Supreme_Demon

As I mentioned previously, I think we can all identify the massive issues the Melbourne Football Club need to fix. The challenge is how do we implement solutions? I want to fix these problems so that the Demons can win Premierships again.

We need to analyse the success of Richmond, Geelong, Collingwood and Hawthorn and other big clubs with successful winning cultures. It took 37 years for Richmond to break it's Premiership drought. We are coming up to 55-56 years for our Premiership drought. We are only going to break the drought with lots of hard work, having good quality football people involved with our club and recruiting the right players. I am still keen in getting Mark "Choco" Williams involved at the Melbourne Football Club. Lots of money will help too.

I can't remember 1988 except that we got smashed by Hawthorn. 2000 was full of hope but Essendon destroyed us. The only way the Demons are going to win a Premiership is to consistently be in the top 4 and play off in preliminary finals for 6 or 7 years straight. That will give us the best opportunity to win Premierships.

A terribly disappointing and frustrating year. I remember 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2007,2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013. 2017 was pretty disappointing too just missing out on the finals. I hope the Demons players and coaching staff are determined to make amends in 2020. Otherwise more heads will roll... This year's Melbourne Football Club AGM will certainly be interesting with lots of angry Melbourne supporters. However, we need to discuss effective solutions to fix this mess.

Not that excited about this. But hopefully the Casey Demons players are happy with this appointment. It would be interesting to hear Casey supporters opinions on this appointment.

I agree that the only way we are going to get through this is through more blood, sweat and tears. Lots of money will help too. Plus getting good quality football people involved at the club. People like Mark "Choco" Williams and others that strive for excellence. This is going to be an extremely difficult challenge but we can do it if we have the right people at the Melbourne Football Club. I still believe that we can win Premierships but it is going to to be a long and hard journey with lots of pain still to come but nothing is ever easy in life.

For player who has a massive kick...he handballs way too much!

Today was depressing as a Demons supporter. Watching the Tigers win their 2nd Flag in 3 years. They are now equal to us with 12 Premierships. However, instead of whinging and whining we need to discuss solutions. How are we going to change our current solution? This constant verbal wrist-slashing is toxic. The only way we are going to change our situation is by dealing with our fundamental problems as a club. We need the following problems solved... 1) More money. Whether it be fundraising like the "Debt Demolition" a few years ago or through generous benefactors. We need money and lots of it. 2) Obtaining good quality football people. Those who know and understand success and can change our culture. I suggested chasing Mark "Choco" Williams a few weeks ago and I am still keen on that strategy. Alan Richardson is a start...but we need more than him. 3) Good drafting and recruiting. We have started that...although need to get better. Plus we still need more good quality players. We also need to develop our own players. Especially, those with good leadership potential. But especially those players that can kick and are excellent decision makers under pressure. 4) A better and stronger culture. This will happen with better quality people involved with the club. I also think we need more former players at the club. As well as players from other clubs with Premiership success who want to help the Melbourne Football Club. Another strategy would be to employ experts who are skilled in initiating fundamental culture change in organisations. 5) A proper home base. This is probably the most difficult challenge. Is the MCG really our spiritual home any more? Do we build at Gosch's Paddock? Or do we have to build something in Elsternwick or South Yarra or Caulfield? Nevertheless, this specific problem needs to be discussed another time and there are other discussion threads on this topic. Anyway....that's my 2 cents.

Pretty disappointing some of the disrespectful comments about Nathan Jones on here. He was the few Demon players who made it worth attending games from during the dark days of 2012 and 2013. Plus he has won 3 best and fairest awards (2012, 2013 and 2014) for the MFC. Not only that but he has been Captain and Co-Captain of the club. He also currently sits 2nd in the most amount of games played for the MFC. The bloke tries his guts out and is a champion of the MFC. Obviously, he hasn't had the best of years and has looked slow at times, but I still think he can play another 2 or 3 years. Definitely at least 1 more year. The facts are he was underdone and also never had a chance to have a full preseason. Plus I think Nathan Jones is better played in the primarily in the midfield, the half forward flank or even as a forward pocket. I have always believed Nathan Jones to be a handy goal-kicker. The game against Sydney at the SCG earlier in the year when he kicked 3 goals proved that. Playing Nathan Jones as a wingman or half back flank was never going to work. Hopefully, he should also beat David Neitz's games record of 306 games. Ideally I would like to see Nathan Jones play about 320 odd games. Having only ONE 300 game player for a club that is 160 years old is a disgrace in many ways but that's another issue altogether. Whether or not Nathan Jones gets to hold up a Premiership cup before he retires as he thoroughly deserves is another question.

I read an interesting article in the Herald Sun newspaper about Mark "Choco" Williams last week. I still think he has some value as an assistant coach in the AFL and would love to see him at the Melbourne Football Club. Especially with the big shake up of our coaching department. Obviously, Mark Williams is seen as being a bit abrasive and confrontational. He has ruffled feathers of some of the more sensitive types. But he did wonders in the development of Dustin Martin and other players at Richmond. If anything I think he had a big influence in helping Richmond win it's 2017 AFL Premiership. It must be remembered that he is still obviously an AFL Premiership coach with Port Adelaide from back in 2004 (we won't talk about the horror of 2007 with Geelong's utter annihilation of Port Adelaide in that Grand Final except that it took that ignominious record away from the Demons disaster of the 1988 Grand Final!). He also has a passion still for coaching and is currently coach of the Werribee Tigers in the VFL as far as I can recall. Seeing as we have a few "good cops" in Simon Goodwin and now Alan Richardson. I would like for us to have Mark Williams as a "bad cop" to balance out all the touchy feely stuff with a more hardline attitude who will tell the players off if they are slack and lazy at training or put in weak and pathetic efforts during a game. Obviously, the "old school" fire and brimstone yelling and screaming at players doesn't work like it used to. Nevertheless, I think Mark Williams would be a handy asset as a great development coach for the Melbourne Football Club. I am interested in hearing other people's thoughts on this suggestion.

This is definitely an issue that needs to be rectified by the MFC. Unfortunately the big problem is money. Everything revolves around money in the end. If I was a billionaire I would simply pay for an amazing state-of-the-art modern training base and call it the Robert Flower and/or David Neitz oval...but unfortunately I am not. Some of the ideas and suggestions about a second training base are definitely worth pursuing. Sadly I think any development of a secondary training base will need a green light from the local community as well as local and state governments. It might worth setting up a crowd-funding initiative for this as a long-term project. However any plans will need to be fine tuned and explained in better detail first.

I definitely agree there. Which is why I believe that a large number of MFC members will be demanding a total in depth review of the football department at this year's 2019 MFC AGM. If enough of us make a big deal out of it then it will happen.

That's true...Adem Yze did have some pretty poor last games. He was a bit too selfish at times. Although I think he could of played one or two more seasons as forward. As others have mentioned the treatment of James McDonald was incredibly disrespectful. Which is why Nathan Jones needs to play over 300 games and retire on his terms. Ideally finishing with a Premiership like Shane Crawford did after over 300 games with the Hawks in 2008. But unfortunately fairytale finishes rarely happen in the AFL....

Understood. My apologies for the grammatical error. I will still reiterate that I believe Nathan Jones can easily play well over 300 games and beat David Neitz's games record. The fact that the Melbourne Football Club has only ONE 300 games player in 160 years is a disgrace too. Although rectifying the Premiership drought since 1964 needs to be the priority for the time being.

Peter Jackson did an excellent job turning around the MFC's financial situation in my opinion. I wouldn't mind Paul Roos hanging around more, however his contracted finished, and he has his own life to live and is back involved doing media stuff now. Nevertheless, in the end the buck stops with Simon Goodwin. If we are in the same position this time next year then heads will roll...sad but true. I genuinely hope Simon Goodwin can turn things around as I am certainly sick of being disappointed.

I have no issue with Garry Lyon and David Schwarz giving their opinions about the current predicament that the Melbourne Demons are in. However, I rate David's opinions higher than Garry's as I consider Garry a very rude and selfish person from my past brief interactions when I was a lot younger as a teenager back in the late 1990's attending Melbourne Demons Family Day events. Nevertheless, rather than just outright criticism it would be better if they gave back to the Melbourne Demons by being more involved at the Club either at Board level or Football department level. I know they have work and family commitments, but why not come by training once or twice a month and help out? They were both very talented forwards when they played for the Melbourne Demons. Why not come and help with goal-kicking practice or something like that? If you want to do something to change the Club around then be more involved. Anyway, that is just my 2 cents worth.

I respectfully disagree. Nathan Jones deserves at least 1 or even 2 more AFL seasons. He should retire when he is ready to do so. It is important for club culture that we look after our veterans and treat them with the respect they deserve. Nathan Jones was the small glimmer of light during the dark days from 2008 until 2013. We have a history of mistreating veterans. Such as James McDonald, Adem Yze, Cameron Bruce and even Brad Green. James McDonald could of played over 300 games for the Demons and certainly Adem Yze could of too. Cameron Bruce could of played well over 250 games for us and Brad Green could of played another season or two. I genuinely hope Nathan James plays over 300 games and beats David Neitz's games record. I also hope Nathan Jones get a chance to play in a winning Melbourne Demons Premiership in either 2020 or 2021. Nathan Jones truly deserves it. He is a legend of our club and deserves to be treated like one.

I think Simon Goodwin will be offered a 3 or 4 year extension. On the proviso that Brendan McCartney is also given a 3 or 4 year extension.

These are my following suggestions; #1 Pruess #12 May #16 Kolodjashnij #21 Jordon #23 Bedford #27 Hore #32 Sparrow (I think there is video footage of him wearing this jumper number at junior club level?) #34 Neitschke #43 Chandler #46 Walker #50 Bradtke (I like the idea of him wearing the number his Father wore in the NBL for the Melbourne Tigers)

Hypothetically, if the Demons won the Premiership in 2019 I would cry tears of joy like the rest of us here. I have thought about painting myself red and blue and running around naked...but it's not worth getting arrested for. Probably get drunk and go to the celebrations the next day. I would definitely want a photo of me and my Dad with the Demon's newest Premiership cup.

My questions to Peter Jackson would be... 1) Besides winning games of football, what does the Melbourne Football Club need to do continue to become financially successful? 2) What advice would you give to Gary Pert when he takes over the reigns as CEO of the Melbourne Football Club?

Looks like Freo think Rory Lobb from GWS is the magical answer to their forward line I guess? ? Personally, I'm glad Jesse Hogan will be staying as Freo don't want him. I hope Jesse Hogan knows that we all want him to stay and win a Premiership with the Demons.

Nathan Jones is a champion. He has endured a lot of pain and suffering while the Demons were hopeless in seasons past. He used to be our "shining light" in a team that was regularly getting thrashed. He could have gone to another AFL club to seek success but he stayed loyal to the Demons. He is an inspirational player and Captain. Nathan Jones deserves success! Congratulations on 250 games Nathan! I hope to see you play 100 more games and a few Premierships! Certainly would love to see Nathan Jones play well over 300 games and surpass David Neitz's record of 306 games for the Melbourne Football Club. Let's hope the Demons smash the Bulldogs this weekend in tribute to Nathan Jones playing his 250th game!

Hats go off to Jason Taylor the MFC Recruiting Manager for finding these talented youngsters. He has done a great job so far and will hopefully find a few more gems in the draft this year too!

I'm still very cautious. Been disappointed many, many times before. Just taking it one game at a time... Some recent history over the past 31 years or so. 1987: Too young to remember with Jimmy Stynes running through the mark and Gary Buckenara kicking the match winning goal after the siren in the preliminary final. Was heart-breaking that Hawthorn won a game that Melbourne should have won! 1988: Too young (fortunately) to remember seeing the Demons get destroyed by the Hawks by a massive 96 points in the Grand Final. The Hawthorn team in the 1988 Grand Final was simply too good. 1994: We had a great side but lost to West Coast in the Preliminary Final. Names like Schwarz, Lyon, Tingay, Jakovich etc...we had a star-studded line up. Injuries got the better of us too. 1998: Had a massive amount of momentum but lost to North Melbourne in the Preliminary Final. I remember Jeff Farmer taking that specky at the start of the game but missing the goal! Really thought we were a massive chance to win the Premiership that year after bouncing back from the Wooden Spoon in 1997. Sadly it wasn't to be! 2000: Had high hopes but Essendon were too strong beating us by 60 points in the Grand Final. Essendon were the best team all year. 2002: Lost that final to Adelaide in a game we should of won. Travis Johnstone had a blinder but our team run out of legs. 2004: Lost that close final to Essendon. The one where Matthew Whelan laid a terrific hip-and-shoulder on James Hird! 2005: Lost that final against Geelong (having Neitz injured was a big blow). 2006: After beating St. Kilda we lost the next week against Fremantle in a final. So lots of false hope and bitter disappointment in the past. There is certainly something special about this current team and I am excited...but also very nervous. Let's see how things pan out... A drought breaking Premiership would see the MCG awash with tears of joy from long-suffering Demons supporters. Nevertheless, I dare to dream. The Bulldogs, and the Tigers have won Premierships. Why not us? It is up to the Melbourne players themselves. As Paul Roos once said, they need to choose to be great.