadium fit with lights etc which makes things easier but the point remains. You'll notice Richmond and Carlton held intraclubs at their traditional homes today as well. I hope Casey brings extra members, but they weren't there yesterday and they aren't going to VFL games. Meanwhile there are thousands of demons supporters who live much closer to Gosch's paddock and the MCG who don't turn up for games yet alone intraclubs. They are the disenchanted base of supporters. PJ has already mentioned the desire to get them back. They may be whingers and soft whatevers but they are supporters who probably just need a winning games and a bit of extra TLC to come back. We can't provide that TLC to the majority of fans whilst being way out at Casey without any fan engagement at all.

Viney, Stretch, Lovett, Davey, Lyon... maybe even a Stynes! To quote the Blues Brothers...."we're getting the band back together"

And it's for these sorts of reasons that I think the club really missed the boat this year. In this day and age there is always extra interest and scrutiny on the intra club game - even the most fickle and negative supporter can't help but be interested in the game, so why not turn it into one of the first big days on the clubs calender? Get the membership tents there, the mascots, food etc and encourage fans to come along and support the boys through some training and the practice game. As you said, watching Salem look good off half back, Hogan jag a few and Garlett look dangerous would win some memberships and get some of those young kids excited as well - some of those kids might even find themselves a new favourite player and want to go to and watch the real stuff when the season begins. Hopefully the club can see this and look to make amends in 2016.

Well obviously not you, but I enjoyed attending it along with a couple of hundred others Just a point on being employed, I can attend training this year because as I was made redundant, but previously I used to juggle my RDO or in lieu leave so I could attend as well, including practice games, I suppose it depends on your priorities and how tragic you are, I don't mind being tragic All in all it was just a practice game, and going on that point, I wonder how many supporters will actually go to Etihad to watch us play Essendon 3rds if it happens, if they are that desperate to see MFC play

I see St Kilda had their intra club today at 11. Was a huge crowd with memberships tents set up and jumping castle for the kids. Would have sold couple of hundred memberships and good time to purchase club merchandise. The club would have made a killing today. Get ya [censored] sorted MFC. The perfect day when most most people and kids have today off theres nothing better then going and see intra club hitout and buy a membership along the way. Instead we put it on a [censored] time slot like thursday. Even today i would have made the treck down from the country just to have a look.

I was on the outer wing as I always am whenever I go to Casey. The rehab guys, Fitzy, Watts, Vandenburg, Hunt and another I could not identify where doing repeat sprints up and down the boundary under the instructions of one of the phys ed guys; it was brutal. Vandenburg is a big unit. A couple of times he deliberately started about two metres behind the rest and made himself catch up by the end. The sprints were about fifty metres. During one of the drink breaks, Watts noticed the guy near me had two little kids, about three and five, wearing Melbourne jumpers. He jumped the fence and came up to talk to the kids. The kids were speechless. I have always been a Watts supporter, even more so after witnessing this.

100% agree with all of this D4L. The part in bold of course is anyones fault except Watts. It's great he can find space like that. Ball carriers ignoring, therefor missing these opportunities he presents, should be roundly criticized. Watts is easily our most dangerous player when he has undisputed possession. Often he makes it easy to pass to him, players ignore the opportunity, yet I can't think of a single example of a player being criticized for that.?

Jack Watts can't lay an effective tackle, he knows when it's his turn to win the hard ball but doesn't do it(I understand the meaning of outside player, but every game has situations when even outsides players need to go in) but to sugguest he doesn't impact games enough is way off the mark. His use of the ball is exceptional putting it most times to our teams advantage. There are parts of his game that frustrate me but I also don't think our depth is as good as some on here make out, he's currently best 22 for mine.

I think people who expected Watts to be a hard bodied midfielder are delusional. He's not Nathan Jones. His spot isn't in the middle of the ground. He's limited in what he can do, but by no means is he worthless. He can run, take marks and kick goals. They have both been cited for their softness at times, but the comparison with Toumpas ends there. Having Watts on the field (played in the right position) is good for the team, as he can be a dangerous player. Not being able to do one thing shouldn't keep him out of the 22

I suggest everyone watches Jack Watts final quarter against Richmond when we won last year, he shows how good he is in patches, that day his work rate went up and he was along with chunk the match winner. Funny how it comes back to work rate.