Longsufferingnomore

GL did answer Craig Hutchinson by saying that he did not understand why "Al" would say that. I think CW or someone said who was to be believed GL or AC and Craig Hutchinson said Gary Lyon. From my viewpoint Gary was saying that he was approached and he doesn't know why AC would deny that.

But what would it achieve by the Board imploding now. Suddenly the boys are not going to win games because the Board has disbanded. I am in agreement that change has to happen but it must happen at the most appropriate time which with the Board must be at the end of the season. Peter Jackson was right about having "clear air". Without media interference choices and decisions should be made. We are all too emotional at the moment after Sunday's debacle, the media's pumping up of a player walk out - decisions can't be made under these circumstances. As supporters we have to get through whatever happens in the next couple of weeks. Personally I will wait for PJ's recommendations. I will be at the GM and if his recommendations are not adhered to I will be asking questions like all Club members should.

Who on the Board are there for personal gain. I know two Board members and they are not there for personal or financial gain and certainly both would say they would definitely not "gained" anything by being a MFC Board Member. Both are there because they like many Demon supporters actually believe that being a supporter means assisting the Club by any means that they have. That may mean by volunteering handing our scarves, organising Club members interstate or imparting valuable business skills they may have. The position of a football Club Board is an honorary position with no financial remuneration. Would you put yourself in their position. The Club has faced many challenges over the last ten years or more. More so than probably any other club. Some of those have been by our own making, some not. Some of those challenges have been exacerbated by the AFL's decision to bring in the two expansion Clubs at a time when the lower Clubs were struggling to improve. It was always going to make the Club's job all the more harder. There have been poor decisions made by the Club over the last decade, by previous CEO's, Boards and Football Departments. The current Board's decision to continue CS tenure was flawed. The current Board will and should face the same scrutiny but there is a time when that should happen and that is at the end of the year. In the current state of the Club it would be too destabilizing for the Board to stand down and anyone with any business skills would understand that concept. (I would doubt that half of the current Board will want to restand given the tirade of abuse it receives from supporters.) We now have a functioning and experienced interim CEO who has no previous connection to the Club and who is now privy to all that is wrong and right with Club. Let him make the recommendations that are required. Don't pre-empt what is going to be I believe the most important course of action ever to be taken by the Club. The result of the next six months of this Club's life could mean my children and grandchildren will or will not have a Club to support.

So Unleash, Neeld goes, the Board goes and we become a rudderless ship. You may think that we are that now but we are far from it. How does the Club function without a Board. Unless a group of people put their hands up now to takeover from the current Board it is not going to happen. It shouldn't happen and the AFL certainly would not let it happen. We are all frustrated and disappointed and whatever other emotion you can think of but to have Neeld go, a stand in coach come in, a new CEO and no Board - give me a break. This is a multi million dollar business and you may not like the current Board but they are the best we have at the moment. Change needs to be a considered process and not one directed and commandeered by a rabid media and some Club supporters.

AJ thanks for the report. We all can do with an "injection" of positivity at the moment.

......and don't you love ex Demon G Healey's comment about Freo playing a dope on a rope game (or something similar but meaning the same). Thanks for nothing. Stay away from our Club and Nate Jones.

Hang on why would he be delivering it to the AFL. Should he not be delivering it to the Board and if not are we under administration because my impression is that the CEO reports to the Club Board first and then the Board through the President to the AFL. Further to this, everyone calling for the AFL to step in take a deep breath and just think about what you are actually calling for. Do you want the AFL/Vlad running our Club. There has to be a better way.

Come on everybody by the time he is thinking about his contract ending we will be starting to show good signs so much so that he will want to be part of the resurrection.

Everyone going to the game needs to wear red and blue - scarf - whatever. We need a presence, a point of difference from the scummies.

Not again.

Unfortunately Carlton might get JW but we wont get Murphy. But if Neeld goes.....................

I agree. A number of times the ball was coming out of the backline but the midfield/forwards were slow to react and should have been running back to position but there was no one home. Hello.

After listening to Patrick Smith and Kevin Bartlett this morning, don't we have enough people (term loosely used) media and other club supporters bagging us on the outside without MFC supporters doing the same. All the players are struggling in that we know that they are better than what they are now. The players know what is going outside of their office. They know what is being said and don't be fooled by "I don't read the newspapers" quotes. I don't mind a relevant discussion regarding a players game but with regard to Shannon Byrne he has come into a team that is floundering. Even with any good team it takes time to gel with the style of play. We need his type whilst we develop other players. We need back up players and you can see by the Casey result we do not have the luxury of back up players that the other better teams have. I've got a sore head this morning listening to other team supporters ringing in to tell the world what is wrong with the Club from the FD to the total administration. What would they know only for what is being fed to them on a daily basis. And for CW to say that Peter Jackson more or less told her that the whole Administration of the Club was a shambles well, just typical CW. Even if Peter Jackson thought this why on earth would he give CW a tell all. Peter Jackson is right we need clear air - less media interference. Rodney Eade's comment to Robbo is also telling me that within the other Clubs there is a bit of sympathy for the MFC and the constant targeting and negative reporting. I need to lie down now.

Also have just watched Matt B's interview with James Frawley. I did not get any sense of disinterest only frustration that we didn't win. He also mentioned "Neeldy". I feel a little more comfortable in that he will stay long term. Well a little bit more hopeful. Just aside I noticed today that Col Garland was quite vocal in the defenders group. I liked his game today and his ability to shirk off tackles.

Just watched the media conference and am extremely happy that Dawes is a Demon. He was extremely assertive even butting in on one of Neeld's answers. He speaks well and seems committed to improving the team's on field performance. He brings another dimension to the forward line that we have been lacking for years. Another light in an extremely long tunnel. Leadership material on and off the field.

He broke his thumb with the Pies. Are you saying that it is broken again.

I thought the Tiges set out to intimidate us today. Maybe listening to too many "easy beat" stories. I was so proud of the boys and the way they went in and helped out mates be it Gawn running in when someone was being targeted, Trengove running in, Neville's hard no shirking contest at the ball (man), Magner's gut wrenching running and sometimes insane tenacity at the ball. I loved the boys putting their head over the ball. This was 200% better than last week and we know that if we had have Mitch, Jack V and W and captain Jack back the result probably would have been different. I hate listening to the radio's biased commentary although I thought Richo's was at least fair. I think Nathan Brown was on another station and he was unbearable so much so I turned them both off. I also can't abide Delidio and what he got away with today and that little trumped up !!!! King and the smirk on his face. I wanted Tappy to wipe that smirk off his face. I hated also that there so few Melbourne supporters there today. I know it has been hard to watch up until today but today was good because the signs are there albeit microscopic signs but at least we saw something today. I liked the Jamar/Gawn rucking option. I know that many again have been critical of the mid field again today but I thought it was better today than it has been. Obviously Magner in there assisting Nate helped. I also liked Trengove going third man up. I often wonder why don't the rucks just belt it forward when we are being held in the mid field. Not happy with losing but much happier with the effort. Skills will get better with confidence and I believe there will be some confidence taken out of todays game.

I know but that was what was reported a couple of weeks ago. He didn't play against Port either.

Injured

I hate to say this but talk Col S into going. Sun, sand etc. He would love the lifestyle......... Not Frawley. He will get his mojo back with a new coach. (With no inference that there are problems between him and the coach.)

Deeluded one of the main incentives for Jim to become President was to make the Club more inclusive and get rid of that exclusive image. Yes there are a lot of us Melbourne supporters in the MCC and we come from all walks of life. Some MCC members save to pay for their membership some don't need to. I could spend the money I pay out for my MCC membership in better ways but I am trying to carry a legacy from my parents and pass that down to my children who I will probably have to pay for their memberships hopefully only in the short term. When at the Etihad I sit with a group of hard core Melbourne supporters not in the MCC members area. Your sense of exclusivity is not well founded. MFC/MCC members bleed the same and are feeling the same pain as everyone else. We do not sit there every week in the hope of getting an insiders tip on the stockmarket. Yes there are conservative elements in the MCC but there are in the general and reserved areas as well. We sit in the MCC like every other Melbourne supporter at the moment feeling helpless, disappointed and frustrated. A few years ago Jim held a forum of Melbourne members. There were young, old, rich and poor but one thing bound us together was the incentive to get the MFC back on track again. Don't tell me that in every other football Club there are those who are there because they believe they can contribute to their Club and there will always be those who are there for self grandiosement. I don't know where you sit at the games but I would be happy for you to come and sit with us and get to know some very ordinary people but with an extraordinary passion for our Club. There will be many in the Northern Stands calling for Neeld's head and there will be others prepared to wait. You have made a general statement tarring all with the same brush. I hope out of the same sense of frustration that we all feel at the moment no matter where we sit.

Gee thanks RR for the encouragement. She has never actually come out with what CS was "doing" to the Club. If she came clean with that her writings would not look to the outsider so completely biased. We would all have a clearer picture of what the problems were and are.

Didn't Ross Lyon tell everyone that he was staying in Melbourne and even his Manager or Garry Lyon who spoke to Lyon's Manager (who happens to be his own) said that he was staying. There may have been a chance but unless you were able to read minds, Lyon /Fremantle made sure that there was no opportunity to interview Lyon.

I liked the way that Dawse took control of the forward line immediately motioning players where to stand. It was good to have a marshall down there. It would have been better if he had the ball delivered a little more often and when it did come in to have it delivered better. One thing when the ball came in, the monster backman was able to spoil so I would like to see him do a "buddy" and stick his bottom out so the backman cant reach far enough to spoil. Just a little thing but otherwise Dawes is and will bring a lot to this team and I like everyone else can't wait to get Mitch and Dawes and the ground at the same time. In fact I am looking forward to 5-7 weeks time!

Geez whatever happened between the two of them. Seems not to be a carry over issue between their fathers but something has obviously put CW's nose out of joint in the time between 2010 and 2012. Ha would make a good topic - would take our minds off current issues. Far more entertaining thinking up reasons why our Caro suddenly turned and became the embittered one.