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that's a pure baiting article i refuse to believe relegation will ever happen in the afl

http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8088-afl-supporter-ladder-june-2019-201908160718

outstanding effort, ds. I bet you prune all your roses to ground level my mother-in-law would approve. she always criticises her daughter as someone who'd "talk to a brown dog". I've always wondered the relevance of the dog's colour.

Word-eating lizard

Blah blah blah That's all on the head of the players and the Coach

But we don’t have to be a small club. It is we, that put us in that position. That is the crux. I am sure the AFL would love a strong MFC, but we are the only ones who can make it happen. If the MFC make September, we pull a big crowd. But that same crowd are sick and tired of losing... Can you blame them?

It's a fair point you make. Since 2018, we've been pathetic in the marquee blockbusters against Collingwood and Richmond and haven't done the events any justice. The last two Anzac eve games have been a complete yawn fest for the general viewer after an exciting 2017 game. The AFL has done their part in granting us the public holiday blockbusters but we haven't held our end of the bargain. And yes, we showed the world what a power house we could possible become in 2018. We outnumbered Hawthorn supporters in a final and well out numbered Geelong supporters!

I implore everyone if they have the means to go and buy some merchandise from the club's website (not from other retailers). Every little bit helps in these times.

where is the finger on the pulse emoji....

How many of the people whining and moaning about our draw and our perilous financial position: a) are currently paid up members of the club; and b) attended all three of our three end of season "blockbuster" games in 2019 when the club basically begged you all to do so? There would have been lucky to have been 10K of Melbourne supporters at each of those games, so I am comfortable in saying that less than 20% of our members turned up to support the club at those games. We lose all rights to demand prime time TV coverage and blockbuster fixtures when our own supporters don't even turn up. How can we expect the AFL and channel 7 to fight for us, when we won't fight for ourselves? The AFL won't let us go under, at least not while they have bigger problems to deal with, but another wasted decade will ensure our demise. We have a golden opportunity with the revised schedule to win games on FTA television from rounds 2-5. If we do so, hopefully we can build some momentum to capitalise upon when games are opened to fans later in the season. However, if we turn 1-4 or worse, we are in for a world of hurt. We have to find sources of revenue that are are not reliant on our onfield performance. Yes, poker machines would not help us at the moment, but they do have value in normal times and it was a mistake to get rid of them without a backup plan. Other clubs have property or financial investments - we are far too reliant on the 1 in 10 years we play finals. The club has been very slow to communicate to members throughout this process, far slower than other clubs. We haven't been pursuing lapsed members and we haven't been engaging those who have signed. Hopefully the action is more frenetic behind the scenes, but really we are own biggest enemy.

See @Cards13 Pert obviously read my post yesterday ?

I wanna see Tom and Petty in the forward line Learning to Fly

If the AFL pursue policies of "revenue maximisation" (ie geared around TV ratings and crowds) which favour some clubs above others then they owe it to the clubs who are disadvantaged to employ revenue sharing across the competition. The "compensation" we and others receive is inadequate and ensures we are beholden to the AFL. If they decide to pull that on a whim we are stuffed. These policies have long term implications on things like sponsorship, game day revenue, support base etc and have been going on for around 25 years now.

Fully agree with this SWYL. I also think that the way the club is talking internally is that of a big club, but we need to back it up on the field this season, and each season thereafter.

we beg for blockbuster games each season and, they have given us a couple, only because we want, and it involves the big Vic teams. yet we rarely perform in them. we turn up in big numbers just to go down by 40+ points. having said that, Watts did nail that one against the pies a few years back when Collingwood were in bad shape 20 odd years ago they begged the comp for big blockbuster games, the comp gave it to them. the difference is that they performed each and every time, the supporters followed. Now its a given, involve us in 15 games at the G and 1.2 million will walk through the turnstiles. its why Essendon and Carlton want more games at the G so they can do similar We got a glimpse of what this could look like for the MFC at the end of 2018. the club needs to consistently perform.

I voted no, but the NRL did it pretty well this week. I'm moving towards no volume now anyway. The likes of Dwayne and Huddo shouting the whole time drives me nuts. I see Dennis Cometti doing his vitamin ad sometimes and it makes me realise how much these newer commentators are clowns. Sound effects.... definitely the sound of a bomb being dropped with every Melbourne forward entry.

Many posters believe the pokies decision was purely a social responsibility decision. I prefer to think it was just one of the factors. It's a bit like Alphabet Inc (think Google) pouring millions into electric cars. Sometimes decisions are made to get ahead of the curve. Poita's statement "it was a mistake to get rid of them without a backup plan" is a bit revisionist. 20/20 hindsight is used by many on this site, we really don't know what the "plan" is or was but nobody could've anticipated that our awful 2019 season would be compounded by a pandemic.

Tell your ma in law to change her saying to “ talk to a black and white dog “ dc . Far more appropriate

Poita Members and Supporters didn’t go to games last year because the standard of football played by our team was rubbish and below AFL Standard. that is the fault of the Football Dept and The MFC, not the supporter. it is not cheap to go to the footy anymore, so i expect the team to play at least to AFL standards. Don’t get angry at The Supporters Aim it at the Club & Players

I reckon the West Coast cutouts would still boo.

My perception is that Fritch is a fair bit grittier than your average 'icing' type of player. We weren't exactly flying in the back half of last year when after being thrown forward in somewhat despiration, he kicked a number of big bags of goals and provided a good focal point.

I think it is taking a very narrow view of what a supporter is in the modern era to think they must attend every week even when the supporter has no confidence in the coaching panel, team selections or playing ability. As others have said footy aint, a shilling through the turnstyle anymore where even people in relative poverty could afford to go to every home game. We are always going to have the really keen members who can afford and love the weekly experience. Others will come and go with the fortunes of the team, just like you may go to the races to watch Winx because you know you will get a great spectacle and your hard earned will be put to good use. Its up to a modern footy club to put on the show and the fans will follow.

I just checked my 'ignore' list and it stands at 54. Granted, some of them may no longer post but they can stay on the list.

Didn't save them from extirpation, though.

sheesh moonie, how many you now got on ignore? wonder what the demonland record is.....andy?

I firmly believe we need to include Jackson. He is going to be very good. he will contribute even in his 1st, but get games into him. We did that with Weid. It is now time to blood Jackson.

We’ve asked that we get QB and ANZAC eve as home matches next year, given that they rotate. At the very very least, if they are not ours next year, it should be a split gate 50/50 with both games getting 90k. Our home match in 2022. I would expect us to get both as home matches in 2021

We can combine this thread with the 'no booing or shouting' threat and have an 'artificial booing and shouting' plan for the football. It limits the spitting and wheezing problem, at least. Personally, the real fun starts when the artificial crowd noise generator has its logarithms hacked. Subtly at first, but then gradually escalating into madness.

I signed up 3 weeks ago thanks. Even signed up my 6 month fella also. Again, we were and still are going through a family turmoil at the time. Money was needed elsewhere. Partner unfortunately laid off from her job due to Covid 19, which means supporting her financially as well. Don't dictate how people should spend their money. Life right now is tough for everyone. If they can't afford memberships then that's understandable. Far bigger worries in the world going on right now.

Watch a selection of the best matches over a 25 year period and yes, you’d probably say football was better ‘back then’. However through the 80s and 90s they wouldn’t even send a film crew to the bad games and there were even plenty of Melbourne matches you couldn’t even listen to on the radio. Just like today, the good matches were good and bad were bad (often very, very bad). If you’re looking to make a like-for-like comparison, you could look at grand finals. We’ve been pleased with some great and very close grand finals in recent years. The 90s grand finals were generally pretty poor spectacles.

I have. One fell on my auntie and killed her

A couple of things here... Being critical of capitalism doesn’t automatically make a person a lover of handouts, or a believer in any other kind of commie-centric ideals. Any economic system that has produced 1% of the world’s population controlling over half of the world’s wealth is not deserving of a big pat on the back. And it seems you’re suggesting I can’t be a supporter of a certain football team, while simultaneously having an issue with unchecked capitalism. I’m not sure I really need to say a anything about that, except that I don’t see it that way. I was merely addressing a certain poster’s attitude that morality shouldn’t affect bottom line, which even you must admit is a pretty prevalent and unfortunate tenet of modern-day capitalism (and one which depresses the [censored] out of me). It’s this particular attitude that has kids making your clothes and oceans full of plastic. I would rather be talking about football, but the nature of the topic we’re discussing here requires us to express certain beliefs that go beyond the game. I’m glad we don’t rely on gambling for profit. I have many reasons for this, which I think are valid. And I refuse to accept this line of argument that selling off the pokies (or other highly-questionable source of revenue) was poor management and direct threat to the club’s survival.

No, but I'd pay $32 to put embarassing photos of my friends on them.

We need the younger generation to look at our club and think “far out they’re super groovy and hip.”

it's easy to watch highlight games and go 'wow, footy was so much better back then!' show me a dour slog between fitzroy and melbourne in the early 80s and tell me football was better yes, football has evolved, and become increasingly defensively-focused, but that is typical of the evolution of nearly every sport worldwide cricket is one of the few games that now favours attacking (batting side) over defense (fielding side) with the evolution of bats >>>>>> non-evolution of bowling and the ball

2003. What a shocker of a year. In fact it mirrors the disappointment of 2019. We failed with only 5 wins. Perhaps this game showed the vulnerability early. After a finals campaign of 2002, we were expected to challenge. The losses of the Wiz and Woey hit the supporter base hard. This win wasn’t a great memory. We were 6 goals up only to see them kick 6 goals into the breeze. We almost through the game away!!!

Would there be members discounts? Asking for a friend.

People advocating for poker machines are the type that know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

A dozen clubs (at least) will need a lot of financial assistance from the AFL ... the borrowing of $600Million will see to that. But the money will need to be paid back and it will be the AFL that will be in debt when they bail the clubs out. Therefore, the usual end of season dividend will almost certainly be greatly reduced. Thus, club expenditure will need to be greatly reduced as a consequence. And the debt will be largely driven by the guaranteed salaries to the players ... albeit with a percentage drop. FD spend is still going on re coach salaries etc etc. Ongoing. All this whilst the income streams have slowed to a trickle. Again, ongoing.

If it helps, happy to leave the adds there for this season.

Never a better time to be thankful we got rid of the pokies. Patting ourselves on the back whilst we profit from addicts during a recession is hardly what a football should be. We’ll find the money elsewhere.

And Jonesy, I was hounded down before the season about him playing forward (concerns was his leg speed). We could be looking at a whole new forward structure which would be nice after last years nightmare.

I would pay to see a life size picture of Neal Daniher with a beanie on his head for the big freeze round. Imagine 40k ND’s watching us play!

I don’t agree that Bedford can’t be considered for selection. I hope he is named. He and Kozzy running around our forward line is a sight I would like to see regularly this season.

carlton should use cardboard, i think you mean? the filth should use an effigy of a crowd constructed solely from the teeth plucked from the mouths of their rabid hordes

With Collingwood going down this path their collective IQ at the ground is set to double in 2020. ?

It would be great if someone could record and play Go number 2 Kick it long Sounds of a cheese crackers snapping Polite hand clapping It will be just like the members

Good news for Jesse.

mmmm .. overdressed for their purpose but ….. I must say …. a very high quality product.