peasant

Has anyone tried to get tickets using a MCC membership for the Kangaroos game at Marvel? I can only seem to get L2 tickets behind the goals (at a cost of $60) In previous years I was able to get tickets on the wing with a MCC membership. Not sure if they've changed the entitlements.

Is it a sign of my riveting social life that I'm planning what time I have dinner based on the breaks in the Best & Fairest livestream?

No. It doesn't.

Funny you mentioned that. The article says it will be Round 13 with King's Birthday game on Monday June 12. (No, I didn't sign up to pay for that info!)

A mid-season break which is actually a mid-season break. Think this year we played Queens Birthday, but our next match was only 10 days later on a Thursday night. A more even spread of home / MCG matches across the season would be good as well. This year we went five weeks without a game at the MCG, which was ridiculous.

Was filling out the membership survey and remembered that Reward and Recognition was apparently a thing the club introduced this year. https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/reward-recognition I know there's still plenty left in the season, but have the club got around to this? Or have I missed a couple of emails along the way?

Think it might be the Queen's Birthday game this year. https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/member-hub/replacement-game-faqs

I think a combination of COVID and shifting priorities, plus live TV (especially live free to air) all play a role. The past couple of years we've predominantly watched matches from the comfort of the lounge room. Put that up against having to battle public transport works / traffic, ticketing dramas, crowds, late nights for families etc, and perhaps the live in-stadium atmosphere isn't as attractive to some as it used to be. I know it's a really tough environment, but I hope the club don't assume that a premiership will automatically deliver big crowds. They've still got to be innovative, and listen to the concerns of members / supporters. I personally think should do more to win over supporters who are a little nervous about going to the footy because of COVID. Whether it's a video with someone from the club saying what safety measures the MCG has in place, or they give away Demon face masks at the ground, we've got to work with all our supporters, recognise that they may be at different stages of returning to 'normal life', and ask what we can do so they feel safe going back to the footy.

Well that's curious - Just arrived, and MFC reserved seats on Level 1 of the Olympic are Alcohol Free Areas. Not sure how popular that will be. As for the game, GWS was the last opponent I saw live last year before we went into lockdown and we were ordinary that day. Hoping to get one back.

When I renewed my membership, I vaguely remember being asked if I would be interested in reserved seating in the Ponsford, I think on L2 if it was available. Haven't heard from the club, but perhaps that's an option they are looking at if there's demand.

This morning I got an SMS from the club saying the email address on my membership account is invalid, and to reply with an up to date email. But last night I received the team selection email and also the AFLW finals one twice. Just to be sure, I logged on to my MFC Membership account and the email appears to be correct. Not sure if there are issues from the club's end with this.

And there's just been an announcement that the half-time fireworks and lights show has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Might as well call the season off.

Well it depends what the set up is. With an in-person meeting, you can have a microphone set up in a room where people queue up and ask any questions they want - then it is a little more transparent. In an AGM, you might get a good question about the progress or the training base. But you might also get someone asking why Michael Newton isn't getting a game. I've also seen in-person meetings where people submit questions beforehand, Similar to what can happen in a Zoom / MS Teams forum, questions are more likely to have a screening process where the moderator / PR person can decide what questions are asked. It really boils down to being open and accountable versus protecting the brand / controlling the message.

Got distracted last night and completely forgot about this. Considering the amount of discussion on Demonland a few weeks ago about the voting process and the pros/cons of various candidates I thought there might be something here. Would be interested to know how Peter Lawrence went. Don't think the club went out of its way to let people know it was on though. Think there was the initial email to say it was on a few weeks back, and then an email with the Zoom link from yesterday. And apart from the voting materials I got in the mail, I don't think there's been anything else - no socials etc from what I could see. That said, there's a brief article in The Age about the AGM. Nothing groundbreaking though (e.g. no update about new home base). It's mainly about the club standing by Goodwin, and a lack of surprise that other teams are interested in getting Daisy Pearce (but they shouldn't be retiring her too early). https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/more-support-for-goodwin-pert-s-advice-for-pearce-20220302-p5a14d.html

Too true. It wasn't all that long ago we would be celebrating if Nathan Jones managed to sneak into a Mike Sheahan / Mark Robinson Top 50.

I ordered mine from The AFL Store the day after the Grand Final and it only arrived on Monday. Still waiting for the Max Gawn Diary ordered through Booktopia which has been sitting with Australia Post since Dec 9. Was meant to come last week, expected delivery is now Dec 27.

If stock of a t-shirt ordered in late September still isn't ready by nearly mid-Dec for delivery, it's a bit hard to point the finger at Australia Post. Also have the At Last! book and Max Gawn Diary confirmed as being on its way via Australia Post, so fingers crossed that arrives fairly soon as well.

Still waiting for the New Balance Premiers T-Shirt I ordered from The AFL Store online back on 26 September. Got in touch with them today and stock is now only expected next week (after earlier saying late November). If I want it by Christmas, I have to pick it up from them, as no guarantees Australia Post will be able to deliver in time. Groan.

Presume the Highlights video here might be this? https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/afl-premiers-2021-melbourne-demons-season-highlights-2021-dvd Would be interested to get any reviews of this DVD from anyone who has seen it. Are we talking a 1998 Hotter than Hell with Todd Viney style production?

I purchased most of my stuff a day or so after the GF. I got a laminated Mark Knight poster via the Herald Sun shop. It was sent Express Post and came through a week or so after the GF, so that wasn't too bad. Through The AFL Store (Demon Shop didn't have stock at the time) I got a Grey Premiers cap, a mug and also a white New Balance Premiers t-shirt. The mug is a bit meh, while the grey cap is pretty poor. Thought it looked okay online, but I think it may have been designed for someone with Marge Simpson style hair, or at least a very long head. Still waiting for the New Balance t-shirt.

Brukie and Burgo The Podcast: It's a Grand Old Flag A terrific listen, in which former fitness boss Darren Burgess provides some insights on his time at the Demons. Topics include building a stronger trust between the coaches and fitness/medical team, implementing resilience in the training program, the effect of COVID, and developing training programs for individual player fitness types (an explosive player like Petracca vs an endurance runner like Langdon).

Available at some newsagents and Woolworths. See Where to Buy section here: https://www.goodfridayappeal.com.au/premiership-posters/

Demonology was great in its day. I remember doing a write-up for the site on one of those Member Forums they used to have at the Bentleigh Club. This was back when Paul Gardner and Bev O'Connor were on the Board. There may have been some crossover with Demonland, but I also have memories of another board member Peter Dohrmann actually posting on Demonology, and I'm pretty sure even recruiting guru Craig Cameron did at one stage as well. And there was even the chance to meet people on the forum in 'real life' when posters volunteered at the club, and went to their offices and called up lapsed members. Of course before Demonology, there was a Melbourne Demons e-mail mailing list thing which I joined. If only I still had my Ozemail account.

Who could forget the media buzz when TV celebrity vet Dr Katrina Warren was dating Melbourne AFL star Craig Nettlebeck?

A couple of reasons why the crowd was disappointing: Not everyone is comfortable just yet with going to crowded places: Some people are being a little more conservative with going out. Others are happy to hang with the masses at the footy or Chadstone. I think we need to be respectful of each individual's decision if that's their choice. However, AFL / Ticketek / MCG management need to ensure they are providing an environment where all fans feel safe / comfortable. We're told we need to socially distance. However, where I was yesterday crowds of people were sitting close to each other while level 4 sat empty. And of course there's the rush at the end when everyone leaves. I'm sure there was an advisory to wear masks in crowded areas but perhaps that has changed. Hopefully it will improve once restrictions ease, but the finals-like timing for the release of tickets is also an issue. Say a couple of members want to go with friends who aren't members. Friends don't want the members to miss out on tickets, so they don't go to the game. Or even things like no crossover between the MCC and general public. It does make a difference. Finally, the club needs to do more to ensure fans are getting value for money. There will be fans who have had to tighten their belt a little due to COVID, or there may be people who are assessing how much footy now means to them in the greater scheme of life. Winning is obviously a good start, but showing you genuinely value your members is important as well.