T&W

You have nailed it again - Your on fire this morning. Huge thank-you must go to AD and the AFL they rebuild our FD with their cold hard cash.

Some will never understand your point. However, you have nailed it. Using an "RPF'ism" they are standing on the outside pissing in - blaming ex-recruiters, CEO's,Presidents, ex-coaches, over valuing early draft picks burdening them with their own personal over expectations - but some just get it poor culture, stand for nothing, underfunded football department, under resourced football department. Yesterday was another step towards this club re-inventing itself. Im sure we will have our up and downs over the season but such is life. Go Dees.

Exactly hope the haters around here just shut up and get off his back.

Not a problem. I actually dont agree with the group think that its "results" that will get the "lost" to return. I think it will get a small proportion of them back but no where near enough to make MFC AFL competitive. Independant AFL research paints a very bleak future for the MFC latent supporter numbers demographics most importantly age and sex. If this club is to move forward it needs to reinvent itself and I think there is less than 5% chance of that happening - but not for the want of trying from PJ and the AFL.

My prediction is Jack Grimes wont be a demon next year. He will be targeted by a top 8 side and we will be forced to take a late second round pick in compensation, The top 8 side will gain maximum benefit for all the years of development we have put into Jack. He will at long last be recognised as a fantastic person, an outstanding leader and as a footballer a tough hard competitor that wins his own football in a pressure cooker environment. Compared to Melbourne where the bitter angry old men continue to trash the club and our players from within.

Tigers are only scratching the surface of their real supporter base - you aint seen nothing yet. Now they are working hard to maximise revenue per membership.

Agree the "tools" under the most expensive coach in the league is way better than before, good coaches cost good money. Im not "writing 2015 off" - I accept we are behind AFL benchmarks and need another 12 months of development and a good trade/free agency period.

ProDee think you have misread something. I said I had no expectations this year - if we recruit 2 more 100 game players & FA, get games into the kids - then Im ready to set some expectations. If you dont give people the tools to do a job its unfair to set expectations. MFC players havnt had the tools

Yip - I never worry about "expectations" out of my control. ie How many games the players will or wont win when they are a long way off AFL bench marks. I would concern myself way more on how I can help them get up to AFL standards - if it is to be its up to me, Yeah its a terrible business to be in making money from your own efforts - much easier to rely on others.

Good luck with that thought process. Im no Warren Buffet - but first you must invest hence taking a risk for a collect. If you want to "play winning football consistently" you have to out spend or at least comparatively spend equal amounts to your opposition. But you cant spend what you dont have! PJ has set the MFC community a clear set of off field challenges - then will come the on-field success. "Show me the money"!

Dear Statler & Waldorf What part of "Show me the money" dont you understand? Simple concept you ( MFC community ) invest the money then the footy department can get you the results you want. If you haven't noticed costs are rising in Footy today - if you cant find ways to get your revenues up you wont last long in AFL footy today let alone consider being competitive on-field. Wonder what PJ is talking all about this year? Membership targets and crowd targets! Ways we can build our brand, our culture, what we stand for! Roos talking all about playing a more exciting crowd drawing brand of football - not setting expectations on wins and loses! So - "Show me the money" then the results will come.

Not a problem. Think we are a year away from setting expectations apart from membership numbers and average crowds PJ has set those targets - just for the record think he has set the target for where he expects us to finish next year. I have a feeling this trade period and free agency period is where we will make our move, 2 more hundred game players and a crack at a free agent - assuming we secure Garland & Grimes prior to trade period/free agency. What a load of absolute rubbish.

I dont undervalue maturity / age. I also agree we have the foundations. ie Jamar, N. Jones, Lamumba, Vince, Cross. ​Where we disagree is I dont put any expectations on a team until we have an average of 100 games per player or an approx team total of 2200. We have a way to go in development terms but that can be accelerated with smart trading & secure a free agent. ( 2 areas where in the past we have been struggling due to financial restrictions ) You have it the wrong way around - show me the 45K members then you will get the revenues to invest to get the results. Have the last 8-10 years taught you nothing? "Show me the money." But I do concede a few wins will help but it wont get you competitive with the teams that count.

Not just Roos needs another year - our playing group needs more time/years. Its unfair to place expectations on a group that are coming from so far back and are so financially disadvantaged compared to other clubs. The only expectations we need to set this year are 45K+ member & 35K+ average crowds. If we dont reach those expectations its near impossible for our team to get improved results.

Not a problem. Go back to my point above, average age/age profile is no where near as important as games played. We are a long-way from the benchmark clubs at an average of 100 games per player. So again on & off the field we are a few years away from setting "expectations" - but I concede with a good trade period, snag a free agent get games into the kids and I would move on that.

"Expectation" is the key. The "key" is build the foundations - then we can set some realistic club expectations. The real expectations we need to be setting for this year are 40K + membership & 35K average weekly crowds. Lets not put the chicken before the egg. But sadly, I have this feeling reading the thread many want it the other way around. I would say "show me the money" to become competitive then will come the results.

Noble sentiment but I disagree We need to hold onto key leadership players in Grimes & Garland. Secure Howe and trade in 2 more 100 game players in the trade period and secure a free agent. Hopefully this will be the last year where we gift games to the kids to aid their development. If all of the above is done then we can set some reasonable achievable expectations as a club. Not the silly ones being set around here.

see the glaring weakness. Yet Roos has addressed them perfectly - master trader & good leadership group - as I said above. Now we must wait 2-3 years to let our kids develop in their own time. However I dont think its out of the question with 10-15 more games - another pre-season into our "kids" - 20+ more games into the rest of the group and we are getting somewhere. Also as I said above its not out of the question we could trade in 2-3 mature players with 60-80 games around 22-23 years + via trading and free agency - this year for the first time in many, many years we will reach 100% of TPP's. Roos has set the building blocks in place to accelerate the process. However, it appears many here have not learnt from the past - pre-mature expectations. MELBOURNE: FULL BACKS: Jetta (57) Dunn (139) Garland (115) HALF BACKS: Grimes (86) T. McDonald (60) Salem (12) MIDFIELDERS: Lamumba (199) N. Jones (179) Vince (150) FOLLOWERS: Jamar (151) Tyson (35) Viney (33) HALF FORWARDS: Howe (78) Hogan (0) Kent (28) FULL FORWARDS: Garlett (107) Dawes (101) Watts (95)

Excellent post - but I think you are missing my point. I spoke about games played. Now re-do you team with games played.

It appears from this thread some people have learnt nothing from the past. They continue to over burden our team with their own personal expectations. Roos is here to put the building blocks in place. The loss of Frawley and Clark is a short term hit. Long-term I'm very positive about the "kids". However, they need to be given time to develop at their own pace. We have a quality leadership team - and the nucleus of a group of kids with talent that will develop given time. Those kids being Tyson, Brayshaw, Pettraca, Neal-Bullen, Hogan, JKH, Salem, Newton etc . Once this group has played 60-80 games + each - then we are ready to place some expectations on them. You only have to look at successful teams of the last decade - average games per player is up around the 100 games mark - we are miles away from that. You can marginally reduce the seasons you have to wait thanks to free agency but you must become a desired financial location. Quality trading also helps but that has been our greatest weakness in the last 8-10 years. However, Roos is a master trader and the early signs are good. Burden our kids with your own expectations at your own peril.

4-6 wins anything better and we have a huge pass-mark season. Had we kept Frawley & Clark ( assuming we still got HL & Frost - I dont think either where going anywhere else ) I would have been looking for more like 8-9 wins. Dont think we have the list to improve much this year. We need 6-10 games into the kids to develop them - development is the key word for us this year.

The path to a healthy income if you know how to exploit it - when the heart rules the head - there is an opportunity in that for sure. Emotion always gets in the way of clear thinking.

No problems. Sounds like your a good Dee at heart and only expressing a view for the betterment of the club.

Fair call - I cant talk about PR from a Casey stand point ( I dont follow Casey ) so I have to take what you say on face value. But if you ever get the chance to chat with him - bring it up - Im sure you will get a fair hearing and a quality explanation. Dont be scared to approach him - he wont bite - he is one of the most approachable coaches I've ever met.

Im sure he is Tim - send Geoff an email. The more volunteers the better, great group making a positive real difference to the MFC.