rpfc

I don't think it says too much, draftees do very little in their first year (look at Nathan Jones) so I don't believe anyone should pick someone because they can start playing at 18 and not 19, if a team needs their output to achieve they were going to achieve anyway.

Is that white or silver, cause I remember the old silver one back in the late '90s and it was awful. White would be better. Many complaining over a jumper we will wear at 3 or 4 away games. Clubs should be forced to wear clash strips if they are the away team and the jumpers clash - simple as that. At least its not fluro yellow like Chelsea, now that is bad...

It's about capturing the large population of Chinese in Victoria and those coming to Melbourne in the future. Also, the comotion that would occur if we had a Chinese bloke play 1 game would be massive. I know it's a sport they don't play (although some of their junior schools have it) but the chinese are proud to a fault and would buy merchandise and their TV stations would buy the games. I know basketball is an international sport but the Houston - Milwaukee game recently played in China got 200 million people watching on 40 stations because each team had a Chinese player. It's a good market to go after, whether its the Chinese in Melbourne or China itself.

Demons, Dees, Redlegs, Dragons... People use different ones, if the chinese want to say 'Go Dragons' I'm fine by that. We could also push on them to only refer to the first letter - D. Then they would applaud the D's... Now everyone's happy.

It was 'turned' in the opening post. From citing an article on the difficulty of drafting, even in the 1st round, we go off and have the same argument, convincing no-one and infuriating everyone. I love a good argument as much as the next bloke but CAC's performance is always at the door step of those that want to [censored] about the club. As I have stated before; CAC is the last of our problems. We've got a new coach, FOM, two assistants, two development guys and we have no idea how they'll go. We are back in the red, have a plethora of training bases all over town, a shrinking supporter base, a CEO that drives employees away at the rate of 80%, and the concerned looks of the AFL. And what are we stuck on here: CAC. The bloke who chose Molan, Lamb, and Smith. You're right to criticise but when it is constant you overstate its importance.

Just wait for Nov. 24, we're planning to pick up John Howard with pick 4. I thought we were going for a tall...

Can we stop turning every thread on drafting into a referendum of CAC's performance, its been done to death.

If we regularly get 30 000 members and breakeven financially, we will stay in our current form.

You'd get a great bloke in Howat, but I rate CJ up with him so...

Kangaroos are dying...better to salvage something and move with picks, a recruitment zone, and no debt. Bulldogs are teetering. They would be prime for relocation to be the second Sydney team in about 2020, in the west. Melbourne nearly ate Hawthorn whole in 1996. I am not as concerned as others because I realise that Melbourne will always play in the AFL. But I do hope they are called the Demons and wear the red and the blue...

There isn't a market for 'second' teams in Sydney or Melbourne. The AFL will be putting a club in the west of Sydney and funding it entirely for decades. The notion that the NRL has a weaker hold on Sydney isn't a theory supported by most of people in that city. To them there is only one footy. Attendances can be misleading. Remember NRL saturates that City, moreso than AFL and Melbourne. There are 9 clubs in Sydney, and Newcastle and the Dragons very close by. Move toward the ACT and there is Canberra. And TV ratings are still good for NRL. The AFL needs 16 teams and Melbourne needs to carry alot of those teams. 2 teams in SA, WA, Qld (Lions & GC), and Sydney (Swans & West Sydney) would be exhausting those markets. You can't just say move more out of Melbourne because they would have no place to go, no markets to tap. You may suggest Sydney (being a large city) should house more than 2 clubs but if there is no-one willing to watch them then the point is moot, Melbourne will support 7 clubs. The AFL needs to keep 16 in the competition for commercial reasons and will support the remaining clubs indefinitely.

If living off your own bat entirely is the measure... That would lead to a competition of 2 SA, 2 WA, and Collingwood and Essendon (I am guessing these are the two clubs you were refering to). Get a bit tedious after a while...Everyone plays each other 4 or 5 times I guess. I'd probably go for Freo, you know, the old underdog thing. Seriously, the other 10 battling clubs are what make the competition what it is. The Kangaroos struggle in Melbourne, but they are still going to receive millions for decades to go if they go to the Gold Coast. Sydney do, Brisbane do. The AFL largesse is garnered because of the strength of the 16 team competition, ALL clubs receive their cut and none are living solely off of it. These clubs will always be in Melbourne: Coll, Ess, Carl, Rich, Melb, Haw and St.K. And there is plenty of room...and money.

Probably Roos to GC. Maybe WB to West Sydney. But Melb, Coll, Carl, Rich, St.k, Haw, and Ess can be supported here. Geelong aint a Melbourne team. Coll, Carl, Ess are financially secure. Haw has Tas to help with their bottom line and membership. Rich and St.K have enough supporters. Melbourne may look vulnerable but there will always be a Melbourne in the AFL. The city is big enough to comfortably support 7 clubs.

He is a talented boy. We should back ourselves to get something out of him. Not sure whether I want him in the PSD or ND, easier to get him in the PSD but we might want someone who is out of contract. If there are any left.

Difficult to achieve in 1500m time trial. You're a hard taskmaster, I like it. Maybe he could run aggressively...

Like this...Probably would look better with the white shorts too, our red jumpers look awful with white shorts.

Agreed, logos do make them look like training guernseys. I don't envy the blokes at the club and Reebok(?) who have to design one. Oh, and for the one I put on a few posts back, they aren't stripes...It is a large M for Melbourne. Creative, no?

Do some of these still clash? Hard to say w/o seeing them live. I had a bit of time to waste...

As tempting as it may seem, the Captaincy is quite a burden for a bloke who struggled a bit last season, and then got into some embarrassment last month. It will be especially gruelling for a new captain to take over as the 150 celebrations will mean alot of commitments for the captain and I think the club has come to the realisation that only Neitz could handle it next year.

We have enough games at the G (12). We're alright at TD, another 3 games. Looking at the draw with these things in mind: back playing well at the G, good run with injuries (Fit Rivers, Neitz, Robertson, McLean, Bruce, Moloney, Whelan, and Batram), and our midfield delivering on a bit of promise. 6 Write offs (although we should be atleast competitive I hope): RD.3 Geelong @ SS, RD.6 Brisbane @ Gabba, RD.8 Adelaide @ AAMI, RD.13 Sydney @ MO, RD.16 Fremantle @ Subiaco, RD.21 Port @ AAMI 5 Prospective Tight Games: RD.4 Kangaroos @ Gold Coast, RD.9 Hawthorn @ MCG , RD.11 Collingwood @ MCG, RD.15 WB @ TD, RD.19 Geelong @ MCG (150 Celebration Match) 11 'Should Win' Games: RD.1 Hawthorn @ MCG (Tribunal KO), RD.2 WB @ MCG, RD.5 Carlton @ MCG, RD.7 Fremantle @ MCG, RD.10 St.Kilda @ TD (IMO the Saints will struggle w/o Gehrig, but who knows?), RD.12 Richmond @ TD, RD.14 Brisbane @ MCG (Not gonna lose the TJ match infront of us), RD.17 Kangaroos @ MCG, RD.18 Essendon @ MCG, RD.20 WCE @ MCG (Loss of Judd and Cousins would hurt anyone), RD.22 Richmond @ MCG You can argue the toss on many of the games but winning 12 from 16 'winnable' games is a tough ask, but with 12 of those at the G we are a great chance. Really need to get a good start to the year (Hawks and Bulldogs), something we have struggled with.

2008 - Neitz 2009 - McLean (might be a year too soon, if so McDonald for a year or two) Apologies to Bruce and Green but, as Hannabal implied, you can only follow Neitz with someone with tangible leadership ability.

Right... Getting back to the thread topic; Dunn might be worth a go, not sure about the blokes they got last year (must be issues) but Haddrill is the intriguing one. So good a couple of years ago and the same age as our current full back. I don't believe we will go for him, but I am not entirely sure the coaching staff have much of an idea who will start full back next year. Carroll, Miller, Holland, Frawley, Bell would probably round the options. Each have questions.

I am abrupt when I type, I get that. But I just want the supporters to know the importance of the new push to brand ourselves as MelbourneFC. We are down to 220 000 supporters and we need to attract new Australians and new Victorians and the best way to do that is embrace the city...and not the spawn of satan. Apologies for any dismissiveness, I know the 'Demons' are close to everyone here. I just don't see the connect between marketing branding and the death of a clubs' moniker.

Without getting into a verbal two and fro, I did read it. You gave your opinion, stated what you would decide and then abdicated to the coaching staff. Implying you would expect a more informed decision from them, and that you would accept it. But how could you possibly accept a decision you think is 'ridiculous.' Apologies for the pretentiousness, I'm an MCC member. It's ingrained.

Selective quote considering the last thing mentioned before it is that it would be 'ridiculous' to pick up Haddrill. Therefore implying that their judgement can only travel one course. You have made that rational assessment and then stated that these assessments should be left to CC, DB, and CAC, even if the 'rational assessment' they make is 'ridiculous.' I stand by the implication that many people see rational decisions as only those that parallel their own prejudices and preconceived notions.