dpositive

I agree. But mighty big IF. I should have said as much as I dislike Essendon istill would want an improved process to that undertaken against and endured by MFC.

Wow Like the MFC tanking claim I wpould like to see a presumption of innocence and evidence supporting claims to be fully and transparently made to allow the innocence to be detailed. I would not want to discredit all players allthe club and all supporters with an unfounded unsupported claim. I would also like to see the claim and the response hanled in a quick time so that innocence or guilt can be pronounced and the club etc can get on with normal operations.

Bloody fantastic photos S6S Im the worlds worst photographer so really do appreciate them. Ive said beforre the muscle structure seems to be evident which only real life or great photography can capture . The other thing your shots convey to me is the enjoyment that seems on the faces of the players not directly involved in an exertion. This must be a good thing? Can you tell me how the players pull up/ recover after the obvious intensity that your shots convey. Is the effort you capture sustained or is it just a short burst effort? If the boys can match your effort and dedication we should be in for a great year

no tanking by any clubs to manage their lists I hope

BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!

Your right BB59 and I think most posters agree on points you raised We need to concentrate on our strengths while working on our weaknesses Casey could well be an expanding local market having some team training based there raises the profile and perception of identity within that market The MFC is the oldest and with perhaps a geographically dispersed membership because of that fact. We are the team of MELBOURNE the home of the game Perception will also matter as the game expands to that large regional market. While most will watch on TV a seemingly asian link through the small outpost at Darwin with training and 2 games will showcase a progressive club wiling to build on its reputation as the originator of the game. As long as it costs little and does return in excess it is a great innovation and we should be encouraging this expansion while regaining our pride and respectfor our past. OH and winning will certainly help

Its been said by somone else on anther thread??? but the structure and players last year was notably unsuccessful so major change is needed. The new players have a head start as they have obviously been carefully targetted to fill the deficiencies I expect Pederson Dawes Byrnes and Rodan etc to get plenty of games. If they dont it can only be good as it means the standards of those from last year will have been raised. Perhaps that is even starting at training where the enthusiasm of Viney and Barry is always mentioned. It appears to have rubbed off on many others. I too think its going to be great year to watch. As KEV says "Im excited"

Unfortunately I agree. Its why the AFL is where it is at. I dont know that the AFL is necessarily any more trustworthy and indeed uses the knowledge is power model in most other activities. It is something that the club can work on with its players to build the level of trust that would perhaps result in better outcomes and could adress some of the issues that longsuffering covers.. The moral stndby issue is obviously one that is so variable in every other aspect of player club relations there is a long way to go.

Great work Red But dont hold your breath

HG seems to have his finger on the NT pulse. I have always enjoyed his reports and comments., If he can continue to display his passion I am sure that the numbers will grow. A reason to support is what is needed, success on the field and time spent there 2X games would hardlty do it but training and clinics will add to the presence . I repeat that we must "own the G" the history and tradition of being the first club will resonate. Darwin is a great entry point for Asian recognition which can fit with Chinese involvement.

Great pics thanks great to see some muscle on display even Craig stacks up well

I agree with you Jose re Darwin From little things big things grow The Chinese are a market that can also be groomed. As I said in sponsorship thread The AGe article reconised a market which is parents coming out here to visit kids studying. The kids want to embrace Australian culture?? you cant get better representation of Aussie culture than footy at the G get em dressed in red and blue before they head back to shanghai, have em hungry to watch the game on Tv in Shanghai and relive their meories of the G. Its gotta staart somewhere

Dont disagree only think that the club as the prime player in the relationship should be involved from the first step. Without that knopwledge they could in fact be acting contrary to any rehab or amelioration programs? I understand the difficulties with confidentiality etc but I trust the club to look after their major asset the player for mutual benefit.

I hope thats not a reference to me. Its certainly not a walk iin the park, which was the point I was trying to make. There may be some our Dland members based in or working overseas who are able to identify companies who may want to improve their profile in one of the most healthy economic environments in the world at the moment. The China reference is made because the Age business section last week had an interesting article on the expanding China middle class and tourism. Specific mention was made of cChinese visiting their student children here. Other Dlanders have mentioned tapping into that market previously and there now may be even more incentive. What represents the Australian culture more than Footy at the G? Melbourne Football Club is the custodian of the history. We should be making it our territory.

Your arguments lead to the view that managing the issue ( although I have some concerns with legislative rigidities of what is a very variable circumstance) is certainly better than banning. Prohibition had little effect with achohol and gambling used to be the province only of gangsters before being controlled (managed) by governments. Regulation of of drug use Recognition and control would be an improvement

I dont Know if B59 has the marketing experience available to the club and am not pretending that I do either but for starters as I said Australia is a destination for overseas firms as our economy is healthy and our market stable with growth. Locate in the asian market with the AFL mindful of potential expansion into an even greater population base. How About Join the oldest club on the oldest continent in one of the most vibrant sports on the planet. Melbourne Football Club has a unique history, past success with recent turmoil. The club is on the cusp of a resurgence. Now is the time to get on board and link your company with established success and a progressive new approach The Melbourne football club: its managers, its coaches, its players and its supporters are passionate about its place as a colossus in the national game, are hungry for more success. If your company/firm is seeking a vehicle to identify strength, determination, an ability to rise above the difficult times, to display composure and progress with clear stategies to success why not become a sponsor and enjoy the ride. Well you know what I mean and I am sure so does the marketing division Some of our Dland overseas members could spot companies and report to them But it would be nice as I have said before to see reports of their efforts a little bit more transparently. ie what potential sponsors have been approached, what is our pitch, what is our success rate. It would be particularly interesting to see what Overseas companies have been approached.

Probably true. As I said earlier if I knew the answer I would be selling it to the AFL. I just reckon there are a lot of variables and good communication trust etc are needed to get the best result. A hard and fast single rule may mean the remedy is worse than the disease.

Not sure I understand OD I earlier indicated it is a complex issue and the employer should take all circumstances into consideration. The more you know thje better the outcome is likely to be. I also said that with an appropriate process you get the best outcome.

This type of random test and resultant action is a simplistic action for work / perfromance related issues where there is an available replacement labour market. The issue is not so clear cut where specialist skills and impact of capacity are conmsidered

I sometimes wonder if any one at the club looks at other sports telecasts and thinks about the sponsors of those telecasts as potential for our club. Jayco has an apparent stranglehold on cycling and has been in racing for so long BUPA can now do tennis??? Not to mention the overseas telecasts that have logos of products sold in our markets. Overseas companies are now looking at Australia as one of thefew available reliable markets eg ZARA and are expanding here the Melbourne Football Club has some obvious cachet to enter this market? OUr Supporter base includes people overseas who may have the first hand knowledge of products expanding over there who want to get a profile in the Australian market, They /we can all contribute Good on the sponsorship team for mining that resource however a bit of a report on success or failure would be interesting. I did raise EMU (ugg Boots) with the club and had no response.Local company sponsored a red and blue sports car and was expanding into overseas markets. How did they do????

It is a very complex issue. I think that any employer needs to know the circumstances of their employees. If the actions directly affect their work performance capacity then supportive action should be taken. THe AFL is placing itself as the employer above the club who should want/have/take responsibility for their players. The breakdown between (Sport) performance enhancing and recreational is so marginal that it defies logic that the club should not know. If a player was consuming only chips and coke they would want to know. wether this affects performance is again a moot point (diet didnt seem to affect Warnies performance). Long term affects may be another issue and surely the club should have some understanding and considerations of that as well. While people (players) are responsible for their own actions and outcomes the collective (employer/club) shopuld have a greater capacity to ensure their is improved understanding and that informed decisions can be made. Obviously if I had the answer Id be making some policy for the AFL so I can only reflect on the complexity and hope we MFC are doing everything possible to ensure we are caring for and managing our players and infusing them with enoughdesire to have a well balanced life which will allow them to play footy at their peak. Education counselling and support should avoid dismissal.

Thanks RJay I agree with all you have said and was pleased that the AFL umps were at sessions. Hopeully If the tackle is well applied, even if arms are free it, will affect the efficiency of the disposal and result in a contested ball. the tackler should also have the momentum to recover for a second effort while the tackled and upset player will not be as quick to recover. hope you are seeing this in real life training

Just wanted to add thanks to all those providing reports and pics. As others have stated Pics show a group with larger numbers having muscle definition than I can remember seeing previously. No stick insects. Even Watts appears to have more muscle. Interested in all thoughts on the tackling. and observation from the pics is difficult but can the hip tackle become a trip if the tackled player goes down, Will the tackle be seen as a takeout tackle by the AFL if we become adept at it. The pics certainly seemed to indicate that the margin for error could be small. Have the AFL umpires we have had at training sactioned our technique?

Really liked this statement. The merits of Daisy and Buddy are known and they have had success within their own different and successful teams. Their place in the history of the game is still being written and both can still rise or fail in their existing clubs or in new clubs. Our club is creating its own structure and style and has the best blend of experience and youth, big, small,short, tall,fast, high flying players we have seen for some time. Our stars are still developing and may suit either of buddy or daisy but I would really like to see our team develop and create its own . I really hope you are right BB

I did view these stats at the time but felt as you indicated the old "Lies Damn lies and statistics" expression coming to a head. Stats dont indicate all things but it is certainly better to have some tools than none. It must be difficult to collect and present the stats so I did appreciate your efforts. It is one of the features of our website that it is a huge collective of people with a single focus. We perhaps could use that by tasking people to contribute one aspect of behaviour or statistic that interests them and record monitor and comment on that stat. I am not sure how this could be done but look to the skill and wisdom of those who have set up and run this fantastic resource to suggest why it is possible or impossible. I for one would like to see some analysis of free kicks. The totals for and against for all sides is interesting on the sporadic occaisons I examine them. Even greater analysis of the effect of free kicks impact. That is given/received in attack or defence perhaps. I recall sitting at the ground and seeing an attacking move with all the team propelled forward to a likely goal when a soft free kick turns the game around and the opposition out of position for our attack are suddenly gifted a huge advantage. The 2 goal turnaround. This particularly happened with the free flowing all out attack style and hopefully the more defensive style of Neeld will help overcome the impact.