Rhino Richards

Hardly. When the Club should have been given maximum air time for its 150th year gala, Jim Stynes has used the HS to get his own publicity about his so called plans. As you correctly state the dream team is unknown and his ideas unstated and has sucked the exposure out of a major Club event. Given he has chosen to railroad and upstage the existing Board and the Clubs main event, he needs to deliver and deliver good as he needs to do far more than just publicity. Hardly keeping his powder dry! More like a shot across the MFC bow.

Spot on

One of the big fallacies is that MFC trails off well behind the Kangas and the Bullies. MFC are facing problems just like Kangas and WB. Our on field problems have magnified the media focus on us. The truth is that all 3 clubs are battling to survive. The truth is that regardless MFC needs to improve his attendances, memberships and sponsorships. Its no good saying we are worse better than WB or NM. We need to lift. Hopefully the threat on the QBW game is the line in the sand that we can look proudly at as the day the Club started to turn around.

While I dont agree with all clubs the interstate grounds are smaller and their memberships on the whole higher. I wish we could witness that membership bounce after a premiership B)

Why dont we have a large supporter base like other clubs? Why dont our supporters that we do have turn up and not just to interstate games? Even when we were travelling alright our numbers are at best mediocre. The stadium situation might be an issue but it aint the core cause of the MFC dilemma. Your comment straight after "Where did the money go?" about AD was foolish at best. Grow up.

Vlad's mode of communication on QBW game has been an unhelpful slight to MFC. However the contests of what he did say were spot on...MFC supporters need to get off their backsides and support the Club. And its not absurd we need 25k to cover our costs at our "home" which holds 100k people to break even. The interstate grounds are smaller, the interstate clubs memberships are enough to fill their grounds. If many WA supporters buy a membership for the assurance of getting a seat at the game. Its absurd we struggle to get 25,000 And while Vlad might be a corporate bully, your innuendo connection between AFL funds and Vlad' s personal assets was not only a cheap shot but defamatory and unnecessary and has been deleted.

When we played Adelaide in Adelaide, this year, the ABC commentator and ex Crow Rod Jamieson kept referring to Aussie as Winamarie on a number of occasions. I always thought interstate commentators follow and support their own but FCS the guy was at Norwood the previous year.

Let hope Freo wins as well! B)

I share your frustration. But the lack of members, low supporter base, poor on field form and expectation of $1 million+ losses aint helping us. The MCC actually put money into the MFC that it did not to other Clubs. I think the MCC is alot valuable to the MFC cause that is often given credit. As a Club we have been fiddling around for some years and despite best intentions are not close to addressing nor turning around many of the long standing weaknesses we have. We have a finite time to do so.

......on the back of Collingwood supporters. Logically, if the AFL were to replace the traditional QBW clash with another game they would be ensuring it would be Collingwood and someone else that would give them greater assurance of 80000 to 90000. If the AFL were going for the jugular they could do far worse. It would be a great blow for MFC and Macca and the MFC Board need to fight it tooth and nail. Supporters need to come out of the woodwork and get to the game. Otherwise we have only ourselves to blame.

I think there are 3 other clubs in the gun with MFC. If more people support MFC why isnt it a win for MFC as well? If they dont, MFC loses out like it does currently when spectators dont front to games. The AFL loses because it loses gate receipts and then has to increase the likelihood of special funding to the AFL. You are right. However the AFL was charged by the Clubs with maximising the profitability and popularity of the game. And individual Clubs that continually fail that critieria are under pressure.

Not at all. I am very passionate about MFC. I just dont let the passion fuzz the reality of the situation we are in. On the contrary, MFC supporters might climb down from the wooden horse and wonder why the AFL actually tips in so much money and no one attends the matches. What you think we stand for does not seem relevant to overall football supporters who prefer to support other clubs not Melbourne. There's a big vote about relevance. BTW, I believe Sheffield (United??) soccer club is the oldest football club in the world just pipping MFC. By the way Fitzroy were one of the oldest clubs too. Means diddlysquat in today's football and the for the past decade. The fact is that people need to realise that unless we start getting to games and supporting the Club then we wont have access to QBW. Its been like that for quite a while. We cant expect continual financial or fixturing support from the AFL if MFC supporters dont turn up to the games. Its no good bleating about it.

Then why dont we have these member numbers when we are not on the brink and supporters repeatedly dont attend games?

This has no impact on the cornerstone of our 150th celebrations. Its still on. Its actually a call to arms to the club and supporters that the QBW game is not a given if MFC fans dont turn out for it.

Neither DT team involved was Collingwood. If the Pies were involved I would add 20,000. Consider the Anzac Day game where the crowds of the last 3 years have been around 90,000. We should be considered lucky to get the prime fixture date given our crowd pulling ability and have Collingwood finance up to 80% of attendances. MFC need to justify in crowd performance why it should have the game. Its not a given. Another factor where MFC need to perform on and off the ground.

As is the case most QBW, whether we reach the 60,000 is often more dependent on the attendance of Magpies supporters than MFC supporters. Collingwood are flying at the moment so they should get a good roll up.

Completely agree Graz. Unfortunately it is not an isolated example. Balls in Newton's court like it has been for a while.

No club would bother with Whelan. Too old, too injury prone. I think he is finished at year end.

Davey has some magical skills but also has some shortcomings. It depends on how a side would value him. Gut feeling I think he is possibly somewhere around pick 18 to 25. Possibly favour the Hawks or North. Not for Bullies, Collingwood, Geelong or Adelaide. Just speculation!

Fair post Zman. I dips my lid to anyone who forgoes an Essendon membership and buys and MFC membership. B)

Agree. If there was a competing ticket to Stynes, I think you have a point and the issue should be subject to more open assessment by members at the earliest point at an EGM prior to the AGM.

I would have thought the Bris Bears experience of picking up other teams NQRs would encourage GC/WS to hold their draft picks and develop their youth. It would be an exceptional player that comes up that breaks that strategy.

And what is the option?..... Appoint no one. As Chairman, its not so much what he intends but the Board intends. Its basically the same board at this point. However, I expect there will be further retirements from the Board positions.

Not given the short time between now and the next AGM when he faces the members. So if Gardner resigns now do we have to wait until after the AGM to fill the role? The rules were structuring to address the reality of providing continuity of management in case of sudden resignation, incapacitation or death of an officer. It would have been nice if it had been timed for the AGM but I understand PG wants out.

I dont think there is enough prospective incumbents to form two tickets. So you are right about the no contest. However under my point 4, a director has to stand for reelection every 3 years so it would have been the same for the rest of the Board during that time. I dont believe there have been any challengers for vacant positions. I understand that Gardner has been looking to vacate the MFC Board for some time. I dont know if I see the reason for the angst and the frustration over Stynes election. Given the state and position of MFC the last thing we need is a mid year stoush at Board level. Lets leave that to Carlton.