Leaderboard

Just letting you all know that I was told today that the Caulfield facility will be announced very soon, perhaps over the next couple of days. I was told the MCC is a significant contributor and that the Board considers Pert’s work as exceptional. I wouldn’t post this if it wasn’t from a very credible source, so let’s hope we’re all celebrating soon.

Wouldn't matter much to the MCC since there is a 25 year long waiting list of people who will willingly take their place.

The onsite cafe will be known as the KRoffey Shop.

Neither is whiskey but if you start pushing it on 8 year olds as being a part of following the footy, I'll take an issue with you.

MFC have been promised that there will be an ex-Pert barrista working in the KRoffey Shop. The Taylor-made menu will feature Spit On The Lamb served with Greens.

He barely played this year, so what was the trigger? be alive?

You'd assume so. He'd find it hard to run and kick without them.

Congratulations to Mitch White on a great stretch as a player and skipper at the Casey Demons. He’s been a great contributor and excellent servant of the club. However, since he captained the 2022 premiership side, it’s been downhill all the way for the VFL affiliate - and not through his fault. We lost the experience of Jimmy Munro, Matthew Buntine and George Grey at the end of last year and had some bad luck with early injuries to Campbell Hustwaite and Leo Connolly who were meant at least to partly replace them this year. They hardly used Jack Bell who proved a better ruckman than the MFC listed rucks (granted that Will Verrall deserved to be played for his potential). Over the past couple of seasons, Casey’s been left in the lurch without key players held back including the day when most of the best players were prevented from playing in a final! Who would want to stake their reputation to be coach of the VFL team? Fair enough - the main objective is to gain the best possible result for the AFL team but it can still be cooperative in working with the VFL side to give its young up and comers the best possible space in which to play, improve and succeed. So while reviews are taking place at the club, it’s time for Melbourne to review its relationship with the Casey Demons and particularly, to do a lot more to support the team which is, after all, the place where we’re supposed to be grooming our young players into senior AFL footballers. In any event, one hopes that a strong effort is made to provide a strong stable of VFL listed players to replace the likes of White, Munro, Buntine, Grey, Ellison to allow supporters to enjoy the experience of supporting the Casey Demons.

To be honest I couldn't care less if the non-Melbourne supporting members of MCC have any objections or not. Around a third of the 130,000 MCC members declared Melbourne as their team anyway. Those that are not Melbourne supporters joined a club knowing full well the MFC is the official football branch of the club, so if they have an issue with it, it's their own doing, as far as I'm concerned.

Incorrect totally. Since 2019 when we ceased being under AFL defacto style rule we have Won AFL after 2 years, the first in 57 years and VFL for 20/30 years and W after only 3 seasons after W started. Have had membership double since 2013 to record levels in years after 2019. Record Junior membership which sees Dees now with whole new membership base of young fans wearing 5 7 11 13 and many other heroes. off field Sponsorship at record levels including prime time and genuine blockbuster matches regularly each season since 2015 on F to Air also. Casey Fields has had significant upgrades and now is a total second base of real quality with boutique potential that has provided the training base with a MCG size oval for our Club success since 2018. also developed for AFLW who have stand of 2023 the best HAnd A record wins and losses of all Clubs. Casey has been our home ground since 2017 when AFLW started. MFC now has assets of between $30 to $40 million most invested in a Future Fund. In recent years each year has been profitable with between $1 and $4 million. I am sure there are other advantages we have now over 2013/19 so I can’t see in any way the developments that were underpinned from then to now in any way exceed our place in the AFL also. On the cusp of an announcement of the home base project due to enable our 3 main Club needs to be established and centralised nearest our main supporter base in inner south east of Melbourne, Caulfield. And you fondly remember 2013/ 15. Compared to now?? Please don’t stand to try and improve things if you are satisfied about 2013 Adam the God. You are easily pleased and thank heavens hugely misguided.

I'm a punter - horses and footy. I really enjoy betting on footy. But find the ads - and even more so the integration (eg the in game ads and 'tips' from peanuts like brown) - obscene. In 20 years time we will look back on such advertising in the way we look back im horror at the total integration of say Benson and Hedges sponsoring cricket (and all the rest, eg motor sport). What were they thinking? And the parallels are clear: Like we did with tobacco in the 1970s, we know the damage gambling does to our society. The research is crystal clear. The motivation of the advertisers and companies is also the same- create life long customer loyalty, from teenager to grave. And the AFL, like sporting organisations in the 1970s will argue the money is critical - but when push comes to shove will find other revenue streams.

Chris Judd’s tour of our training facilities at Junction Oval readily springs to mind!

If this isn't announced tomorrow just be aware that my day will be ruined and I'll have to drink many a whisky to feel better about myself...

Good. They are welcome to bugger off and to stop diluting the Melbourne factor. Ring-ins and JC Latelys should be subordinate to Dees fans.

That is simply not plausible. It makes sense that she would not attend the announcement now that she is no longer on the Board, although given how recent her departure was it is equally possible that she would be welcome for appearances' sake. But to suggest she was told not to attend while she remained president of the club, and was seemingly to remain so for the indefinite future defies logic. The Whateley interview brought her undone, but prior to that she was evidently manoeuvring to add Steve Smith to the board with a view to him succeeding her as president. Had the interview not taken place she would still be president. To announce a major club initiative with the president absent is crazy and as I said above, your post beggars belief.

Devils advocate for a second... What if Tim Lamb has been told by the coaches to target certain players and he's got all or most of them? After all, it's not just Lamb that makes the decisions or does the luring Just saying...

Damn, I've been demonstoned.

MFC was started by the MCC back in 1858, and we've been the football sectional of the MCC since. It was dissolved back in about 1982 or thereabouts but the affiliation was reinstated by Jim Stynes when he was President. MCC has a number of other sports sections, such as lawn bowls, etc, we happen to be the football section. https://mcc.org.au/club-sport/club-sport/melbourne-football-club#:~:text=Melbourne Football Club (MFC) and,MCC Sporting Section in 1890.

Get set for lots of repetition, meaningless chatter, sensational headlines and irrelevant banter. A waste of time.

So it won't be called the Kate Roffey Centre?

🤣 Yeah, that fact rather undermines the let's sack Goody crew.

See zero issue with any of the re-signing. Bizarre that some are already writing some young players off already because they're not up to AFL fitness in their 2nd year in.. Sestan showed a clear improvement in his fitness levels compared to last year. Another full pre season and I can see him playing AFL games. AMW the same. He's had a taste of AFL action and will now know the level of fitness required to take that next step. Watch him come back in great shape. This was pretty much Verralls first full season in the AFL after missing a huge chunk in 2023. Another who should play AFL games next year after a big summer.

I think it's fair to say looking at the comments on this thread that most people are absolutely clueless on what a List Manager does. He is not a recruiter. He doesn't spend his time scouting junior talent and talent at other clubs. He has to make an ongoing assessment of where the list is in relation to the Premiership window which is probably the single most important judgement he has to make. On the basis of that assessment you decide whether to draft or trade. He has to work out the demographics of the list. He has to manage the salary cap. He has to sit down withe football department to work out under their guidance what players are required in what positions and then finding them is handed over the the recruiters. Yes there have been a series of dud trades in the past couple of years. He doesn't pick the players the recruiters do. He picks what type of players are needed and everyone of the players picked in the last few years have been for very specific list purposes. They would have been best available and with the limited cap space we would have had at the time. To blame Tim Lamb for those choices is plain wrong. There's a lot of hindsight calls going on about players who left. Bedford was given 6 games in his last year. He was good for the first two and horrendous for the rest. Swatted off the ball like a mosquito. Chandler was way ahead of him at that stage. I've watched a couple of his games at GWS he's been just ok. His speed is a huge asset but his decision making and football IQ are not high. Jordan wasn't given games because he was very ordinary last year and there were players ahead of him. Bit rich to blame Lamb or Goodwin for that. I'm obviously seriously in the minority here but I think Lamb's done an excellent list management job. He has kept turning over the list and going to the draft and getting young talent every year. We're not going to drop off a cliff like a few teams like Hawks, Eagles, Pies are heading for a massive one. The list management is in step with the Club's strategic plan to remain competitive long term. There are a lot of reasons why that didn't happen this year. Mainly injuries but to call for the list manager to go because of this year is misplaced.

Leo, my point was that people in every day life do indeed factor in the location, the convenience of travel to, the standard of physical facilities etc when making choices about employment. AFL footballers will do the same. To think you can have substandard facilities and attract top line trade talent is naive. Especially as in recent years some clubs have built new facilities and some clubs have revamped old facilities. I recently moved to brand new, modern offices (never occupied previously), quality facilities in a great location and it played a factor in me staying in my current role rather than actively seeking a new position elsewhere.

The 'new' Goodwin thread by some newbie trollll got the short shrift it deserved! Well done mods !!!

About the same as voters outside the Geeeee-long electorates (and about two-thirds in them).

There are some reciprocal rights with Melbourne Racing Club where you can attend certain events at Caulfield. Maybe they want to boost that partnership a little? And also clear us out of the MCG.

We're a part of the MCC.

We are all free to post here anonymously within the forum rules. I'm pretty open about who I am, but will answer any other questions as honestly as I can. I think if you still want to wage this concerted board campaign though @Hawk the Demon, then it's about time and probably fair that you be a bit more transparent about who you are and your connections to Peter Lawrence, as you're clearly more of a spokesperson rather than just a simple supporter.

‘People will swim through shit for a dollar’: A list of AFL stars and journos on the gambling payroll

Yes from me: always seems to be one of the Blues most dangerous small forwards no idea why they’d let him go actually

Not what I heard from people closely involved in negotiations. I’ve heard the contrary which I suppose just goes to show that people looking at things, sometimes see them from the perspective of their own agendas.

I have a high opinion of transparency and truthfulness, and a much lesser one of politics, personal agendas and the deceitful twisting of facts. I really couldn't care less about the board, so long as the club is financially stable, they work together, and mostly keep their nose out of football department stuff.

Down at Gosch's the MFC AFLW having a morning session. Tayla in an arm brace. Pearce with a forearm support, takes the centre clearances as a coach, assisting Watt. McNamara, Mithin, Pisano and Lampard, working ground ball and exiting in an alley. There were some great taps. Backline, Paxman kicking ball into an aerial clearance near the goal square Gillard punches well causing ground ball, the wave then handballs, kicks beyond the defensive 50. Forwards were kept on the move with a one on one defensive team. Passes within the 50 and kicks around the body were drilled. Purcell moving around with a trainer and running timed jogs. Rigoni running some extensive drills around the boundary, and some time running with Johnson Mackin working through a calf issue, stayed with the main squad. The woman looked well-connected to each other, skills were on show through games, handball in bibs, a hit the small net with kick or handball and, gathers then snaps for goal around decoys. In other areas of the Olympic Park, Storm were training up against a run on team and the Victory squad were out setting structural pre-season habits and formations.

I was going to post this on the other Goody forum but it seems more appropriate to be posted on this one. A fair few posters quote that Goody's record stacks up against the best in the business. I don't agree but hadn't really looked at the numbers closely and his record stacks up slightly better than I thought it did. To be fair, I compared coaches records at the end of their 8th season (ignoring what came after). Goody had more flags than Mick Malthouse at that stage so ranks higher than Mick. 49 coaches have had 8 seasons. I ranked them on premierships, GFs, prelims, finals, and W-L records at the end of their 8th season. If tied I compared the next stat ie ranking premierships, ties were broken by GFs played etc. Goody's ranking is: Premierships 28 out of 49 (Only 11 had 2+ flags) GFs 36 out of 49 (27 had 2+ GFs) Prelims 36 out of 49 (26 had 3+ prelims) Finals 35 out of 49 (31 had 5+ finals) W-L 30 out of 49 One small ray of hope is Goody equalled or ranked above Bomber Thompson, Leigh Matthews, Mick Malthouse, Hardwick, Chris Scott, John Kennedy Snr, Alan Jeans, Clarko, Frank Hughes and Malcolm Blight for premierships after 8 seasons. All of those coaches went on to win more flags from their 9th year on (several won multiple times). The coaches who went on to win more flags at the club they started are a smaller group (Clarko, C Scott, Hardwick, Bomber Thompson). Most of the others changed clubs and had a new list when they had the majority of their success. This won't end debate on how good a coach Goody is, with some still ranking him up their with Norm Smith and others ranking him with Bill Stephen (didn't make finals in his first 8 seasons at Fitzroy). It is a reasonable dataset that compares all of the coaches at the same stage of their coaching career removing that bias. I hope we sort out our off field distractions and give Goody a good run at it next year. I feel our superstar players are 28-32 and this will be our last real shot for a while.

Ich bin ein Demonlander.

Hopefully the announcement happens when we're on page 186.

end of an era

MCC members have just about the best deal in sport as far as value for money goes. I doubt they are going to jump ship.

She was told not to attend the announcement, though this was prior to her departure so infer from that what you will. It’s well documented that Roffey had not been a part of the negotiations for some time.

They get rid of us and reclaim the space?

It's amazing what can be accomplished when they can't exploit paper bag deals....

It's pretty incontrovertible that the off field has gone down hill since 2019. Within just over a year, the president was replaced, now we've had another president replaced, and for the last 12 months, we've been leaking like a sieve. That culture is set from the executive. Under PJ we did not leak. I think you'll find there's been a significant commercial drop off this year too, which is partly a result of on field, but also a lack of commercial nous from those at the top. We didn't get a shorts sponsor for ages...

thank you… and fingers crossed! I’ve wanted a home base almost as much as a premiership most of my 50 plus years of being a supporter.

Forgive me for asking, but WHY?!?! Also, it sure ain't gonna happen NOW right ahead of draft and trade periods!!! Sure, he is definitely not as highly regarded as JT, but he is responsible for some excellent trades, especially draft related trades that set-up our list incredibly well. He is not responsible for lack of us being able to lure players, that is down to a plethora of things and for me most of all CASEY being the biggest issue right now... Unless Daniel Hoyne became available, or maybe 2-3 current AFL List Managers whom are firmly entrenched in their roles, there is no reason whatsoever to take as big a risk as this.. If Gus doesn't get knocked out in opening 10m of Pies final, we likely win a flag -- Are you even considering such a thing? If AFL doesn't screw us on Mac Andrew we'd have another HUGE piece to be excited about and arguably changed things this year as well.. Smith making his poor decision, Clarry and Trac issues... ALL more to do with our year than Lamby. I think were all rightly upset, but don't think throwing baby out with bath water is necessary just yet and I still think McAdam has a role to play next year, and Billings has added decent depth and finished year strong most of all injury free so another pre-season into him wont hurt either. We got him for nothing! Hunter is washed, but we still have a BIG recruitment drive ahead inc chasing pick 14 or other top 20 picks and a key fwd, mid depth etc so lets see what he does and judge it all in 10mths time.

Agree with these points. By seasons end the following players were all in our best 23 (with the number of AFL preseasons in brackets): JVR (3), Turner (3), Howes (3), Mcvee (2) Windsor (1) and the Kolt (1). So more than a quarter of our best 23 with three or fewer AFL preseasons under their belt (and it's worth noting for end of season draftees, all bar disco in that list, their first preseason is not really a full one as they come into the system in November). When Burgess came to the dees i saw an interview with him (perhaps the same one you reference DF) when he said it takes three plus seasons to build a foundation of elite fitness (in reference to the challenge he faced getting us cherry ripe accross the board). And once that elite foundation is built, every preseason after that incremental gains are possible for each player and the team as a whole (presumably only if they continue to do the work) - that's to say they can continue build on that foundation year on year and the base is a bit higher every year (which is why a finess freak line Novak Djokovic can be fitter and stronger at say 32 than he was at 25). He also noted that it's not just aerobic (endurance) fitness that needs to be built, it's also anaerobic fitness (power and strength). And that most players are either natural endurance athletes (eg nibbla) or power athletes (eg tracc). So when they come into the AFL sytem (and through their career), will need an individual program developed for them that helps improve their relative weakness and enhance their strengths. So Mcvee, an aerobic athlete, could build an elite endurance foundation relatively quickly, but is probably one to two more preseasons from an elite power and strength foundation (and look out when he does). The opposite is true of JVR and Disco, both power athletes who will continue to get incrementally stronger (not to mention bigger as both will continue to fill out), but might take another one or two preseasons to build an elite endurance foundation. There's no doubt having so many of our best 23 with so few AFL preseasons under their belt had a significant impact on our ability to 'defend the ground' and run out games. The upside of that is we got senior games into those young guns and if they have great preseasons all will go up a level fitness wise, both in terms of endurance and strength. So, we are likely to get signficant natural improvement in terms of endurance and strength from a quarter of our best 23. Ditto for the five young players who just resigned who hope to become best 23. Of the five i have highest hopes for AMW as if he can develop elite endurance I think he is can become our Quaynor style small, medium defender, freeing Mcvee to be a Daicos style aggressive half back, occasional mid. And Sestan has essentially been given a chance to build his tank and realise his potential to become a very good AFL player (it's worth noting that this time last year it looked doubftful AMW would be able to do so). Add a pick 5 (by way of comparison Windsor was seven and the hawks' Watson was 5) to natural improvement in terms of endurance and strength from so many young players (not to mention the improvements in their craft experience brings) there's good reason to be bullish about the next few seasons. A rebuild on the run.