Mydee

I was

Hasty illfounded generalization. Can you provide any figures to suggest that the patterns of attendance at MFC games by MCC members differs from other supporters. I have been a member of the MFC for over forty years and a member of the cricket club. From my observations from both in the members and the outer, in dark times supporters are just as scarce in both areas. In fact, possibly because, in the old days, you could seek sanctuary in a good bar as Melbourne were being thrashed yet again, the members that did attend outlasted those in the outer. There are any number of Demonland contributers and readers who are MCC members, however these sort of illconsidered comments only serve to alienate the people who the club are trying to reach out to. If this is the standard of your contribution I neither want nor seek your respect.

Absolutely, why would anyone want to go to Freemantle. They have recruited a string of not quite rights, have a game plan that is past its used by date and their best player is in his dotage. If it really is about being near his family I could understand West Coast a successful club whose gun forward is over 30. It is only 12 months and g=he comes out of contract.

Absolutely, the trade was worth it, there were three imports who each in his own way, have been instrumental in the improvement in our on field performances.Firstly they were all great footballers. Daniel Cross in 2013 crossed from Footscray. He brought a level of professionalism and fitness and this began to be become the benchmark to the club. He was part of the leadership group and remains involved with the club. Bernie Vince, who reluctantly came to Melbourne in 2013,. He led from the front and never took a backward step. He was our best and fairest winner in 2016. A great leader and clubman. Finally, Jordan Lewis a four time premiership player, acting captain of the Hawthorn football club. As the MFC website says "Drives standards and acts as a quality teacher for the club’s younger players". After 307 games he has experience that no other player who has played for the MFC can match (David Nietz came close). Of course his playing career is drawing to a close but he is still a class act and an inspiration to our younger players. I hope he still gets games on merit and bows out on his own terms. As a player, he is largely responsible for making Melbourne become a destination club. The hysterical label of this thread and inconsiderate criticism of him do little justice to his achievements as a competitor and contributor to our club.

Is incompetence contagious? We must have passed the germ on last week.

A lot of bitterness but not much optimism

I was lucky enough to be present at the 1964 grandfinal. From memory,my father brother and I were sitting halfway up the old Northern stand. In those days you got tickets for each of the finals your team was involved with and we were sitting next to some older Collingwood supporters, who, given the circumstances were almost civilzed. We beat Collingwood in the second semi and we had a rematch in the grand final after they beat Geelong in the preliminary. So we rocked up and the Collingwood people greeted us amicably. I am very hazy about most of the game but I recall John Lord taking the boundary throw ins in the forward pocket. My recollection of the Gabelich run is that it seemed to take forever and the Collingwood fans were ecstatic. In contrast Cromptons reply was sudden and I I recall it from the celebrations. Needless to say the Collingwood people were absolutely gutted.

Ithought Spargo was OK yesterday. But the Demons supporters are a broad church, Chook. Thank goodness many of them aren't in military intelligence. Come to think about it..

I hopeyou didn't pinch thosebricks from the Ankor Wat

I can, but none of the reasons would be flattering. Thetrouble with these sort of facile posts is that they grow legs and multiply, asI am demonstrating.

Nonsense,except to the extent that these sort of posts are detrimental to our supporters view of the club

But you state your favourite players are::Players with Heart . No one in the team has a bigger heart than Jones.

I will be sorry to see Cyril Rioli retire, he was a great footballer. Obviously I didn't want him to play well against Melbourne but like Daicos, Burgoyne, and so many others their sublime skills showcase Australian Rules.

I am deeply shocked. It shows incompetence rather than bias

How do I pronounce that fourth word? If it is of Germanic origin I will trust your judgement.

Ernest, You could follow bullfighting again, after all, From the bull's perspective, there is little difference in the outcome.It is as you so eloquently termed it- "Death in the Afternoon"

They gave me a forty year membership medallian this year What they really meant to saywas High on loyalty, low on judgement. What a waste of time they are

I too, am very disappointed, but I don't think our problems are psychological or deep seated. After all the club at least, at the off field executive level has made enormous strides, We have an excellent CEO and a good president and administration-no more advertising executives, worn out politicians or tennis players, I think the record is a bit less flattering with the coaching staff however. I am yet to be convinced that a "losing culture" tag bears close scrutiny. Terms like these and "The curse of Norm Smith" are too easy to bandy around and while prattling on about getting rid of a soft or losing culture sounds impressive and provides carrion for the media vultures. it is essentially a very nebulous term because it is difficult to analyse. The facts are these: Melbourne had allowed its culture to degenerate to the extent that in the 2000s the playing group had been allowed to exert far more influence than they warranted, Melbourne had for many years become a retirement village for players in semi-retirement, Pickett, Pitt, Egan, to name a few. The recruiting targeting highly skilled players who were not tough enough, either mentally or physically to make the transition to AFL. Of course we also had notable incidents particularly Brent Maloney's off field exploits as well as those of our Could o'been champion Colin Sylvia. In what was a massive mistake in trying to correct this situation we recruited a disciplinarian, unfortunately he couldn't coach. But these days things have changed. Very few of the playing group, predate Paul Roos and quite a few would never have heard of Norm Smith, much less his spectre! Our recruiting has generally improved so much that now we have young men presenting themselves as professional footballers who have few "psychological problems" at least football ones relating to a soft culture. I didn't see too much softness on the day, Brayshaw, in particular was hard at the ball and didn't take a backward step and Jones as always showed what a toughnut he is in blanketing Mitchell. No rather our loss, relates purely and simply to faults with the senior coaching staff and the lack of adaptability in our game plan. I did some research into this and came upon an excellent snippet on how to play wet weather football by the Richmond Assistant coach Craig McCrae. He talks about the need to adapt the game plan in wet weather. Players are drilled so extensively that reactions become inbuilt so that it isn't easy to adapt. Richmond uses their runner to reinforce the need to adapt to the situation. We didn't, and without singling out one player for criticism, it was particularly notable with Petracca who played dry weather football with disastrous results. From a champion last week to a fumbling fool in the wet. So how should we have played? Well according to McCrae Richmond plays wet weather football with the following dictums: 1 Never go backwards, especially handballing -handball kicking, dribbling or tapping the ball forwards is the go, 2 Kick at the goals, not to a player or pack around the goal square from a long way out It is likely that the ball will skid through. 3 Constantly reinforce the change in game plan through the runners. I saw none of this in evidence last Sunday. I also same a lack of defence on the rebound. This is in part down to the coaching staff. That, in my opinion is why we lost. However if the proponents of the soft culture myth have any spells or potions to counter this wizardry please let us all know

Fair weather Footballers

Sedition and Mutiny. Get the cat o nine tails

I did read a certain Mr Baum's report on the incidence, he too mentioned movements and whether certain body parts were closed or open. From what I could ascertain from the report wasthat the major contribution that was made by Mr Baum was that certain bodilyorifices that were well and truly open. Mr Baum If you can't discern something shut up.

Why not suspend the Essendon football club for a year and give their current innocent players one year transfers to clubs of their choice. it would be a fitting punishment in line with the penalties handed out to its employees.. My view is that it was the club that should bear most of the responsibility not the players. I am not suggesting that their punishment wasn't warranted, like any other drug cheat they brought the game and themselves into disrepute. But they are young men, often teenagers, subject to enormous pressure to both perform and conform in an occupation where the odds of making a successful living are low. The Essendon club let them down. As it stands, Essendon, will be allowed to play matches and field another team when the club has quite clearly shown no responsibility to the young men to whom it had a duty of care The club will be able to keep its playing personal and develop new players while the players themselves may have had their careers terminated. Can't see it happening though.

Try the Checker Hughes Paul Roos comparison, probably more valid

I am presently in the orient and have been trying to watch the game from the British Club. Do you know the blighters wouldn't change the channel. Now that is uncouth.