Mydee

As long as you throw in Cazaley and some of the Fitzroy mosquito fleet from the 19030s.

I agree and if Melbourne thought that there was either a realistic possibility that he would return or that it was on balance better to keep him rather than develop another player it could have resisted the resignation, subject to the specific contract and kept him on the list indefinitely. It didn't, which was a wise and humane decision. If Mitch does return to another club, so be it. That is his prerogative I will be disappointed because he is a highly talented player but realise that his departure has given the club other opportunities. A lot of this discussion is based on the "great white hope" delusion and Melbourne has had it bad since 1964 - Tilbrook, Gull Noseworthy, Templeton etc etc. We are now on the right track building a champion team.

Demon you are my angel in the devil suit

Greetings from Rugby Leagues heartland. The Viney decision confirms the accusations of many followers from other codes that AFL is aerial ballet! The AFL is now free to develop this concept in a number of important areas. Firstly a whole new nomenclature is needed in order to "brand" the game and in future commentators will be mandated to use the following terms . Pirouetting, replaces the baulk, pas de deux is to be the modern terminology for the tackle now forbidden, and training will solely be en barre, backing out of packs, en derierre, speckies now become en l'air etc But ballet isn't the only form of dance the AFL embraces, goal post will now be bedecked with streamers and goal umpires will signal each goal with a dance round the Maypole. Of course funding will be under the auspices of the Ministry of the Arts although the AFL commissioners and their lackies will still need to retain their current sinecures. What a farce!

And North are like leprosy in Canberra They should be the wombats not the kangaroos!

No, probably to both questions. It was at the junction oval and unfortunately his was magnificent - the first of the athletic ruckman.

Well, It seems to me that the club has to market itself a lot harder to its youngest supporters a lot more than successful clubs who have a guaranteed following Melbourne players should personally contact kids and early teens on birthdays and special occasions as a matter of course, and I don't mean some computer generated crap. I am thinking about a telephone message or autographed card or merchandise say when Guernseys etc are purchased. It requires a real effort by the club

Absolutely- This is the club of Bluey Truscott and Ron Barrasi Snr- amongst many others. It is not a valid argument to imply that remembering this history is an excuse for not modernising and undertaking a professional approach.

If Jeff was at Melbourne we would be beyond blue and in the red

So sleep on

He was hopeless on the after match report - we have made no progress under him and a fish rots from the head Neeld is a particularly ugly head Go and go now!

At least he had a go If only half the team had a quarter hid\s passion we would be far better off!

No, but how many more bottom feeder scan the club support?

At least you will bedoing something useful which is more than I can say for this rabble

Always Look on the Bright Side Of Life Hi long sufferers I note a mood of despondency and despair has descended over the supporter group. This is not the spirit at all, surely we at Melbourne are built of sterner stuff. In fact there are a number of positives and "learning”s that have emerged from the debacle. Friends and acquaintances are now too embarrassed to talk football with you. It was always painful talking football with Geelong Essendon or Colliwobble people anyway. They normally had gloating rights and in the case of the wobble people could hardly put two words together. Now most are too embarrassed or charitable to ring you -what a relief. You don’t have to buy a new tie or scarf, especially if like me you only wear the tie on the Monday following a win. My present one is now securely stored in the back of a draw surrounded by camphor balls it will probably outlast both me and the club. Not having to plan your holiday to avoid a clash with a possible finals appearance in fact being able to choose your holiday at any time during the season without missing a win. Knowing that the MFC Centenary Port you were saving for a premiership celebration will be worth a mint by the time you decide to sell it as you will never get to open it. You can ditch the Foxtel subscription. Usually the outcome of intense negotiation with one’s spouse/partner.As both Melbourne’s play and endeavour are unwatchable the quid pro quo is that the need to watch reruns of Steve Irwin torturing wildlife or the Sullivans is obviated. The demise of the White Board, As if its inept use by politicians and excruciatingly boring trainers wasn’t bad enough the surely means it will finally disappear as a means of communication by football club CEOs. No more politically incorrect sponsors. Not having any sponsors takes care of the painful necessity of sacking ones who breach the current codes of political correctness. Back to Melbopurne's core business of raising funds for charities and special lunches for membership groups with the football being played descretely in the background - the eye candy of the AFL is our niche. Being able to knit useful items like tea cosies rather than beanies or scarves for the unfortunate innocents who may inherit this train wreck Drinking reasonably priced beer in glass at the local pub/ golf club or bowling green.

The obituary that need not be written Over the last few months a small but integral part of my life has come to an end- my involement with the Melbourne Football Club. I am a little surprised that I don't feel great anger in coming to this realisation, rather it more a sense of sadness and emptiness that something that has, in the past, given me emotional highs and lows is no longer part of my life. The decision marks the end of a long journey that started with my grandmother lovingly knitting a beanie and football jumper in the Melbourne colours and continued during my early childhood running around the streets of West Heildelberg with Geoff Case's number on my back. I remember being admonished for swearing at the television after the 1958 loss to the Magpies It continued later with the weekly pilgramage to suburban football grounds to watch football in what was our Golden Age, culminating in being at the MCG for 1964 Premiership. I continued to support Melbourne, taking out a yearly membership and attending most games, thinking that success was around the corner. We were always sold the line that one good player would make all the difference, so a parade of saviours who never quite made the difference. Nevertheless there were some great experiences including near misses under Skilton and finally the finals with Flower and watching a pantheon of champions such as Ditterich, Healey Fowler and Flower, until our resurgence as under John Northey via Ron Barrassi. Even in the most dismal days I could still seek solace in the Bullring bar in the members when things got too grim on the field. In the early 1990s I moved interstate, but attended as many games as I could. I also joined the local Demons supporters group where I made life long friendships amongst fellow expatriate supporters. It certainly is great supporting your team with your own tribe. We travelled interstate together supported the team when they visited, watched games when they were televised and wrote ctritques on our successes and failures. I witnessed the attempts to merge the club and its rescue by Joe Gutnick. It financial and cultural crisis and rejuvenation under Jim Stynes Through the topsy turvy progress of the club I continued to support them passionately even though the antics of the administration left me speechless, -the cute little round robin ofsetting insurance premiums against the salary cap and the tax assessments left in an office draw which I spoke about at an AGM immediately come to mind . No one expects that supporting any AFL team will be a bed roses and my own user id on this forum, when translated into English reflects this, but you do expect some bang for your buck. However this year I really can't see anything to be optimistic about, either in the short or long term. The on-field performance is substandard, golden opportunities which should have delivered a powerful dynasty of players have been squandered and there is absolutely no indication that either the players, coaching staff or off field management are up to scratch. All this with a dwindling and disgruntled supporter base. Fortunately I have enough other interests to fill the void. I do feel sympathy for the children of die-hards who have had this fiasco foisted on them. I will be sending back my Melbourne regalia, scarf, 30 year membership citation, mouse pad and stress football to the club as a symbolic gesture.I will also advise the local supporter group that i intend to resign my minor voluntary position as soon as a suitable replacement can be found- not that I expect anyone to step forward, given the waning amount of interest the group currently experiences If sport can be seen as a metaphor for life then surely supporting the Melbourne football Club is like being in an abusive relationship Adieu

Gillies The Dallamarta of the21st century

If anyone was in any doubt as to the current low standards of journalism generally sports journalism in particular then surely Carolyn Wilson's latest offerings will have dispelled any doubts they may have had in this area. Not that Australian sporting writing has ever aspired to the literary heights of Neville Cardus peerless cricket articles, Ernest Hemingway's articles and novels, and with some notable exceptions for example some of Martin Flannigan's 's better pieces, most sporting analysis are fairly mundane. But Wilson's article makes Dyer 'Ere and other ghosted offerings deeply analytical. Reading like a spiteful twitter from a jilted teenager Wilson's article hits new lows in what purports to be serious journalism. The content seems to read like the rantings of an AFL propagandists after a night on the turps.

Since this effort I have not purchased the Age and I doubt i ever will again

I am amazed that we have a survey on this, hardly likely to get an unbiased/unskewed result What does attempting to measure supporters views achieve that couldn't be achieved with a simple question asking for comments.Are you trying to objectify what is essentially deeply held feelings Essentially this is the same as the Age's rather stupid polls along the Do you still beat your wife? lines

The one at the tennis centre which Bev chaired

Did that at an AGM a few years ago and some jerk pulled the micropohone away when it was getting interesting- Strike that one out

There are a number of things that supporters can do to mitigate the damage that these allegations have caused- boycotting MFC membership isn't one of them, although if the allegations are correct, I think that here are any number of good reasons not to renew membership, associating with idiots would be the prime one. Firstly Wilson's article doesn't provide any concrete evidence that any criminal activity took place and when carefully analysed it is dubious that the MFC did anything more than take advantage of the rules and conditions the AFL put into place to ensure that the competition didn't become completely lopsided and .lose credibility altogether. Wilson's "yellow Journalism" largely consists of highlighting the nick name given to a tin shed where meetings were held and giving it the status of the Kremlin or Special Branch headquarters and of course seeking the opinions of .disgruntled and ignorant footballers who may have better looked at their own inadequate performance rather than infer that blind Freddy knew what was going on, In all probability this person didn't. The things that could be done are to make sure that the straw polls that the Age devises so they don't give the outcome the Age wants. I don't recommend replying as it only gives credence to Wilson's venom..The other thing is not to let up in pointing out the behaviour of other clubs such as Richmond Collingwood and Carlton in effecting the same result. The essential inequity of the AFL in arranging fixtures, free riding on our home turf the MCG etc etc. Supporters should pressure the club to ensure that good legal advice is engaged and the AFL know that we will fight this and Demetriou's broad involvement in the whole issue in terms of his continued denial it existed will be highlighted. Of caurse wwe could ask questions of the futures of anyone involved, if the allegations are anythiong more than that, but that is another issue as it presupposes the MFC's guilt.

We're on the road to nowhere- welcome aboard

No It should be supporters and posters like me who have the opportunity to be part of a wide community of Melbourne supporters who should be thanking you. If it wasn't for Demonland and 'Ology I am sure my interest would have waned long ago.