Dr. Gonzo

Yep - the club early had a plan in place and needed someone who agrees with that plan not who was necessarily the best coach. Does anyone here think Sheedy would have tanked for draft picks?

I don't care about what Caro wants all I care about is what is best for the club. Schwab is a divisive figure and a failure only good at PR and spin. I've given him a chance, but his time is up. He's been there several years now and the club is worse off than when he got there albeit with a wiped out debt thanks to Jimmy and our Foundation Heroes. He has to go and he will go now the tipping point has been reached. It's now a matter of when not if.

Is this a board position though? If so I stand corrected however he was not mentioned by McLardy in the article. Even so that is only 1 and still represents a dearth of "footy people" on the board.

Now it's revealed in the Hun we're set for a $1M loss this year. Gee lucky Schwab's a great administrator and great at the financial side of things or he'd be in a heckuva lot of trouble. I guess he can always put his hand out to the supporters for more donations and then give them the cold shoulder when it doesn't suit. Fancy having to mix with the rank and file, how are they going to help him climb the ladder? The comments from McLardy in this article are equally disgraceful; "Maybe the issue is the football department and the talent on our playing list and we are just not getting them to perform," he said. Does he even understand that his comments put a further wedge between the admin and the footy dept? This is a CLUB we are all in it together start taking some bloody responsibility and stop deflecting. I'm also worried with the composition of the board, not one footy person on there. McLardy says "And people suggest we should get someone from the AFL to come in and tell us how to run our business." Ah, Don, it's not a business, it's a footy club. Maybe that's a major part of your problem problem right there. This bunch are wildly incompetent and really have to go before they do irreparable damage to the club. http://mobile.news.com.au/sport/afl/melbournes-massive-losses-and-tank-fine-go-straight-to-the-clubs-bottom-line/story-fndv8pdq-1226615247188

Thought this was interesting in Caro's latest hit piece - anyone able to expand on this I seem to remember it being discussed when Schwab's contract was extended. If we can get rid of him without paying out the entire contract that would be a massive win for the club. "Last year the CEO was re-signed on a four-year contract but that contract has a six-month termination clause." http://m.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/schwab-on-thin-ice-as-sharks-circle-20130408-2hhez.html

Delusional.

Brilliant post LC - don't worry about those who can't see the forest for the trees keep up the good work. Very well articulated post about the cultural problems within our club.

People can excuse not having turned it around yet. What they can't excuse is continuing to go backwards at a rate of knots. If Port Adelaide can turn if around in one preseason why can't we do it after 2?

You show some backbone yourself and extrapolate on what you referred to earlier in this thread instead of taking pot shots at genuine supporters who are bleeding because of this club at the moment. I don't agree with cancelling memberships but at this point I can't really fault them for doing so.

Yes precisely - leadership of the CLUB not just the TEAM.

Can't read link have a link that gets around pay wall?

So what is the problem then? Please explain to us if you know rather than offering sanctimonious rubbish.

I do feel for Don though - he was never meant to be President and only had to step up due to the tragic illness and death of Jimmy Stynes. He should probably step down though as soon as we can get a better replacement.

I understand what Don is trying to say and believe he is coming from a good place. However a couple of issues I have with the letter; 1) He is talking about a "long term process" to ensure success - Don this isn't about a lack of success this is a lack of any semblance of competitiveness. We understand the team may not be ready to play finals or challenge for a flag yet but we don't think it's too much to ask to at least be competitive in each match we play. Look at the Dogs, Giants and Suns for example. 2) He refers to Hogan, a kid not even on our list yet. When will this club stop trying to annoint every teenage prodigy as the next messiah who will save the club? 3) He doesn't believe the results are a true reflection of our team - Don the scoreboard doesn't lie. Pre-season training counts for nothing all that matters is what goes in the record books and at the moment our team is about 10 goals worse than any other side in the comp (including the two new franchises).

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahabahahahahaha Really???

I don't know what to think but you do have some merit to this. In 1992 Essendon lost to Hawthorn by 160 points but they didn't sack Sheedy. 30 games later they won the premiership.

Yep - was going to post a topic in this very thing. We are continually told publicly the players aren't at "AFL standard" let alone good enough to win games. FFS do these guys have any clue or even think before speaking rubbish out of their mouths? Telling someone they are not at AFL standard fitness and then being clueless as to why they don't replicate what they put on the training track on game day. An old coach once said footy is played 90% above the shoulders and regardless of all the sports scientists and professionalism in the world it still rings true.

Time to put up or shut up instead of making veiled comments and operating under a cloak of secrecy which this club has become expert at since '65. That's the problem with the club too many cliques (mostly originating in the MCC) thinking they have no need to divulge sensitive info to the rank and file members. If you're unable to articulate what you're referring then I have no reason to believe it was anything other than to do with covering up the salary cap breaches from Gutnick which led to the punishment from the AFL via fines and loss of draft picks.EDIT - I also fail to see how it is irrelevant - we are talking about the reasons our current CEO was sacked by the club in his prior stint in the same role. I would think it is highly relevant to the discussion particularly considering the divisiveness he creates both inside and outside the club.

? What evidence he has done a great admin job since? We have issues with obtaining and then retaining sponsors, our business model is based on handouts and donations and our membership is going backwards - not to mention the embarrassing marketing of us as some sort of "establishment club" with a culture of exclusivity reenforcing stereotypes and alienating potential new supporters. Where is this evidence that he's done a great Admin job since coming from?

Such as???

Schwab was sacked due to hiding salary cap rorts from Gutnick when the AFL held its moratorium. This subsequently cost us draft picks after he was sacked.

That's a bingo! Don't rely on hearsay or anecdotes - use your own analytical skills and intuition.

I've already said as long as there's an MFC I'll buy my premium membership and buy one for my son. But supporting these incompetents isn't just futile it's reprehensible. I support the club not the CEO or President who come and go. Everyone has an expiry date and Schwab's and McLardy's gets closer everyday. I just hope we can rid our club of them before we lose guys like Frawley and Jones to free agency.

Pathetic comment. Keep cheering on the real losers though, sycophant.

He's one of the best commentators in the game at the moment.