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Pathetic.

Perhaps, but I find it extremely distasteful that this letter has been spread through the media, singling out and no doubt completely humiliating JKH. I don't care what anyone thinks of his skills, or lack thereof, this should NOT have been put out there for the world to see... JKH is a young player trying against all odds to become the best footballer he can and then he is hit with this???? To put it mildly, I was disgusted and I don't know who I dislike more... the moron that wrote the letter, or the morons sharing it all over the internet and the media outlets displaying it in related articles.

Thought I'd start a thread acknowledging Bernie who is set to play his 200th game this weekend. Fittingly it will be against his old club who he played 129 of those games for. He has been a great leader for this club since joining and I think took his footy to a new level. I'd like to see Bernie finish his career playing more forward than back as I think he would be more damaging there.

Cutting up your membership is so 2012. I blew mine up with an improvised explosive device.

"I'm not proud of this club and the excuses and promises after every loss". As a supporter, I am not proud that one of our so called supporters would jump ship 7 games into the season (and chop up his membership), and blame the loss squarely at the feet of a coach 7 games into his tenure. After the last 10 years we've endured, and comparing where we are now as a club to then, I hardly think now is the time to be chucking a tantrum!

I played competitive tennis growing up. And would play in a dominant, scintillating fashion when matched up against better-ranked opponents but more often than not still somehow lose the match (by giving up too many cheap, key points). Meanwhile, I would play horribly against hackers and could never get my [censored] together. The concept of the 'ball not coming on'. It wasn't mental weakness, a disrespect for my opponent, or because I had tickets on myself, but a lack of maturity and the inability to adapt and find my own rhythm. We have a young team which thrives on intensity - when it's not coming back at break-neck speed in the other direction (or if we're not overcoming a deficit) then we seem entirely flat. This week against the Crows is chocked with the potential to be a rip-snorting game. I'm afraid that we'll struggle to overcome our structural deficiencies, but I think we'll give them a red-hot run. Go Dees.

Fancy living through the last 8 years and losing your [censored] after a 3 point loss to Hawthorn... bit late to the crazy party mate

The grammar reminds me a little of Deeluded. But I suppose he didn't use various fonts and colours so it can't be him.

Well done to Bernie. He seems quite a character. His best is very good. Haven't seen a lot of it lately, but hoping he's given more time in the midfield and up forward in coming weeks, and he rediscovers his best. Fitting that he plays his 200th against his old team. Just hope he is part of a winning team on the day. That would be special!

I agree with You and wolfmother. For decades we have meekly accept mediocrity and we still are. while I don't propose similar action I understand his pain.

While I don't agree with the contents of the letter, I'm actually happy about it. For too long a Melbourne loss was a shrug of the shoulders, an oh well they tried. It's about time more was demanded from this club and unacceptable performances are put under the microscope.

Absolutely agree with all of this and yes, unfair to single out a young player like that. What also irks me about this clown's attention-seeking dummy spit is this: A dear friend of mine had his heart broken into many pieces in 1996 when his beloved Fitzroy folded and merged with the Bears. He has a brilliant football mind and supported his team through some bleak decades with great, unwavering passion. An avid football fan, he couldn't bring himself to even watch another game until only recently, the pain of losing his club was so great; let alone consider supporting Brisbane. When listening to people talk passionately about footy, he describes a deep envy for their ability to invest emotion into a game they love and take the ride with their team. That was taken away from him. So when I see of this dlckhead behaving like a petulant, 2-year old Richmond supporter and trashing his membership, I would urge him to consider losing your club. Just think about that. We would know, as we came so close to merger ourselves. Yes, we have the right to our expectations and our reactions. But through all the highs and lows, the frustration, angst, nervousness, adrenaline and joy we experience, we have this club and they have us. Let us not take that for granted. To to this guy I say grow the [censored] up, get a grip and have some perspective. If you think publicly denigrating the club and unfairly singling out a young bloke who is trying to find his way and a new coach after only 7 games is okay, then you don't deserved to be a part of the MFC. End rant.

Write another letter to Goodwin.

You are on the way you just don't realise it.

To this supporter. Go away, change teams, we don't want your support. We the membership of the MFC are better than this. It is baseless, pointless, valueless dribble. We all hurt when we keep losing from winnable positions. But remember we are playing the youngest team every week. It will click. The wins will come. Show some respect and enjoy the journey. I suggest this supporter takes up membership with Richmond where he/she will be more suited and amongst their own kind.

I reckon it was Saty.

Litreally just backed us at $6.25.. I knew we'd lose to Hawthorn, for some reason I have a feeling we will push Adelaide right to the line. Edit: Did anyone else watch Lewis on 360 ? Said in key indicators we we right up there with the last 4 premiership sides but there are 2 areas we really need to improve & we are on the verge of it all clicking... Fingers crossed it's this week!

One measure would be wins versus losses I would have thought!

Adz, how many flags have you enjoyed?

Certainly a reader of demonland. The open few lines on JKH has come straight from this site.

What!!!! Demonland isn't a closed group so everything on here is in the open forum. What's the difference between bagging a player on here or on social media????

Agree 100%. I think SEN and the Ox need take responsibility as he read it out on air and SEN released it and it is now posted all over the internet.. They should have removed JKH's name. They would still have the headline without the name. I am appalled that the Ox doesn't get the impact on a young man. While I'm at it, I'm sick of our ex champions potting our team and our players in the search of headlines. Garry did it yesterday and now the Ox. Sure they have a job to do but they don't have to sink the boots in the way they do. I don't hear other club's ex players in the media bag their club in the same way ours do. Criticise all you like Garry and Ox but be aware at how damaging your delivery is to our club and to the morale of supporters. The media just love getting stuck into us and as our ex champions they implicitly give other media 'permission' to sink the boots in as well.

Of all the seasons this person decides to cut up his membership he chooses this one? Must not have been a member in 2012.

Please tag Sloane. There is still a lot left in the tank for Bernie.

Well done Bernie. Just play him in the midfield and not down back.

I think we will go ok this week. My theory is that our style of footy is better suited to the more narrow footy grounds. Each time we have played the MCG we have taken a while to adjust our structure to cover wide - and the other teams are using the width well. AO is 17 m narrower than MCG. We needed to learn to play the smaller grounds and it is something that has improved this season - however it would be better if we didn't completely forget how to play our home ground in the meantime! I disagree with many about the intent of the players. I have no doubt that they want to win, I think they are still learning how to make subtle changes when things need changing as they are all focused on individual KPI's. The games we win and the quarters we win you can see the switch into a team first, trust the other players mentality. I think the key is getting this mentality for the majority of the game. As evidenced by the fact there have been no blow out losses, I think we are closing in on realising potential, it is just matter of working out the little things that make the difference. Oh and of course having a ruckman back so we have more structure. I have to say even our losses have been exciting this year, that alone is a huge improvement on last year. When it all clicks, we are going to love what we see

Have people not learn't from the Josh Fraser situation. You simply don't throw kids in straight to the wolves. Yes id like to have a traditional ruckman playing but its not whats costing us games right now. In fact Pedersen playing the last 2 weeks ment we have won the center clearences in both games. He is doing a mighty job and thats all we can ask. Of course we'll lose the hitouts but he's still crashing into opposition ruckman and giving a contest. King has just played his 3rd senior in the VFL and got absolutely monsterd by Pruess. Yet on that form peple want him to come in against Jacobs!? Wow.. Let the kid continue to develop at VFL level.

Being born in 1961 have actively followed this club for 50 odd years and have known bugger all success . I am sure there are those on this forum who have endured even more than I. Reading the differing arguments is like an internal dialogue that I have had with myself for the past five decades. On the one hand I love the the letter writers passion but on the other he needs to harden up. Picking on a young guy at the start of his journey in football in such a public domain is a classless and gutless thing to do. Sure have a tanty and cut up your membership, send it to the coach along with a letter to vent your spline, thats your right, but that's where it needed to end. I know this club isn't easy to follow but it sure does build character. I refuse to give in to the negative dogma that some on these forums embrace, that stuff will consume you. As I walked out of the G on Sunday I was as peed off as anybody but then I remembered the donuts. Ahh donuts they have sustained me for the past half century.

We are the youngest side in the comp and we have no ruckman. We are about where we should be, not on the bottom, not in the eight, but on the cusp. We will get better and better and better as time goes on, I know we all want it now but we are learning some valuable lessons at the moment that will make us stronger. We are being hardened,it's all part of the process. Im certain the inner sanctum still has faith and belief despite all the noise.

I heard Bernie Vince on ch9 sport last night say hawthorn came out to play at the start and we didnt. I hate when players say that. If you arent ready to go in the first 30 minutes then when are you. You cannot just decide to come to play after 1/2 time.

Without our decades of support you would have no club to follow in 2017

Did you read my comments closely... there is a hell of a difference between bagging of a player on Demonland (which I personally don't agree with anyway) and doing it on social media (Facebook and Twitter)... the numbers of people viewing these comments via social media can be ridiculously high and they are far harder for a player (in this case JKH) to avoid. And then for the actual news/sporting news media to get hold of this and run with it, then the impact on the player is going to be far greater. Sure JKH may not be performing to a level that many here and elsewhere don't consider to be acceptable, but do you really think such a broad public humiliation is acceptable, particularly when he is most likely trying his hardest and considering that he does not choose himself when it comes to playing in matches?

I don't agree with singling out a player with less than 30 games to his tally, least of all one who spent most of the last two years injured. That said, whoever wrote this is right about the soft attitude at the club. Roos always painted the club as a separate entity to himself when he was under the pump a bit in 2015 - that was vaguely plausible given it wasn't his list, he was essentially a consultant brought in to turn a failing club around stat, Goodwin doesn't have that excuse, he's built this list and jettisoned those deemed surplus to requirements or just not good enough. He's moulded this team for two years still the same mental weakness manifests itself week after week, and it's not something he can foist off on the playing group. Challenge them to perform but take ownership himself Imho the footy department should read this, and then take a collective leaf from the book of St Kilda. We have a better list, and proved this in Rd 1, but they have heart and back themselves to win whether it be against a bottom 4 team one week or the premiership favourites the next. The club has accepted mediocrity too long, if this team are going to be the real deal (with the potential to win multiple flags like Geelong 2007-2011 as some coaches have stated in interviews) then the excuses need to stop

I love the passion I love the honesty I love the fact that such a loss teally hurts The letter is ok... But ... DONT SACRIFICE YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND LOVE OF THE FOOTY CLUB. WE ARE ALL RED & BLUE AND KEEP THE HOPE ALIVE. GO DEMONS.

This peron is a paying member, and I think it's great he wrote to the club. I've often wanted to send my membership card back to the club, and loosing every week grows a bit tiring after more than 10 years of it. I don't agree with what he wrote to.Goodwin, but getting clichés in post match press conferences which state the obvious is all members get from Goodwin after we watch this crap. I'm loosing interest in MFC. I'll keep paying for my membership, but I'd rathe watch other clubs games and stop wasting my time showing up to our games. It's garbage at times, and less than 40 minutes of watchable football a game isn't cutting it.

It is the cumulative effect Jaded.

My money is on "Stuie"

100% agree. And you know what, I wouldn't be surprised for Goodwin to back JKH and to play him this week, just to give him a chance to respond to this nonsense from a "supporter".

From HS website: Good news for Melbourne fans, ruckman Max Gawn was spotted running and doing light ball work at training Good work. Speedy recovery, Maxy! We need you... Edit: Update: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-05-09/gawn-spencer-progressing-strongly “He’s starting some faster run throughs this week and he’s still only four weeks’ post op, so he’s four to six weeks away. “Jake is going well. He’s got very good range in that shoulder and good strength, but he’s probably four to five [weeks].” Looks like both Max and Jake will be ready about the same time. Sometime after the bye on my reckoning.

I suspect that all of us make Old Dee's point ("We don't win") at some time. We see "the improvement" - and clearly we are better than 147, 186. We see the talent We see the good off field stuff - PJ is the saviour of this club We see the membership rise We see brilliant play. But we don't win. I'm just old enough to remember when we were feared like Hawthorn - there in 64 as a young bloke. We haven't been feared since. We don't win. No memberships at risk at Maison Frankie. But there is a quiet desparation.

They'd take one look at a Deeluded letter and presume it was a ransom note.

But we still don't win.

Over the past 25 years I have certainly had enough opportunities to write such a letter. But I live in hope that the wheels will keep turning. I have only ever supported Melbourne, and will continue to do so till the end.

I'd be very interested to see Brayshaw in the role occupied by Vince & Melksham so far this season - I would suggest his disposal and decision making would be a step up from those two, but not sure how he would go in one-out contests against quality small forwards. He is too good not to be playing at AFL level, particularly when you see guys like Bugg & JKH in the team.

I find it fascinating and almost amusing how post game a trend is to look to stats and or reasons to substantiate the how and why we lost. To use slightly different, but more poignant wording it's really about why we didn't win. The vast majority , people, media , sports folk expected US to win. Lets not lose sight of that as we clamber upon the excuse train.

Despite our loss, 2 players made TOW: Viney and Frost. I'm especially happy for Frost as this would be (I think) the first public recognitionfor him and I imagine it would be really confidence boosting for him. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-05-09/team-of-the-week-r7-did-we-get-it-right Also Viney got 10 from the coaches ie they both gave him a BOG 5. Jones got 3 votes and Frost 1. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-05-08/aflca-votes-round-seven-the-bont-makes-his-move Well done guys!

I remember last year when Garlett was dropped for 3 weeks Roosy brought him back in on the back of poor form in the VFL simply because "he was too good of a player to be playing VFL". Goody needs to roll the dice and bring back Kent. Some players just play better at AFL level then VFL and Kent is one of them.

I've come to the realisation that we're just not very good (yet). I don't think it's bad or negative to acknowledge that. I don't think St Kilda has more talent but I do believe they are a better *team*. Good teams play finals, bad teams lose games they should win. Thinking about finals now is just silly. Now it's all about Goodwin developing his coaching, guys like Oliver, Petracca, Hogan, Viney, Tyson, Salem, Hunt, Wagner, Frost, Brayshaw, etc. getting more games in together, and now how to get over the line together. Our plans have now shifted away from finals and are now once again plastered on development. Harsh reality unfortunately. I said before the season that missing finals would be a failure but not surprising. What I am worried about is that, not just with Melbourne but with all teams in this situation, the wheels can fall off very easily. We're banking on a very young core to win us games, and it's scary. I *believe* we'll go on a 4-5 game winning streak tear, but I don't know for sure that we will, and I'm not overly confident. Sorry, guys, but thinking finals now is silly. It's going to be "one week at a time" for a while. Let's reevaluate after Queen's Birthday. That's 11 games in. IMO if we haven't won 5 games by out 12th game (Round 13), then finals won't happen. Just like last year, we've dropped games in the first half of the year that will ultimately prove to cost us at the end of the year. We win the games we've lost this year, and we're 2/3 of the way towards a finals appearance.

Finals? What are they? I remember now.....what the Demons participated in every year I was at school, bar the last year, and only a very few times since. To play finals, and to win finals, pathetic excuses such as "not being ready to play" or being "not switched on" must be taken as unacceptable. Until and unless that happens, we will remain also rans, just making up the numbers as cannon fodder.

What a frustrating loss by a group whose arousal levels need to be at high alert all of the time, not just some of the time. They get too comfortable too quickly. As you say, Brayshaw is the disappointment. In his third year we need the class in the midfield we now expected him to be providing. I still rate him highly, others don't, but him being the mid we hoped for and expected would make a huge difference. Selection is just one component, but it's another element that has been a bit baffling over the last couple of weeks. I didn't mind Weideman early days, or the retention of Melksham, but for the life of me I question Kennedy-Harris and Bugg getting games ahead of Harmes, Stretch, Kent and even what Neal-Bullen was showing in the main. Harmes isn't perfect, but he's a big fast body who has a crack. Give me Harmes over Bugg every day of the year. Kent might have needed a rocket, but gee, he would have provided more than JKH. Stretch isn't immune to playing in the VFL, but he also offers more, albeit in a different role. That said, I won't forget the positives. Being 4th on the 'quarters won' ladder shows we're playing some very good footy in parts, so does the frustrating stat that we've been level or ahead in the last quarter of every game. I also like using other clubs who have taken the journey before us as a guide, such as the Dogs. In Beveridge's first year they were 5/5 from 10. We can still be 5/5 from 10, or 6/5 from 11. They went on to win 14 games and play finals that year (2015) even though they lost to Brisbane in round 23. Brisbane went into that match with 3 wins and finished second last with just 4 wins. So even a Luke Beveridge side that was about to embark on finals lost the last game of the year to a cellar dwellar. We know what they did 12 months later. It's bloody frustrating, but I still believe we can win 3 of our next 4 to get back on track. But we have to turn up to play.