BoBo

We've definitely had successes for sure! I guess though, clubs can have 'binfire' worthy issues but still be very successful. Probably the best example is, West Coast's issues by all accounts had been known since 2000, they almost won 2 flags in a row 5-6 years later when half the team were off their face and one even flatlined and was brought back in Las Vegas on a trip. Absolute Binfire worthy club, but super successful. (This part isn't aimed at you DEE fence, but to any frothing at the mouth posters - No I'm not saying our issues and west coasts issues are analogous)

Yep.

That makes a lot of sense! Sounds like an interesting read. Someone on here posted something a few years back and it really stuck with me. From memory, a person was having a conversation with a player from a rival club in the 90’s about the Dees. And that player said something like, ‘Melbourne players for some reason are quite arrogant even though the club hasn’t really done anything for decades‘. Kinda gave me the impression that for some players, just playing AFL was the end goal. Which to what you’re saying, probably comes from somewhere? Sorry if it’s not totally connected, just popped into my mind from your post.

That Petracca explanation of his silence being, ‘nobody in the press asked’, is one of the best things I’ve read on Demonland! I imagine Tracc sitting at home, watching all of these completely made up stories, saying to himself ‘man I wish someone from the press would just ask me! None of this is true! But what can I do? I have no way of communicating to large groups of people telling them I’m definitely staying at the Dees’ *posts a food recipe on his Instagram to hundreds of thousands of people* Oh yeah I remember that time Pert, Goodwin and Roffey all came out and in the strongest terms said this entire situation is just a fiction made up by the media. That’s definitely a thing that happened. “He’s a contracted player at our club, as I said, we love him, and we’re working through it with him, with the player leadership group, with the coaches, and you know, we will find a resolution to this,” Roffey said. Weird how Roffey talked about finding ‘a resolution to this’ (player leadership group AND coaches no less) in the Whateley interview when this entire thing is just made up by the media. Almost the exact opposite of ‘denied it all along’ 🥴

I think if max says he doesn’t want to do it or doesn’t feel capable of doing, then it’s time to move on. If he does want to and does feel capable, he’s captain in 2025. It’s up to him and I don’t have any reason to doubt his judgments.

Do you believe this whole thing is a media fabrication? There are no aspects to any media reports that are true?

So let me get this straight. When the idea that this whole fiasco has been simply a media fabrication is put forward… and I point out that neither Tracc nor MFC have come out for weeks to say it isn’t true or challenged the veracity of any claims, despite being one of the biggest stories of the last few years and has seen Traccs reputation and MFC’s reputation being publicly trashed from all sides: Your question in response to me, is if I believe footy media absolutely and in its totality akin to gullivers travels… No I don’t. In turn: Do you believe this entire story is built solely on media speculation? There’s zero truth to anything being said in the media about any of this?

Everything is relative right?

Hey I’m wrapped he’s staying! I just see a gaping hole in the logic that this whole thing was a media beat up considering we’ve been battered from post to post for the last few weeks, when seemingly if it was a media beat up, we just allowed spurious and unfounded allegations to go unchallenged? Didn’t quash them weeks ago? That makes absolutely zero sense.

So the board got Tracc on board in line with the board. I like it.

I guess that works, except it doesn’t explain why Tracc didn’t quash all the bulltish reports and why nobody from the club challenged incorrect reporting for almost the entire time the most intense focus has been on us for years? If it was all just made up, there’s no reason to have handled things by either party, the way they have been handled. That doesn’t make sense.

Melbourne has two boards?

I think you’re right, there’s probably ‘consumer fatigue’ about all this for now. But it’s now in a collection of (real or perceived) demons club issue that this will parenthetically be brought up with any negative demons news and/or, slow news days. Still a lot of club issues to be resolved and one in particular that is going to go through the courts seemingly. I’m buckling myself in for a big year in 2025 personally.

There’s enough ammunition because of Traccs silence (statement of fact not an allocation of blame) to question if he’s only staying because he couldn’t get a trade. ’Just how committed is Tracc for 2026’ will be the question all year I suspect.

Go out and buy a home theatre package immediately please. Enough so there’s no MFC controversies for 50 years.

Couldn’t pull a deal with BomberBlitz?

*MoeSyzlak dies in a freak bin related incident*

Well thank Christ that’s sorted. Will be interesting to see what changes are made in the club for the rest of the year…

‘In the aftermath of the Kings Birthday injury, Melbourne and the AFL had a principle objective to clear the medical process, which looked awful to us on the outside and I think the guiding principle was to protect from future litigation’ ’They Actively tried to create a picture that everything was fine. Publicly documented statements from the club and the league that Tracc was in good spirits and recovering well, when in fact, he was in a critical condition in ICU and family members thought he might die. So when you get that so long, that leaves scars, and those scars are what we’re seeing now’ So I had a look at the MFC statement on June 12th when Tracc was still in ICU and Alan Richardsons quote are: (https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1576895/alan-richardson-on-christian-petracca-condition) “Christian is in good spirits and making positive strides in his recovery,” Richardson said. “Christian is expected to be moved out of the ICU and into a general ward by tomorrow morning, and discharged from hospital in the coming days,” Richardson said. "I want to make it clear that we have full confidence in how our medical team responded and the procedures they followed. Their expertise and swift actions have been crucial in managing Christian’s injury and subsequent recovery," he said.

You too Wayne, have a good Saturday 😊

Oh I don’t hate Kate, I know basically nothing about her, haha I just don’t want us to be a basket case and feel like her rhetoric was poorly chosen and as a result, (fairly or unfairly) just poured fuel onto the fire. Which we didn’t need right now. It’s up to her to choose her words carefully as obviously journo’s will latch onto phrases or words you repeat and use it against you if they can. Urrrgghhh

From memory, I don't think Whateley said that Roffey claimed 'that the whole issue' was a media beat up. That's you saying that's what he concluded. Is that what he said? If you can find a quote then I'll happily take your point. As I said earlier, my memory was that he said 'if melbourne thinks this is a media issue then that amounts to denial'. Again, going off memory so maybe I'm wrong. 1) "stand-off" is an accurate account of what is being suggested in media reports. She merely disagrees that it is a stand-off So it is accurate, but she disagrees that it's accurate. Needlessly confusing position to take. Could be inferred as a deflection, especially in an interview as a club president of a club in crises. 2) I've highlighted her denial because that is a direct answer to your accusation. My accusation isn't 'Kate Roffey is saying this is all a media invention' and she did a good job of denying anyone is saying it is a media invention, because that would be a ludicrous position. I wish she hadn't kept deferring to the media in her earlier answers so Whateley didn't get a 50 yard run up to be able to ask that question legitimately. 3) That is simply a statement of fact. It is a statement of fact. I think it's the 4th and 5th time she mentioned the words media. Starts adding up in a short amount of time in an interview. 4) What do you think she means by "media issues"? I don't know specifically what she means. I can only surmise she was talking about the fact that it is at this stage a claim with zero refutation from Tracc that he want's to 'go to a big club'. Would be weird if it was untrue and he still hasn't said anything? 5) Nowhere in the Kate's response, or in the response from anyone at MFC, has it been suggested that it is all a media issue. That was Gerard's summation. To deny that there is a media component that is complicating the matter of reconciliation between the Petracca camp and the MFC is silly. I don't think anyone is suggesting that the word 'media' can't be used in a discussion about what Christian is confronted with. So you're saying that Gerrards summation was that this is 'all a media issue'. Again, if you can link me a quote that'd be good as I don't remember him saying that but could be wrong. So again, Roffey left herself open to that question by repeatedly mentioning the media in totality. Wasn't necessary unless she was going to overtly refute incorrect claims made in the media. Which she also didn't do. Was a bad strategy because it comes across like you have something to hide (even when you don't necessarily) And thus, she became the story which I think is pretty obvious? If you disagree that's fine, but there is a reason why many people say this interview was really poor. You might not be one of those folks and that's A-OK. 'I hope my response reaches the lofty good oil you seem to have annointed your thoughts on the matter with...' Dunno what I said to make you say this but I guess I'll just say: indubitably *smokes pipe*

When Whateley asked her if she was troubled by the stand off between Melbourne and CP, her answer was: 'I don't think this is a stand-off, that's a media portrayal of it' Before Whateley asked her later on '“It feels like you're deflecting this as a media construct rather than a reflection of truth' (which she went on to deny she was implying), she had mentioned the media, 5 times. “I don't think this is a stand-off, that's a media portrayal of it' “The first thing I just want to point out to people, and I think this sort of gets lost in the media world, because we're dealing with the people, the individuals and when you're looking at it in the media you're not actually seeing the person. “It's an incredibly difficult time for Trac. Full stop. Incredibly difficult time. What he's been through is significantly traumatic and now what's playing out in the media is very difficult for him as well. “So again, I'm not going to comment on the media issues. He's a contracted player at our club. It's not a completely outlandish thing to say something like 'If melbourne think this is a media issue then that amounts to denial' which I'm pretty sure Whateley went on to say, after a (in crises) club president kept littering the word 'media' in answer to issues between CP and the club. She dropped that word so many times that for Whateley to even have a run up to ask the 'media construct rather than a reflection of truth' question is ludicrous and the interview was failed right when he asked that. Unless you come back with a zinger of a response, you just look suspicious and like you ARE trying to deflect, even if you're not.

There’s a defamation court case looming over all of this, which is seemingly inevitable. The media is going to go to town on it and could dwarf this situation incredibly. If we think there’s pressure on us now, just wait until all of our dirty laundry is aired in a court case for the media to sift through. All the questions, all the innuendo, all the ‘what did X know’ etc. etc. etc. etc. Hopefully it’s not during the season I guess? I don’t have all the answers to this, but reviews/resignations/sackings is going to happen at some stage. We can get in front of that situation now for the sake of the club and move on from this administration and get in a ‘fresh start’ or we can hope the current administration can not let it affect the club whilst still being in charge… How’s that going right now? Change is inevitable and things are without a shadow of a doubt going to get very very messy.

‘I listened to what she said there and it’s just not true, I mean, there is no proper meaningful correspondence between CP and the club right now, so when she says it’s an open forum and this is a football matter, he’s not communicating anything as he doesn’t trust these people at the moment’ Interesting quote by Barrett.