1858

Agree and misread your post.

I am not sure what you meant by profits can be what you want them to be.

Simply that every year we budget our cash inflows and cash outflows and make decisions based on that. We can always lower our expenses to turn a profit - to a degree. In itself the profit isn't the main issue here its our business plan and ability to increase our budget every year whilst not going into the red. I agree that the donation side of things is not sustainable nor should it be. That well is understandably drying up.

The finances have always been under strain. This year just brings home a few truth.

And it's a cop out on Schwab. He is responsible for what happens in the footy club. The buck stops with him. How the Board could have extended his contract for 3 years last November when we were in the midst of serious AFL investigation just beggars belief. Even worse to sack him 4 months under suspicious reasons.

This Board has been an outright failure on and off the field for 5 years. It's been a circus.

The finances are not great but our budget has grown over the years and profits can be what we want them to be based on our spend but I get where you're coming from - we still lack a viable long term business model.

Re Schwab I'm not sure what your cop out point relates to. Both he and the board have been incompetent.

Yep, all the best to him today and for the remainder of the year whether it be as CC or vice.

Great player who never drops his head and has forged his way to this position on the back of hard work and self improvement.

Is this the AFL's version of sending the wolf?

This is really frustrating for Dees fans to swallow although it is refreshing to get proper insight for a change.

I'm sure our board has a lot of talented individuals but how in god's name did they not get the communication channels set up properly?

Schwab could only control what communication was passed on if the board let him be in that situation in the first place.

We need more people in tune with football club operations on our board me thinks. I'm glad Jackson also seems to have a proper grasp of our deficiencies.

The last 4 or so years, what have they been for? We've been a club but not a football club.

...and now the finances are under strain again. Jeebus.

How did Misson then get comfort over what he was doing? What processes did Misson have in place to understand how he formed views or treatments? Given Bates was using a Sth Yarra pharmacy did Misson find out how he can to use the pharmacy? Did he meet with the pharmacy to ensure their protocols were appropriate?

They are just for starters........

Are you suggesting Misson should have done this as general practice or in light of the board's inquiries?

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/wada-declares-obesity-drug-illegal-20130423-2ibhh.html

WADA has declared that the anti-obesity drug is on the banned substances list ...

Not on the list, classified by default as prohibited but the implications are the same.

This is interesting, if they can back it up:

Essendon is also believed to have received advice from anti-doping authorities last year that suggested the use of AOD-9604 was permitted.

Even the ACC report released in February (in relation to AOD-9604) states:

While these substances are not prohibited by WADA, due to a lack of long-term clinical studies on the use of these substances or their off-label use, their potential impact on the health of playersboth short and long-termis unknown.

So whilst the responsibility is on our professional coaching staff and players to be aware of the facts it is problematic IMO when such important and supposedly rigid guidelines are misunderstood particularly within the authoritative ranks. What WADA have just released clearly contradicts the ACCs interpretation as per their report.

Edit: link added http://www.crimecommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/organised-crime-and-drugs-in-sports-feb2013.pdf

This really is the club where dreams are made of.

Byrnes showed me enough yesterday that he can be a valuable player for us. It was unfortunately a little bit too brief. Not many players played 4 quarters yesterday though. I'm prepared to give him a go.

Rodan has to use the players around him but again most players ended up playing like individuals yesterday. We need him to get that balance right between being a cog and doing the mercurial type plays. I can't be easy with our young list but the players have to trust each other.

I have no problem with what Magner said if the club doesn't.

I will say though the players do need to show some restraint lest they go beyond that one person and indirectly insult a larger audience.

I'm sure Magner was peeved but as a supporter I don't think it's a good look to take the high ground as an AFL player and reduce the common supporter to a nobody who is there just to pay the wages. Players are human like the rest of us and but they have to be careful with their social networkings I think.

Personally I don't go near twitter or Instagram and occasionally log into Facebook because they are all mostly balls but each to their own.

This thread is off the mark IMO.

We sucked today in nearly every way but Toump will be a long term prospect for us. Give him a go first.

Ok, I understand how frustrating this is. Melbourne has been a below average team for years now with the last few seasons being full of unfulfilled promises. Today was a big disappointment, but to show to everyone what a strong footy club we are, we need to pick ourselves up and continue to support our team. Because that's what supporters are for.

If we weren't supporting the team we wouldn't be here.

Do you expect us to whistle Dixie?

Such as we've been since 2006, the day the club stops hearing venting fans is the day it doesn't have any. One day this club will get nothing but crickets if it isn't friggen careful.

To all those sticking with the club year in year out good on you, keep getting membership, keep turning up but FFS don't hold back on slamming mediocrity.

Our club may not resemble an AFL club atm but we at least have a right to resemble AFL footy fans.

Interesting article on the AFL website suggesting that his time at Melbourne was the start of his drinking. Mentions the 'boozy culture' on the trip to China, linking the same trip to the leaving of Tom Scully.

Alice Springs was his problem not MFC or Yuendumu purely from an alcohol pov.

We're possibly going to find out what's in the 800 page report now. Although I've no idea how transparent these VCGLR investigations are. Maybe our legal eagles will know.

The AFL's 'want' to keep everyone in the dark (on the detail) has attracted the wrong type of attention by the looks of it.

This is where we see how much damage Anderson and those two arsehats have done.

Even if the practices were dodgy in collecting info, the VCGLR may not give a [censored].

This will start now. There is guilt, so the Gamers are ready to circle.

The greatest irony that will be lost on many is that we were long shots with the bookies in that game against Richmond yet we won easily on the spread. We actually performed much better than the betting market expected us to.

Unlike Carlton who threw games they were favourites in.

So is this a new investigation as of yesterday or was it already in progress?

Bad rules set the sporting tone

"Does the AFL really believe every team, coach, and player is performing to their limits? And if it's accepted they aren't, how is this different from the performance of a team at the [censored] end of a lost season?"

[censored]? lol

Surely not much longer for an announcement given there are games tonight.

Goose.

Funnily 1858 I don't hate any Vic sides any longer.

My two hates are WCE and Adelaide.

Now those two I smile at the slightest error

I'm with you on WCE, filthy organisation.

Adelaide I'm not so worried about but they certainly aren't as squeaky clean as they once thought they were.

What a radical thought - do we share DNA characteristics with them then? Surely then we would, by extrapolation, with Caro too. I am concerned.

It was merely a supposition. I probably wrong

Maybe the leak didn't come from the AFL, after all they have an Integrity Department, so couldn't possibly happen. :-)))

How about the ACC leaking too?

Either way somebody leaked. That Bomber press conference was a shambles. They were under prepared, didn't know what to say, gave nothing of substance. They looked like three stunned mullets who had been pushed onto the stage at the last minute and told to dance. An appearance for the sake of an appearance after an 11th hour tip-off to get in first.

Bradshaw and Riscitelli looked less dumbfounded when crazy Vossy put them on a plane to go tour Visy park after giving them just enough notice to pack.

Does anyone here believe AD's claim that Essendon didn't know this report and press conference were coming????

No.

lol at Sheedy commending Essendon for coming out on the front foot.

Deep down I suppose Richmond supporters are people too so I don't entirely begrudge them but I must admit I have been entertaining the notion of a Richmond [censored]-storm for a while now. Drugs, match fixing, whatever. Sure it would be bad for the game but Caro's response will be covered like ground zero. Pop-corn sales would go through the roof.

Im just paranoid! Misson and Craig are cutting edge sports scientists afterall!

But you're right, Morton didnt bulk up last year so we couldnt have been on anythig decent

I have utmost confidence in Craig. When he says "high performance with high integrity" he means it.

In 2006 Dank approached the Crows with his "services" and in no uncertain terms he was told they were not required. He recently got knocked back by us, common denominator is Craig.

We're in good hands.