Jaded No More

If you think this has not harmed our brand and the perception people have of our club, you’re an absolute fool and you don’t understand anything about the importance of brand management. Anytime your club is in the news for failing to manage a star player, whether true or not, it is damaging. It creates a perception that we are poorly run and have a poor culture. Bury your head in the sand all you like, but the bottom line is, this club has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the past 12 months and that is not good for sponsors, membership numbers or attracting players from other clubs.

Every Melbourne supporter should and will be happy that Trac is not leaving. Equally I think we are entitled to be disappointed with how these last few weeks played out. It was never necessary for this to spill into the media and become a MFC vs Petracca showdown, where ultimately both our club and his brand were dragged through the mud. I hope we can move on from this and turn our attention and focus to fixing the problems that need to be fixed.

The absolute worst thing any of us can do right now, is punish the club financially. It helps nobody. If you can afford to, please buy a membership and go to games. Not doing so is only punishing guys like Max Gawn who are killing themselves trying to make this club better. It’s not going to make a different to Roffey or Pert or even Goody.

How long you been sitting on this one?

I guess you hope he says I love this club and our fans and I’m committed to being part of making this club better. But beggars can’t be choosers. I still believe that if a trade was there to be done with Collingwood or Carlton he’d be out the door without a second thought. Luckily for us that isn’t possible for now, so let’s make the most of it and make both parties fall back in love with one another.

Yep. Petty was out the door too and chose to stay. Totally different circumstances I know, but a year is a very long time in football. Success will fix a lot.

Sounds like a very “I’m resigned to being here but I’m not happy about it” sort of statement. Let us hope this club makes the necessary changes so that not only Trac but the rest of the team is happy and successful going forward.

And what about Pickett?

It’s good to have a belly laugh after this hard week

I literally don’t want to hear anyone else speak except him. But equally this poor man can’t run this club alone.

Now imagine the meltdown if the situation was reversed 🙄

I’m honestly furious at everyone involved, that this man who just got his 7th AA jacket has to once again talk about the drama that follows this club and the selfish people making it worse. This night should have been all about the greatness of Gawn. Instead it’s about someone else, their brand and their issues.

How sad that in all the drama and negativity that continuously follows our club, we have lost sight of the fact that Max is now arguably the greatest ruckman to ever play the game. What an achievement to get 7 AA jackets. Rare company. Well done Max. You deserve a lot more celebrating, but as per usual, you are instead dealing with the negative attention directed at the club that you so passionately lead!

Out of curiosity, once the court case is settled, do you think we would be able to discuss it? I mean outcomes and what is publicly known.

All this club knows how to do right now is talk a lot of empty platitudes. Their actions in letting this club get here, speaks louder than any of their idiotic meaningless words do.

And as always, those who suffer most are the loyal members. That I am thinking of disengaging because I have reached such a level of trauma with this club, is a [censored] sad indictment on every person who is running this club, because most of them would not give a single [censored] if our club folded tomorrow, they would just walk away and find another job.

The sheer fact that despite being one of the best performing sides over the last 4 seasons, we are back as the perceived laughing stock / problem child of the AFL, speaks to an undeniable failure of leadership and governance. It does not matter if the reality is not as grim from inside the 4 walls, the perception that we are a club in disarray once more, is going to cause enough damage that it will impact every part of our club, but most especially our on field success. I just cannot believe that we are here again so soon.

1000% if Pickett left I would be absolutely gutted. Much more so than if Trac left. I hope we move heaven and earth to do what we can to keep him. Whereas with Trac I hope we move heaven and earth to get an amazing trade and move him on.

What ifs? What if what? He only just signed a new deal. Was he not happy to stay? What is a contract even worth anymore?

I never wanted her to talk. Now you know why.

@Chook in Perth any info on this latest chapter of our never ending drama?

My mistake. I thought he was OOC. Still his manager came out last week and said he was happy. In a time where our club is already under intense scrutiny, why add to it? I don’t want to even contemplate the possibility of losing Pickett. It’s actually incomprehensible right now, and goes against everything I’ve heard of him being happy and settled. If his manager is doing this for some extra cash, it’s pretty ordinary timing.

Except is Waterman not out of contract? Completely different.