pitmaster

No way can MCC committee people be counted on to support the Dees any longer. Tim is right to raise the question. Stephen Gough - not strictly committee but CEO - has a long affiliation with Carlton and the MCC is driven more by commercial considerations than sentiment so some may not give a damn if we are sent interstate or whereever because of our relatively smaller crowds. All the stories earlier this year about our financial crisis mentioned that the MCC was cutting back its financial subsidy too. From $500,000 to $200,000. That might have changed post Jimmy but I don't think they can be counted on. Beames looks the goods

Seven weeks: six games against bottom half clubs. Now we will see how much progress has been made. The first 15 weeks meant 10 games against top half clubs and five against the top three. I don't care about draft status so much as seeing progress - hope to win at least two, maybe three of the remaining: Freo, West Coast, Richmond, Essendon, Norf take your pic. This will tell us if there's any reason for optimism.

Good on ya AzzKika. Welcome aboard. It would take me years to get back into it as well if what was done to the Lions was done to the Dees Here's hoping we make it worth your while.

1990s graphically the best. but 1920s would look great on a training and/or alternate strip.- could be one as blue type on red, and red on blue in alternate versions

How does giving Collingwood so many "away" games at the MCG fair when teams like Melbourne have to play home games in Canberra. Maybe if we got more Friday night games, more Saturday games, we wouldn't be so badly in debt.

16 for myself and multiples for family members most years since And MCC for maybe 26 - so I WAS part of the problem but responded to Ridley's pleas two years before he caved in.

(Peter) Marquis? Did he make the list? The pitmaster did previously use that id briefly either here or 'ology For those not recognising the name a premiership FB from the '50s

The Northey link I like. He got everything possible out of his teams and gave the MFC its self respect back. A true Demon hero. Balme, however, was lazy and had one lucky season and that was it. It's no surprise he has not coached again. I like Bailey's message and the dropping of White speaks loudly too. Just remember that Neale talked like this at the start too, then he got his favourites. Hope the leadership changes mean Bailey might not fall for the same trap.

They are not mistakes. They are intentional and they reflect AFL priorities. Otherwise you're right, it's not fair, it's not equitable - it is crooked in so many ways. Our problem is that as far as the AFL is concerned we're just making up the numbers for the television broadcasting agreement. Gotta hope DB can make us relevant again very soon.

MFC Members email says the post-Jimmy membership boost is now "more than 600" which means we must have busted through 28,000 again. FANTASTIC RESULT and looks like a new record will be set before the sign off at the end of the month. That's a great message to send to Mr Olympics.

Saul Eslake on the man who has had too many president'sl lunches: "Attitudes at AFL headquarters and Andrew Demetriou himself is somewhere between patronising and contemptuous," he said. "It will never happen as long as Demetriou has any say in it. His contempt is so obvious." Same arrogance hurts us too.

The fact that Whelan, clearly at his best our best small defender, has not been able to break into the side again this week suggests that DB is intent on breaking that soft culture in his first year. Chris Johnson has evidently played four blinders at Sandy before he could get back and it looks like Wheels will have to do likewise. Two items on DB's KPI chart that might be marked done at year's end: Kids Blooded and New Culture Installed. It's going to cost us now but it will be worth it.

Anyone hear Mr Olympics on 3AW before the Richmond - Adelaide game? Can you post a summary (if not a transcript). I'd love to know what he said.

I am back. Having sworn off contributing to these forums several times I can't stop myself on this one, but the name is new so anyone finding my contribution irksome can ignore the fact that this is my first posting - more like my thousand and first but I have forgotten my old ID so I am starting this new one to reply to Y-Ms futile and flawed campaign to elevate Allen Jakovich to the club's top 150. I agree Paul Hopgood is a surprise inclusion. Pacy, but with unreliable disposal, he is lucky to be there and was lucky to reach 100 games. I suspect Hoppy got in on the "good clubman" measure. Jako was great fun to watch and drew people to the football. He was mercurial, exciting and hugely talented. He won a few games off his own boot. Had he been professional enough to extend his career, he could have been anything. But know this: there are reasons some people do not get admitted to things like the Hall of Fame or receive lasting recognition. These reasons go to matters of personal conduct, and Jako did some stuff around the club that forced his departure as much as his inability to maintain physical fitness. He was not right for the top 150 which is just another footballing tragedy. Last heard of on a prawn trawler...bloody hell. Let it go Y-M . You're on a loser on this one.