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Why, on this forum that provides an incredible source of information ( I still remember the excitement I felt when I found DL over 10 years ago) do people insist on deriding comments made by contributors like Ghost Writer. Her insights along with a few (very few) others provide the tangible fuel that keeps this place valid. Remember that she is the one that committs to attending training sessions, reaching out to players and generally immersing herself in the club and is then generous enough to take time to post on DL. That alone is far more than can be said for almost all of the rest of us. My point is this; you may not agree with everything she says but my goodness her reporting comes from a more reliable place than most of our opinions. I don't know Ghosty but by jingoes I want to thank her for the work she does for our great club and this forum!!

Let's start with increased community use of Crown land that they don't own, the chance of getting more members by an affiliation with the MFC and more people interested in racing, a more attractive area than currently exists, greater use of their facilities and services like events, functions, catering, exams, all of which provides them with income, just to name a few benefits. I can already see an MFC day at the races, with races named after Dees champions, where all MFC members enter for free, with lots of attractions and specialty food stalls, with food named after Dees players and discounted MRC memberships being sold to MFC members and then a Dees home game at the G where the MRC members get free entry, along with some of the stuff above etc, etc, etc.

I really like your posts.

Love it Red. Really great ideas. I'm in the south west but would go to such an event in a heartbeat. There's even a link to the greatest racehorse ever - Phar Lap, who was called "The Red Terror," and "Big Red". The Red and Blue Terror stakes? The Big Red and Blue Cup? With Caulfield racetrack right next to Caulfield station it is incredibly accessible - particularly for people on perhaps the two most populated rail lines, Dandenong/Pakenham and Frankston. But it's easy for me to get there too. I'm on the Laverton line which continues onto Frankston, so I wouldn't even need to change trains. The other opportunity is building a relationship with Monash's Caulfield campus. Perhaps let them use the ground, or offer internships for their sports or physio departments. Promote the dees to the students, many of whom are international students who likely don't have a team. It's a brilliant site for us. The sooner we sort it the better.

Melbourne CEO Gary Pert has welcomed the announcement of Mount Scopus Memorial College’s intention to develop a new campus. “We welcome the announcement that Mount Scopus Memorial College intend to be our neighbour, building a new campus adjacent to Caulfield Racecourse,” Pert said. “It’s important to clarify that the club and Mount Scopus sites are separate parcels of land, that may result in us being neighbours in the future. “The Melbourne Football Club are currently preparing a business plan that is based on our facility and our two training ovals all being built on the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust land. “We see incredible potential in working alongside the community and community based organisations, including Mount Scopus, to create meaningful synergies and mutual benefits for both communities and to enhance the Glen Eira area.”

Josh Kennedy of West Coast wouldn't have looked out of place in Notre Dame.

So interested in what you see as Chandler's weaknesses and/or if you see him as best 22 long term material? Personally I do rate Chandler for his general tenacity, workrate, ability to find the goals on a fairly regular basis and his reliability in nailing the set shots opportunities he gets. If you're suggesting he's a good overhead mark for his size, then I'd agree with that too. I also get the feeling that he's well liked around the club for his good character and willingness to do the team things.

Their land isn't wide enough for ovals. Maybe a soccer pitch or a basketball gym. But I suspect they'll have their eyes on the ovals for community sporting access which is what I've heard since January. I don't think our admin building would be an issue. In fact, now we know who the Caulfield land is selling to we might even be able to buy or rent a small chunk of it to get easily access for construction as well as come up with mutually beneficial design plans. I actually thought it would all go to housing and we'd have to deal with dodgy developers for neighbours chucking up the cheapest possible apartments. The Scopus blue and the Dees slither of brown don't overlap (although there's perhaps a little question of access from the road in). But I suspect the fight will truly be on for the ovals - as it has always likely been. Dees will say let us control them and stump up some initial finance in return for exclusive use during AFL/W training times and perhaps only the bare minimum community footy use - maybe no trainings and 2 games a weekend. Scopus will say let us be involved in the development and have Ajax training their 4 nights a week and half a dozen games each weekend. There's room for compromise but we can't be spending a fortune on a training base only to have ovals torn up by 1000's of kids every weekend.

About as long as the cheque took to clear

I don’t believe the sites overlap. Someone close to the school project sent me this.

The poster knows these players and they know her. They’re young and enjoying life. There’s absolutely no reason why they wouldn’t tell her what’s going on. You know she’s struggled with the overt criticism so just let it go. It’s not a sheltered workplace but you’ve got to understand you’re making it unpleasant for her. Maybe ask yourself what you’re getting out of trying to put her down? It just makes you a bully and a total tool.

No cheque, they have an option to buy and need to raise funds and sell their other school properties. This is driven by the State Government, who want their campus in Burwood for a Deakin extension and transport hub. The school has spent a lot of money developing that Burwood campus and are actually moving when they don't have to, but as a result are looking at a new facility, with 3 campuses combined, which is what they were asked to examine, as I said, by the State Government. As an aside, the MRC stuffed up big time with their new mounting yard and are close to $200m in debt. The land could have been sold to developers, who might have stopped the football club proposal with their developments and as a result had no community use. This is actually a benefit to Victorians with the Burwood sale, the school getting a combined and new junior and senior school campus close to where many of their students live, a benefit to the racing industry with the MRC not selling Sandown to pay the MRC debt, a new base for the MFC hopefully and more community use of facilities and improvements to the areas of the racecourse and surrounds, where people atm can't walk in or utilise the area. PS: The MRC has already sold off the carparks on the Northern side to developers and they have been developed into hundreds of apartments, that essentially have no wider community use whatsoever, unless you frequent the Coles in the shopping centre or the sushi shop.

But this is what everyone is trying to explain, where the school would be built isn't taking away this area for our administration offices. You seem to be purposely ignoring what everyone is saying?

Herald Sun

FWIW; “ Who is the fastest player in the Melbourne Demons? Kade Chandler When it came to the club's speed Demons, Kade Chandler topped the charts with a scintillating 35.2km/hr sprint recorded in Opening Round against Sydney. Caleb Windsor and Kysaiah Pickett were the other Demons to feature in the top five speeds recorded by a Melbourne player in 2024.”

I guess photoshop isn’t your strong suit.. 🤣

Just let them go through to the keeper GW. Playing shots just keeps encouraging those frustrating balls just outside off. Play at 'em and they'll keep putting them right there and you'll eventually get out.

If the school and racing club have been in negotiations for 12 months then I am sure the MFC would have known about this and made plans for it. The school is buying freehold land and ours is Caulfield Trust/Crown land. I am sure all will be ok.

Error 1. MRC don’t control the land, Caulfield trust do. We seemingly have a strong relationship with Caulfield trust. Error 2. Scopus bought land we were never intending to buy. Our wedge of land isn’t impacted by this sale in any large way. The main complication here is more competiton to be the developer/controller/anchor tenant of the planned ovals. That comes down to relationships with the Caulfield trust, the local council (who will likely assume responsibility for community access/use) and any local sporting clubs including the large and influential Ajax footy club. Im generally a pessimist and expect the competition for the ovals to be incredibly fierce with Scopus next door. But it was never going to be easy and no one ever expected it was.

Unfortunately TAYLA missed the 2024 season but remains a strong player with skill, athleticism, long kick and competitive nature. As a key forward , there is not many better than our TAYLA Whilst she had been reportedly seeking a trade to the Hawks, I would like to see her stay at the Dees. We have young talls but there definitely remains a place for Harris in our best 21. I read that the Demons have now officially offered Harris a contract extension to remain at the club, after the Hawks' involvement in the multi-club trade stalled and then fell over late last week

Kynan did brilliantly in the time trial And his game saving cameo against the Roos during the year shows that he has the tools. Would like to see him get a run at it

Here's the diagram from the racing club's master plan. The two areas discussed here as possible sites for the MFC are the Recreation Administration Precinct (grey) and the Indoor Recreation Precinct (bottom). Both have ready access the ovals, and are not affected by any areas sold to Mt Scopus. The Indoor Recreation Precinct has some trees that need "consideration".

Difficult to follow your point. Chandler is obviously being considered for a leadership role by the club.

If Andy's map is correct there is no problem and there was always going to be a mix of community use and excess land sale, to get the MRC out of their $195m hole. If Andy's map is incorrect, please look to the south east corner of the racetrack and you will see the vacant Freedman/Little stable area, which is bigger than the area in Andy's map shown as MFC. I think this might be a better parcel than the one we were originally looking at, if it falls through, as it is a bigger more regular and easier to use shape and would only need the boys to cross the track at the back, to get to the ovals from the admin and training buildings and that area would accommodate quite a few of them. The MFC only need enough land for a couple of buildings and I think the west side is crown land while the south east might be freehold or more crown land. This might be the plan all along, as the school has been negotiating for over a year after the Caulfield Hospital site fell through and the State Government has been pushing the move as they want the school's Burwood campus to extend Deakin University. Both the school and the MFC have been in this for a year and would well know what each is seeking.

The last hunched type forward I remember was peter hudson. With his broad hunched shoulders, bum pushed back, not many defenders could stop him marking. Hope he is somewhere near as good.

I must admit I'm very excited about not only hearing how impressive Brown has been at training but also his potential going into next year. He's clearly made a statement with the condition he's come back in but also coming 2nd in the 2km time trial which is an impressive feat for a second year player. His form at Casey was underrated this year and I wouldn't be surprised if he's in our best 23 come the end of next year as a half forward midfielder. He is my pick to replace ANB. Tough and quick left footer that reminds me a lot of Kieren Jack who was also a tough and honest midfielder for Sydney.

We are also somewhat lucky that our nadir years 2019 and 2024 have coincided with years we haven’t traded our top draft pick the year before.

Going well! Has put on bulk around the hips. Looks taller than last season. Getting involved in the sims. Listening to and executing the instructions. This morning he was working hard, getting off the blindside of defenders, and in constant movement. Didn't get many passes to him, continued to offer options. His handball and field kicking have also improved, has great hands. Has a reliable set shot. The tackling effort is still lacking, or it maybe that he cannot read defensiveness well. Starts a step behind and doesn't straight line with gusto, though can zone defend reasonably well. During drills he is as clean as anyone. Looking happy. Must be a chance to get a start this year.

Cash? You do realise you can buy a property without paying 100% of your own cash.

You’re right. Thought I was Yishasvi Jaiswal for a minute there. 😁

Quasimodo was hunched but he was the best bell ringer season after season!🤪

Oh well if nothing else it gives us another look at a team that has absolutely humiliated us since 2020, aside from the odd occasion. It’s gotten to the point where Freo supporters online were disappointed on fixture release day that they only play us once in 2025 because they view us as a percentage booster. That’s simply not on. Round 6 at the G is one day I’m keen on a bit of pay back.

The area that is now Rushton Park was first gazetted as a sanitation site on 20 August 1926, and was converted to a recreation reserve in September 1958, under the Mandurah Road Board So we're playing Freo at the old sewerage farm... sounds about right

An interstate practice match, what a load of Rubbish, on a ****ty little ground Unbelievable, but typical of AFL arrogance All practice matches should be played in Victoria concerning The MFC…

Yes he is, provided of course he doesn't get reported and rubbed out for an offence in 2025. The suspension he copped in 2024 has no bearing on next year's Brownlow, even though he will serve his three week sentence at the beginning of the 2025 season.

Dagnabbit ya got me. I guess the jig’s up. I don’t know Koltyn Tholstrup at all. I made the whole conversation up. I don’t know why I’d make it up but clearly I did since it’s the most outrageously unbelievable, otherworldly, unfathomable, mind-blowing, inconceivable suggestion that that conversation took place; why, it’s stuff of fantasy. 🙄🙄🙄

Confirming Andy engaged with an architect for these

Are these technical plans drawn to scale Andy?

mt scopus is looking at different land to what we are looking at their's is freehold, ours is crown land under trust

Yep, it's creating separation in those first few steps...

Yes - by all means, let's carry out a full and transparent investigation and if it's discovered that what you have written above is complete and utter bulltish, you will make a public apology in front of the members on the opening game of the season.

I did, but I put it down to the three gin and tonics I partook of before viewing.

I understand that both have been several years in the making as there was interest in another site where the Caulfield Hospital is at present going back to around 2020 while government authorities have been investigating the purchase of the school’s Burwood campus to incorporate that into Deakin University. The hospital option ended in the too hard basket and rightly so because of the crisis we are experiencing in this state with health care in general. My understanding is that there has been a substantial amount of activity in the background involving a number of participants ranging from government, the local council, the racing club and interested community groups, all involving consultation and, as you can imagine, plenty of politics and the usual argy bargy. In the end, it will be very worthwhile for all concerned, including the Melbourne Football Club if we get a foothold there.

There is no way the NIMBY's will approve the MFC development unless community use is a priority. Local pollies and people agree that Glen Eira has the smallest amount of green space of all Melbourne municipalities and want that to change.... Having lived in Asia and the Middle East, it is bizarre how some Australians define a small amount of green space, but there you go.... It's the same phenomenon as most people believing they are middle class.... Worth 5-10 million? Middle Class. Worth 10-20 million? Middle class. Worth .5-1 million? Middle Class.... Truth is, unless you're living on the street, Australians are rich already because they speak English natively, go to school, get to vote for their "leaders", can insult politicians personally in public without being murdered, and are pretty much guaranteed of at least one meal a day. Today I'm going out on my balcony and shout at my neighbors, "Wake up!"

I expect that a lot of people who post on here are already aware, but there is a guy named Ben Carson who posts a lot of training photos (and is possibly an Admin) on the Facebook page, Melbourne Football Club Forum. At first I was thinking that maybe he’s the club’s official photographer, but I’m pretty sure (could be wrong though), his shots differ from those I’ve seen on the club’s website and to my eye are much better; they really are fantastic shots and more plentiful than the club’s offerings.

This may sound naive but that could be a positive. It would give another important stakeholder who you would expect will want to make use of an elite sporting precinct… obviously the land availability for the administrative area is the key issue. For what it’s worth Peter Lawrence said today there’s a group of MFC members with approx $15m ready to donate towards the project, make of that what you will.

Thanks, there will quite a few times in a game where bombing it in is the only option but as long as the small forwards are front and centre or back of the pack and centre that's pleasing.

Hope Judd does stay. Probably our best user of the footy. Doesn’t get the credit he deserves outside of our club which means I think we would get unders for him. I’m not as across players wages but given he was on the rookie list I’m assuming he wasn’t in massive coin. It’s time for his agent to earn his coin and get Judd a good deal- if he gets offers on the table from the WA clubs it pushing up what we will have to pay to keep him.

Training this Weds and Friday and next Monday and Wednesday at Gosch’s at 10am. This is according to Clarrie but since you can’t believe everything a player tells a supporter 🙄 I asked my guy and he confirmed.

I never preface a report of a conversation with “He/she may not be telling me the truth but he/she said…” because I assume everyone already knows there’s a possibility that he/she isn’t telling the truth. In this instance Judd brought the subject up which leads me to believe he was 100% sincere, but as @bing181 said, I shouldn’t have to justify myself. edit: a former poster put up with this ‘til she couldn’t any longer. I don’t want a repeat of this.