praha

Was interested in going but can't because of work. I expect a full report though!

I'll probably be at Lincoln Arms on Lincoln St. in Essendon if anyone is around there. Just look for someone with crunkled up TAB slips in his hands and bags under his eyes.

I think a Melbourne team moving to the GC is more logical and realistic than a Melb North merger. Although I wouldn't rule either out by a long shot.

I can't really think of many other players that would make the regular season squad. In other words, we're playing our best squad in the first round of the pre-season cup. Says a lot. But still, can't wait to see our young guns this year.

Most of us here pay our memberships and go to the games. It really gets on my nerves when people say "let's take action". We can only do so much. Us turning up to games and getting our bums on seats really means nothing if the people at the game aren't new members and supporters. We go to the games. That's not the problem. Even if you get every member living in Melbourne to the games, it still won't make a difference. I pay my membership I go to the games. I donate my money and sometimes my time. Now, it's up to the people who run the club to get things done - manage the finances, get a sponsor, attract new members. In my 20 years as a member, I've never seen in off-field team really do that at the MFC. You say "it's up to me" or "let's do something about it" like it's so simple. Be a realist, because only when you acknowledge the problem can it be solved. The truth is, we, as members, can't keep this club floating on its own. Even if we get 30,000 members. We can only do so much. Going to games, paying membership is only a small part of it. You're totally underestimating how important it is to have a stable off-field environment. Each AFL club is no longer a football club - they're a business. 100% a business. You can be so successful on the field and with 40,000 members, but if you can't manage the team off-field, you're gone. It doesn't matter if you get 50,000 to every home game. Look at Collingwood. The loss they had this year. McGuire admitted that it was because of poor business decisions. Yet, their members do a lot of what you're telling us to do - go to games and get bums on seats. That's not what it's about anymore. It definitely helps to get bums on seats, big crowds and big numbers, but that's really only a drop in the pond. If you have dimwits working in the office, us being at the games really won't make a difference. So yes, right now, I want other people to solve the situation because I've done my part and so have many others. The only people that care are the people that pay their money and go to the games. I want the people who are supposed to run the club to do their job.

Anyone who compared a Premier League team with an AFL team in any light is kidding themselves. Firstly, Premier League teams don't even really need sponsorship - they get substantial funds from television rights (which are international) as well as ticket prices, which are substantially higher than ours. Also, I believe they get a guaranteed figure? Something in the $4-5 Million range. History also shows that once you make it to the Premier League, money rolls in. Then you can add on a sponsor, which, depending on the team, can be substantially higher than any deal any AFL club could ever get. Melbourne need a sponsor. Under no circumstances can we survive without one. People seem to be underestimating the damage playing even one game without a sponsor will do. If we begin the season without one, we are in strife...if we aren't already. Sponsors pretty much pay weekly, or every time the players walk our with apparel that has the sponsor logo on it, as well as sponsorship placement around the ground at our home games. What's going to make up for those lost funds? We're already running at a loss... We're going to be playing at the MCG with no sponsorship around the stands. We're going to be a laughing stock. Don't worry about only the financial circumstances. Imagine how we're going to look on a public front and to possible future members in "our" new home at Casey. If we don't have a sponsor by the start of the season, questions need to be answered. I understand that times are tough with the financial crisis and the bushfires atm, but really, we should have had one shortly after primus jumped ship. And I mean, how can there not be ONE damn company in the entire WORLD with even small stakes in Australia that want to sign up? What about the supposed "recession proof" entertainment industry? JB Hi-Fi has announced record profits and expect a big Q1 for 2009. This is amid a possible recession and package from the government. It's really annoying me. I'm working in an industry that is flourishing and I know for a fact that not all industries are struggling. It's really getting on my nerves now.

Well, technically, we cheated as well in 97-99 in acquiring Jeff White, so we really can't be pointing fingers at successful clubs for "cheating", when, really, no punishment = no crime and I don't see Hawthorn getting put under investigation.

I'd love for them to win so the younger blokes get more of a higher-end competitive hit-out before the season starts. Practice matches aren't really up to it. I think we can win, yeah. I'm more interested in the younger individuals than the team as a whole at this point.

I'll believe it when I see it.

I don't think Hawthorn were ever in as bad a shape as us. Even their worst season wasn't us bad as our 2008 and they were never on the verge of folding like we were when Stynes took over. A lot of people don't understand how close we came to not being anymore. Also, they never really struggled so badly to get a sponsor like we are now. If we start the season without a sponsor, we'll be closer to non-existence than we were last year. Every team goes through a bad streak. Some teams have good onfield years, but bad off-field ones. We didn't have bad onfield and off-field years. We had TERRIBLY, SHOCKING, UGLY AND TREMENDOUSLY BAD off-field and on-field years. The 500k loss should have been 3.5 Mil if not for the donations. So yes, you need a reality check. You're being far from realistic. To say Hawthorn were in as bad a shape 3 years ago as we are in now is as far away from being realistic as anyone can be. Even less realistic than the special effects 60s Godzilla flick.

I can't believe we don't have a sponsor yet. this is bordering pathetic now. We're going to be a laughing stock if we play Hawthorn without one...if we weren't already a laughing stock.

We have several people bagging it, yet none of you can actually post the image in here?

I didn't know they allowed 55 year old virgins who owned a keyboard to write and record theme songs for new football teams. If that's the final version, or near it, it will be the worst song ever recorded, released and played to the public in the history of Australia.

My thoughts exactly. We're a really young team if you had to judge by those photos.

Congrats! Sign him up!

@ how thin wonna looks and @ how big Davey's arms are.

While the figures are extremely encouraging, I hope we're not just signing up a whole bunch of non-Melbourne supporters like North were last year. North have 15,000 dedicated members, if that. 34,000 included about 20,000 non-NM members and we'll see this year how many of those 34k weren't actually North supporters when they only get 18k members. I know 10 people who signed up last year who don't go for North. If 90%+ of these 14k are Melbourne supporters, I'm happy.

I remember that game against Hawthorn at Princess Park. I was sitting behind the goals where the Melbourne cheersquad was, right up the back of the stand. Jako absolutely killed it that day and didn't even play a full game. He could have been the greatest full-forward ever. Better than Lockett. Better than Ablett. Anyone. But he was fat, lazy and not dedicated enough. He didn't train and ultimately, his lack of conditioning led to back problems.

I do, but what do I do? I can't copy the direct video location or save it?

Only got Safari and Firefox on my Mac. Neither work

I hate that site. Makes my brand new iMac run slow all the time. Always have trouble watching videos there. It loads the promo for High School Musical 3 then sits on a black screen for 10 minutes... EDIT: Now it's saying "No Video"

Only a matter of time. Does anyone know his nickname (if anything) while playing junior football? I like Jack "Ripper" Watts

Unless you have a recent picture of an old jersey, don't compare the two. I doubt they had 8mp camera's in the 60s. But yeah, the "old" red was a dark, blood red. It was a vicious red. We went from vicious red and black navy blue, to baby blue and vicious red, to tomato red and dark blue.

Brown should fit right in playing with players who match his skill and ability. lol.

Someone's jealousssssssssss