Jumping Jack Clennett

quote'Hards' "and when you have a 500k+ sponsorship hanging over their heads the ramifications are incredibly significant." Ramifications like losing the 500k and being in the same financial position we're in now! Have a chat to our marketing people about all those other sponsorship options, Hards!

quote 'Rhino Richards' "By the way who said we were any chance to get the TAC deal? Has it been re-offered by TAC?" The Chief Community Officer of the TAC, a Mr PhilReed(not our filthy Phil, but a guy who does a bloody good impersonation of Billy Thorpe), was quoted in this morning's press that he's expecting calls from AFL Clubs prepared to fill the gap after the departure of Collingwood.

Let's get this straight. Our Club is so strapped for cash that we sell home games for $250000,making it harder to have on-field success, compounding the financial worries. A chance to earn $500,000-p.a., with a likelihood of annual increases arises and we(several posters on this site, anyway) turn up our noses at it, saying we can't trust our players to co-operate. It strikes me as a little naive(cf."neive")! I think some posters get a kick of sending negative messages.

Any hope we could pick up the $500,000 those recidivists at Collingwood lost today because of one of their Rookies being caught 3X over the legal limit today? According to Eddie, there was a good chance of that amount escalating in the near future. We've been , I think, the only Melb. based Club without Govt. or Semi-Govt. sponsorship. (bar, of course their input to the new training facility....I think of it as the "difficult facility"!) Is this our big chance? I think we should give it a big push.

I admired Troy Broadbridge as a player and as an athlete. But I most admired him as a person. I was lucky enough to meet him several times at player sponsor functions. He was one of the most pleasant and approachable players I 've ever met. I'd say his class as a person was exemplified by his choice of bride.( and the same could be said of her with her choice of husband.) Also I've been impressed by the particular Melbourne players who regarded him as a special friends.

Congrats on the well-deserved Life Membership, and thanks for the great work you've done for the Club we love. Thanks also for your contributions to this forum. They were always good reading and gave me confidence that our recruiting was in great hands.. Can you help us recruit a replacement?!!!

Many thanks, Craig. I'm full of admiration for the effort you put into the Club we love.

Have we definitely lost Craig? I still hold hope we haven't . Am I like John Howard in Bennelong....clutching at straws? Was it because we didn't pay him enough money?

Obviously the players knew where training was, so it shouldn't have been too hard to put a note on the website about the correct venue. Who's to blame? The footy dept? The office staff? Who else should be charged with the responsibility of informing the Club's real diehard supporters of what's going on? Perhaps they think they don't need to worry......they'll never lose those fanatics!

Apparently Scott Welsh has quit Adelaide as a result of a contract dispute. How old is he? He always carves us up. I wouldn't mind having him. Apparently Adelaide cited "behavioural problems " AFTER the unresolved dispute(they offered him one year,and he wanted two), which probably should be taken into consideration, but he looks like a good key forward to me. I reckon he might be 28. If so, what do you astute Demonland.......sorry, "Melbournefcland", people think about him?

To say"there HAS to be a team called Melbourne "seems a bit naive to me, though I pray it's true. I don't think the AFL would think twice of expunging our name from existence if it suits their goals. Couldn't it be argued that it's incongruous to have a team CALLED Melbourne , that struggles for existence,in the state that spawned the game? No, I don't think we should clutch at straws by saying "we're called Melbourne, that'll help us in our constant battle for survival". We must continue to fight for financial viability and sound administration. These two factors are EVEN more important than on-field performance, though there's no doubt, that helps the cause. We're somewhat erroneously thought of as being from the "top end of town". We shouldn't fight this perception , but use it as much as we can to derive funds, and to continue to attract the best Club leaders.

I 'm on your side Redleg. The trouble with the current system is that it make financial success self-perpetuating. If a club has more supporters, it gets the good games, and makes more money. The opposite is true if a team is struggling financially. It's absolutely crucial to avoid the mess that is the EPL. Sides in the mid-regions of their ladder realise that they will NEVER have a hope of winning the premiership. Only about 5 teams have a chance(out of 20), and that number's reducing. We're not that bad yet(it's not that long since North won), but we're heading that way. The AFL have got to stop bending over backwards to pander to the wealthy teams. Of course we all want to play Coll on the MCG!(good chance of a win, plus a big gate), but this type of match should be shared equally. If Ess only plays Coll once in a year.....too bad! They don't deserve top billing.....look at their poor performances the last 3 years. More so with Calton!All sides should play everyone at home and away over a three year cycle

Geelong should not be permitted to host Victorian teams at Kardinia Pk. until they can accommodate 30000 people. They have nearly 30000 mermbers, and 24000 capacity, so opposition supporters have great difficulty getting seats. Geelong meanwhile, have the huge advantage ofd a stadium full of its own supporters, akin to Adel, Perth, Syd and Bris.Meanwhile, Coll, Ess, Carl and Rich are generally protected from playing at that difficult venue. Geelong's home games v. Vic clubs should be at Docklands.

Thanks Rhino, I searched unsuccessfully for such info on the web. When people lose life savings(as with Pyramid and these companies), the victims do not regard the matter as trivial, and do not forget the role of directors even loosely associated with their losses. I'm interested that Pratt has priors, which have been swept under the carpet.

quote name='Maurie Lithen' Maurie, wasn't Pratt deeply involved in the collapse of "Occidental" and "Regal" Life companies in the early nineties? Many people lost their life savings. Isn't there still some legal investigation,(and possible conviction of Pratt) going through the slow legal process. Or has that been settled? On a lighter note....... did you hear that Pratt's not worried about the $36m. fine? He can get it back by sueing his wife's plastic surgeon!

Oh No!!! Bails is just following what he's been told by the former footy dept! Playing him at both ends is what has spoiled Miller. He's a rare commodity. A CHF who presernts at the contest.Like Hansen,Richardson,Mooney and Hall. Not in their class? Probably not.....but they don't get sent down the backline every second game. Think about it, Dean!

I reckon Daniel Hughes could make it as an AFL footballer. I'd like Bails to make up his own mind without being too influenced by the "Old Guard".(ptresumably he can watch videos etc)

I jogged past Gosh's paddock at lunchtime today. Gosh, there is a lot of Collingwood sponsors' advertising on the fence. I presume our sponsors will have equal rights when we're there. At the moment their ads. are the ones visible from the freeway. We mustn't let them stomp all over us.

Perhaps we shouldn't have played TJ and Robbo in round 22, then we'd really have some draft picks (and possibly Judd). Oh Dear.......we never thought of that!

I agree with you Pants. I think his casual style deceives many watchers. His style is based on hitting a target well up-field. He didn't take the easy option 20m. sideways. He found targets 50m. away that weren't obvious even from high in the stands. To do this , he had to take time, extra time, which made him look too casual. I also admired the way he kept his head up when the pack was arrriving from behind. Most Demon supporters accuse him of not showing this feature. I can't help but think there's something going on behind the scenes which has tested the patience of MFC powerbrokers , and is` the real reason we've disposed of him. Thanks and good luck, Tigger.

Does this excellent article make it clear how naive we were to play Johnstone and Robertson in round 22?

Well said, Pello. That is the important point. The worst thing that ever happened to Miller was when he beat Hall a couple of times. This caused Daniher to repeatedly take him out of the forward line when he was worried about the aggression of an opposing forward.