Dee Dee

I've been an MCC and full MFC member for over 40 years (thanks Dad). I still go and sit with friends on the outside from time to time but prefer the view from the mezzanine stand within the MCC just in front of and handy to the bar. Remember that the Football Club is a sporting section of the Cricket Club and wandering around the members section one is reminded of the fact at almost every turn, The portrait of the "team of the century" in the passage way at the rear of the long room (and viewable through a window in the long room), the bronze door outside the dining room depicting the Melbourne Football Club, the MFC display on Bourke Street, lower level Members Stand and the new David Neitz bar on level four. There is also some nice MFC memorabilia inside the committee room! And of course we have the Albert Chadwick Room and just outside the MCC area there is the Jim Stynes Function Room. No other football club has a real presence within the confines of the MCC. Among the sporting sections of the Melbourne Cricket Club (tennis, bowls, golf, hockey, baseball, lacross etc) the MFC has along with cricket the most visible presence. I understand the MFC supporters are in the majority within the MCC membership (but still under 25%) and that Essendon supporters come next at about 12%. Years ago before the football club broke away from the cricket club, support for the football club was as high as 50%. But since then cricket club membership has trippled and with more and more people applying for membership (I think the waiting list is about 200,000) the member profile has changed and diversified.

I think you should have said "MFC 'was'a complete shambles" (and even that statement is hyperbolic) a new regime has come aboad and is changing the culture. I doesn't happen in a few days or weeks: it can take a year or more!

And with Tapscott, Gawn, McDonald, Troy Davis and Petterd available and busting a gut to get out onto the field.

I heard the Blease rumour a couple of weeks ago. The rumour was that he missed that team meeting because he was in Sydney talking with GWS.

We need gonadal fortitude!

Watts for sure! I was quite surprised to see him go into the centre for a couple of ball ups and I was equaly surprised to see him have a positive impact when there. No, he wasn't great but he was still one of the better players. The others? Magner for sure and I reckon Martin and Jones (or possibly Trengove).

6: Magner 5: Martin 4: Jones 3:Watts 2: Trengove 1: (gee I dunno) Howe!

Sh*t this post scared me so much that I phoned up this morning and paid my $170 mfc/mcc membership. Mind you, like many other supporters I generally leave it till the last minute to renew (and I've been a member of the MFC for over 30 years).Now - to get my children to renew...

Mark Jamar and Brad Green have been very good players and should not be listed in the above group. Yes, I realised Green had a bad 2011 but I'm sure he'll give his all this year. I don't think the captaincy suited him at all and we forget how good he was prior to last year. And if Jones is considered a "senior" player at 24 years of age then Clint Bartram and Matthew Bate must also be considered senior players as must Lynden Dunn: all made their senior debut in 2006, All are entering their seventh season as AFL players.

I was intrigued by Neeld's reference to personality testing during his speech at the recent dinner (vision on the MFC website). He mentioned scoring 92.5% in the top right hand quadrant and he appeared to glance at the playing group while saying this! Does anyone know what the heck that means - is he a nasty bastard or just very competitive?

All football players are incomplete. But some fit a particular game plan better than others. Allen Jackovich, Russell Robertson and Adem Yze (to name just three) wold have had a hard time under Neeld and Craig. And John Northey would have loved James Magner (and he put up with Jackovich!!!) ps: can anyone remember Jackovich "chasing".

The Melbourne Football Club is a sporting section of the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Melbourne Cricket Club runs the Melbourne Cricket Ground. So (and I do not give a damn what other clubs do) the Melbourne Cricket Ground is our turf. However, like other sporting sections (squash, bowls, hockey etc.) we need to train away from the MCG and if a new and better facility becomes available at Docklands we must examine it carefully. And as for crowds at the G: just wait 'till we start winning some games and the supporters will come. They have in the past and they will again.

I reckon he could be better value than NicNat! Not as flashy but just as entertaining!

Vizard was a committee member of the MCC until he was forced to resign! (Insider trading: wasn't it?)

I believe I mentioned this in another thread but Brian Royal told me at the AGM that they were all very pleased with Magner and that he would probably start in round 1. His attack and hardness at the ball and at the opposition is something we have sorely missed for some years. And I reckon he'll revel in the midfield. And yes that little encounter with JB was heartening to see. I suppose that as a mature age recruit and having played 5, 6 or more years at VFL level, Magner's seen a somewhat cruder, less mature version of the game and probably isn't in particular awe of anyone.

And of course both Grimes and Trengove are articulate and presentable. And in this sporting/commercial environment (like it or not) such attributes are important. Unfortunately Brad and Brent were a little wanting on that score!

Friend and I spoke to Brian Royal after the meeting and we said how impressive James Magner looked. (Very, very solid, arms like lamp posts). Royal reckons he's a good bet to play round 1 !

Wednesday 1st February 6.30 pm, MCC Members Dining Room. I believe an email went out to current (2012) members but not to those (like me) who are still to renew. Still, all welcome.

I'm very happy with Kaspersky and with 2 years for the price of one it's damn good value! I use Kaspersky "Pure" it has a few extra bits like a password manager which seems to help.

If I remember correctly some clubs were wary of Grimes' injury history prior to the draft. Had he not been seen as injury prone then he would have been selected in the top 10 of that year! As for Rookie elevation! Lets see how Couch goes in pre-season matches and in a few matches for Casey before we become toooooo enthusiastic! Remember the bloke hasn't exactly set the footy world alight in (what) 5 or 6 seasons. Dan Nicholson showed great promise last season and should have been promoted anyway! And I reckon we may see quite a lot of Magner during next season. He looks to be a real hard bastard!

HI Joe Boy, Maybe you could give us your 3 word analysis of training. Just for a bit of inbetween season fun!

Gee DF you have Sellar in the team straight away. The bloke's damaged goods and will need to have an Ingerson like reserection first. And that team's forward line looks a bit sus untill Clark can prove himself. Watts and McKenzie in the above two out. And Gys also says hello!

This should be of no surprise! A few months ago Don McLardy in a newspaper article mentioned that there were a number of quite wealthy people at the club who were willing to back the club financially in an effort to improve facilities/list/staff etc. Of course people with real wealth don't throw their money away. If the results don't come I'm sure the money flow will stop!

Ah! The glamor of Sydney's west! How quickly it palls! And I see G Tunbridge at matches every so often!

Wasn't it Max Gawn who said after first meeting Neeld that first he was scared and then he was very scared (or words to that effect)! Dean Bailey was the junior school teacher: now the players have jumped straight into year 12 and preparing to do battle at university level!