CBDees

What was it that particularly caught your eye with Toumpas? What caused him to stand out? (This question is also directed to La Dee-vina Comedia)

St Kilda are in the same boat and are also wondering who they wil play! Why don't we play them twice as an easy solution?

It is not simply a rumour on 3AW, it is now a topic on Demonland giving it twice as much chance of being picked up by the media ratpack!

Maybe the Eastern Demons (to counter theWestern Bulldogs)?

I tend to agree with Dpositive that we should evolve into the Casey Demons. In that way it effectively becomes our reserves team as well as our team in the VFL!

Don't be surprised if there are more than one of the new six that you listed!

Well that is at least one VFL team that we will boast a stronger list than!

I like some of these options which are starting to emerge! Not only the historic Albert Ground (despite its size), but also the suggestion of Royal Park! Why cannot we take advantage of our Memorandum of Understanding with UniMelb and develop our VFL team with them? We could even offer international places for elite athletes and sporting scholarships for the Aussie rising stars!In relation to the Burnley sporting precinct, that is where Richmond should be based as it is in Yarra (formerly City of Richmond), whereas Punt Road and Royal Park are both in City of MELBOURNE! Keep talking chaps! We'll sort something for PJ by ten years time when it has to be addressed (or 2018 when we revisit Casey)!

In answer to Georgiou R. R. Martin (above): Both the MCG and Punt Road oval are in Yarra Park, which is legislated by the "Yarra Park and MCG Amendment Act 2009". This amended the "Melboune (Yarra Park) Land Act 1980". This amended Act transferred management from the Melbourne City Council to the MCG Trust, however the pre-existing lease of the Punt Road oval to the Richmond FC and the AFL was recognised (section 22). Effectively, as overall manager, the MCG has considerable clout, and, after all, both the Richmond FC and the AFL are their tenants at the MCG!

No. 37 is listed on the Club website as Vandenberg (a midfielder)!

Of course the really ideal scenario would be for our VFL team to play at the MCG as a Curtin-raiser. In that way, the diehards would be able to get their early and watch our whole list in action (plus it would enable the coaching staff to make a more informed call on who to promote/relegate each week)!

The point I was trying to make with this topic was the fact that, when our alignment with the MCC was much closer, we didn't leverage it to the extent we may have and, in the interim, all the rich and powerful Victorian Clubs (viz. Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, Richmond & Hawthorn) have all waltzed in to our 'home ground' and taken the prime times whilst the AFL has consigned us to Sunday twilight matches. I would suspect that both the MCG and the Punt Road ground would both ultimately have to answer to the Yarra Park Trust and my point is that over the years, had we been a lot closely enmeshed with the MCC then we may have well have been able to negotiate a scenario more favourable to our supporters.

I have changed the topic title to move it higher on the page with the hope of eliciting some feedback on this as an idea! Any comments?

Well I guess now that Wayne Carey has critiqued Sylvia's behaviour in this morning's Hun, it is official. He is behaving badly as a elite sports professional from the expert on inappropriate behaviour!

When we started life in 1859 as the Melbourne Cricket Club Football Club, all was good and we had exclusive use of our "home" ground at the MCG for over a Century. Then we started sharing, letting in Richmond fifty years ago (1965), Essendon in 1992, Collingwood in 1993, Hawthorn in 2000 and (worst of all), Carlton last year! All these Clubs have prospered at our expense and our severing our original status as a sporting division of the MCC, has not helped us have any input into these tenancy arrangements. Now all these Clubs are the "Power Clubs" and continue to profit at our expense by having their 'home games' scheduled in prime time while we get relegated to Sunday twilight matches or shunted off to Etihad. At the same time, each of these Clubs have developed stand-alone VFL teams and (sometimes with Goverment assistance) have all done major refurbs of their inner-suburban original grounds whilst we are consigned to Casey. As Peter Jackson highlighted last night, our major impediment in having a stand-alone VFL team is the difficulty of first identifying an inner-urban site and then having the funds to develop a stadium to AFL/VFL standards. My question is: Since Richmond FC have been sharing the MCG with us for half a Century, why can't we ask the MCC (who we were a division of at the time of Richmond's move) to call in the favour and put pressure on Richmond to allow us to share the Punt Road oval? We could build our own 'Social Club' there and it might even emerge as a Win-Win outcome for both Clubs and their supporters!

With the announcement last night at the MFC AGM that: 1) both Plapp and Byrnes are on the MFC payroll; 2) there are 38 MFC players in full training (c.f. 22 last year); and 3) the training / game plans are being integrated, I expect nothing less than a Premiership from the Scorps this year!

That "twit" was a past player whose number was originally inherited by Jimmy Stynes (viz. No. 37)!

HL spoke well and gave the impression that he is committed to and capable of making a real contribution to the MFC. He will be a great addition to the leadership team both on and off the field.Frost spoke of how much he enjoyed the environment back in Melb. (c.f. GWS) and how much it meant to him living with his family. He is wrapped with the outcome of the trade. Similarly, both Petraca and Brayshaw are so enthusiastic and committed to playing their part in the team. I suspect that it was a real coup for us gaining them both in the draft as they obviously are wrapped to be playing in the same team (and not likely to be separated by one of them chasing more money elsewhere)!

Not sure about the 30 year deal with Casey,commencing in 2009. I heard it as a 10 year, deal commencing in 2008. This gives us four years to plan for a MFC stand-alone VFL team in 2018, including finding an acceptable home ground which is clearly the biggest hurdle. Jackson also stated that both Plapp and Byrnes were on the payroll of the MFC (c.f. Casey) which ensures that our game plans and team structures will at last be integrated (maybe enabling Casey to pull off a Premiership?).

Agree that the "Red & Blue" jumper look fantastic and it is a distinctively unique combination of guernsey design and colours! On this basis, can anybody explain to me why we need an 'away' jumper?

Maybe he should be awarded a MFC Life Membership!

I think that you may have hit the nail on the head regarding the delay strategy! It could be easily countered however by the AFL/ASADA ordering them to forfeit x No. matches, in addition to the individual penalties (& ensuring that these are not concurrent)!

Although 73% were against our new crop being included on the banner I was in the minority that nominated HL. Subsequently he has been appointed to the leadership team suggesting that both the players and the coaching staff have great faith as to what he will contribute to our improved performances this year. I am very pleased with the new leadership group and I am quietly confident that they (along with Tyson) will get us into the eight this year!

TDI you certainly made up for your late start to your commentary by an extended session. Thanks for the perserverence!

And no "away" apparel! Put us on the same basis as Collingwood!