The Chazz

The overseas market is the toughest one to crack in to, and I'm a firm believer you have to start off small (like we did with Kaspersky), and take baby steps from there. If a Chinese investor were to offer $1.3m a season, plus we could get Kaspersky on a minor sponsorship package, then we can see that we are starting to make in-roads. It would also be a great achievement considering AFL is just that, an Australian football league. It's not a world sport, it's a very captured audience (which compared to some international sports, isn't very big!). Will be interesting to see who ends up coming on board, and how much they pay. I for one won't be disappointed if we land a $1.3m sponsor, I just know a select few on here will be calling for Cam's head if "that's the best" he can get.

What was the story with the Shanghai Showdown - was it always going to be just a once off? For some reason I thought I heard/read that it would be something we were going to do each year (I could be making things up here!). No doubt the Chinese market is potentially quite a lucrative one, but I'm just doubtful that we will land a major sponsor that will pay more than what EW did. I think if we can get a company on board, in similar style to Kaspersky, then we have done well. I would still stand by my estimations of a $1.3m per year price tag. When people are talking a $2m a year price tag, all of a sudden it is a significant investment, which I'm just not sure if a Chinese company would see a great return on.

However, clubs like Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon can still compete for the big sponsorship dollars becasue of their brand. I would like to know if people think that the front of our jumper is worth the same, or more than the front of a Collingwood or Geelong jumper? If I were in a position to invest $m's in to AFL sponsorship, and our price was equal to the other 2, I'm quite sure I wouldn't invest in to the Red & Blue.

Hope they wouldn't have to go to [censored]'s Summer Camp for altitude training.

Let's get a FoJ sponsor first JCB, then we'll worry about coaches sponsors.

WYL - has there been any mention of this company anywhere other than on this forum? I hope you're right about the big $$$, but I don't think you will be. I still think the FoJ sponsorship will attract less than what Energy Watch paid for the back. While I appreciate that it shouldn't be the case (due to more exposure through media outlets for FoJ position), I just think EW paid overs. The other thing that we have to remember is that while we are Melbourne, we are also the Melbourne Football Club. We have had a year from hell on-field, and we haven't tasted the ulimate prize since 1964. We have won 2 wooden spoons in the last 4 years. There are far more cons than pros when it comes to a company/organisation wanting to invest in to the AFL sponsorship market, but, if there are more EW-style companies that are happy to pay a premium price, I'll happily accept their money. That doesn't not mean I under-value the FoJ sponsorship, I just think EW over-valued the BoJ which has lifted the expectations of many on here.

On the polo's, any major sponsor is displayed on the front, regardless of their position on the playing jumper.

H is for Hallowed Turf (see "G" above).

Providing there are negotiations from both parties (us & them). I'd hate to think we are pricing ourselves out of the market by asking for too much, just becasue we landed a record deal recently. But, in Cam I trust...

From the outside looking in, you would think the favourite to be the next MFC Captain would be Grimes or Trengove, but the $million question is about timing. I personally think Trengove is 20 games short of captaincy material (I await B59's disapproval), but I also think Grimes is 1 full season short too. So then the next question is what will Neeld see from the inside that he likes? Jones would have to be in the top couple in terms of training and leadership, especially around the younger players. He has around 100 games under his belt, and on match day isn't affraid to put in. BUT, in the ideal world, which I don't think is far away, when Grimes and/or Trengove are total stand-outs for the job, would we bother letting Chunk keep the title warm for 12 months, until JG/JT take it? What will that do to culture? I'm not sure - just asking! With the wholesale changes that have happened over the past 4 months, and given Green is still quite capable, and has already insisted that he wants the job again, which will mean he will work his ass off over this preseason, I just can't see it being given to anyone other than Greeny. It makes logical sense for that to happen. I understand most on here that don't agree, but I think most theories on here that don't invovle Green being Captain are about 12 months before they're ready.

I know I commented on Jones in the other post WYL, but I just think that given the stage where we are at as a Club, where we are at in terms of individual players nad their stage of development, that Green will be a better leader in 2012. It's not about reward, it's about redemption. He claims that the captaincy had nothing to do with his bad form this year, and the fact that he is on a 1 year contract and would be hoping to get an extra year will mean he has to pull his finger out. It will also give us another 12 months for the likes of Jones, Trengove, maybe even Moloney, to develop their leadership skills, and for Neeld to "groom" his next long term Captain.

Captain - Green V/C - Jones, Moloney, Trengove LG - Frawley, Jamar, Watts* depends on his preseason after Neeld's open comments. Oh, I can't wait to get smashed after this one, but it's what I would like to see happen.

This is where it will be very interesting WYL. From all reports, Jones is a fantastic trainer, and quite a leader on teh track and behind the scenes at the Club. He could bloody well be the smoky you know. But, there will be many coming from the hills in fits of rage should he get the gig. I for one wouldn't be upset if he led us next year - might get him to that next level that we need him to get to.

The velvet sledge-hammer!

But true?

Regardless of where he finished in the B&F, Rivers is not a Captains [censored]. His body language when things aren't going well is terrible, and if he were the captain, this negativity would spread throughout the team. The fact he was in the leadrship group this year should see him demoted from any future leadership groups. I'd imagine that Neeld would've noticed first hand how Rivers handled himself on-field in that Collingwood match.

Thought the bloke on the extreme right was Popavalium Andropoff.

Exactly Boss, and as you could see by my post, I'm bloody passionate about this Club, but yet, you still have jerks that want to feel more superior than others.

Shouldn't be many thinking that way B59, as your posts are the only ones I have issues with. Ahh, I love it, you don't like me callin gyou names, but love pulling out "the uneducated one", or "grow up", etc. Perhaps I was the one correcting you B59. You say some supporters are that way, well, perhaps it would make me feel better if those "some" came forward and explained what it feels like. Perhaps while you're there B59, re-read the opening paragraph of my post that you "corrected". Here it is just in case you get it mixed up which part I'm talking about; "Well done Old Dee, I think this is probably the best statement of 2011 in my view. It sums up exactly how I feel, and I would imagine a lot of the people on this site are in the same boat." As you, the resident "corrector", can quite clearly see my words of "a lot of people", not "all" as you kindly corrected(?) me on.

This is another typical post for the sake of posting B59. You are an expert at it...tool.

Well done Old Dee, I think this is probably the best statement of 2011 in my view. It sums up exactly how I feel, and I would imagine a lot of the people on this site are in the same boat. It's not about thriving on being underachievers or getting used to being trodden on, it's about controlling, or as you superbly put it, RESTRAINING our feelings. While I'm not (in the words of a Demonland great) "up to my balls in Neeld", and I have far from asked my boss for the 2 weeks off after the Grand Final to celebrate our premiership, I'm quite positive about what 2012 will bring us. I can assure anyone on this site, when my Club loses, it hurts bloody hard, but you just front up the next week and hope that you don't feel that way again. The fact that we continue to front up, especially after the past few years, just makes us enjoy those wins that bit better. I have mates, and they barrack for the MFC, who are the first to sing the song when we win, but where are they when we lose? It sh!ts me that supporters are like that. I know that the day we win number 13, people that I grew up with, went to school with, and have worked with, I know that wherever they are, they will all smile and say "I bet billy2803 will be happy". Just because I don't suffer from premature jubilation during preseason doesn't mean I don't have high hopes and get kicked in the guts when we don't achieve.

Eating one for breakfast? Can't say I'm a morning person myself...

Am I happy we had a number 1 draft pick, only to lose him after 2 years (or prior to us signing him)? No. Do I think we should've received a number 1 draft pick in return? Yes, especially considering we didn't get any value out of the one we had (due to a lack of time). Am I going to accept the compensation that we have been given? Yes, because that's the rules. It doesn't matter a stuff what Geelong got, we have been given what the rules state. Should everyone think the same way as me on this issue? Yes. We can feel like we've been shafted and rightly so, but reality is, we haven't, and nothing will change that.

Thanks Radar - this is exactly what I have been asking for!!! So, to all those who are saying otherwise, we have received maximum compensation for this c u next tuesday, therefore, we aren't entitled to any further compensation, regardless of what else is unearthed. Stripping GWS of draft picks may be an option, but that doesn't mean we automatically get them. We've got what we are going to get, we will get nothing more.

Trident, is it written in black and white somewhere that, should all criteria be met, there is an absolute maximum compensation? If so, then maybe we have something to argue. But if the rules state that maximum compensation with what we got with him, then you are wasting your breath, regardless of if you think we were hard done by. I'm not saying I have seen such document, I'm asking if anyone has.