Search the Community

Dear Melbourne Football Club, Thanks for your email. I will always support this club through the good and bad times! My late father, Kevin Raymond Hardeman who passed away on 3rd December 2018 and was a financial paid up member of the MFC since 1972 (except 1979!) and we, as a family attended every MFC game up until 1987. In 1973, I remember sitting in the Northern Stand with my Grandmother (Gary Hardeman’s Aunty), my Dad, Mother, Brother and Sister (my youngest brother wasn’t born at the time) with Robert Flower’s parents and talking to them while watching Robbie play his first game for the MFC! I was still taking my Dad to the footy in 2018 and sitting in the top deck of the Southern Stand in the AFL members...sometimes on our own!! My Dad saw his last MFC game and win against the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium! It was a fitting last game for Dad (who had Dementia and was living in a nursing home at the time!). My Dad had grown up a Footscray supporter and saw many of Melbourne’s premierships in the 1950’s. My father was a good footballer in his own right and played U18s for Yarraville Football Club and told me he had played football on the MCG and his opponent that day was EJ Whitten who was playing for Braybrook. It was the season before EJ started playing for Footscray. Dad also coached North Footscray Football Club and was a life member of the Umpires Association in the Footscray District League (FDL) which is now defunct. My Dad was the strongest, nicest and honest man I ever knew. He was and is still a legend!! Our greatest MFC moment was at Whitten Oval in the last game of 1987 when we beat Footscray to make the finals for the first time since 1964! I remember hugging my Dad as the final siren rang and dancing on the terraces...what a game! What a team! What a season! We where also there at the Preliminary final at Waverley and watched as the Hawks broke our hearts!! We went to our Grand Final losses in 1988 and 2000 (another great year...loved ‘The Wiz’!!). My poor Dad was too ill to go the finals in 2018 but my brother, my niece and myself where at the MCG to see us beat the Cats and the Hawks (I was responsible for starting the Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne chant after the game!). I flew to Perth for the 2018 Prem final and sat behind Daniel Cross (Daniel lived with my Dad’s brother Peter Hardeman and my Aunty when Daniel first started playing at the Bulldogs) and the club doctor on the plane over...the loss still hurts as does the 186 point loss at Geelong (Dad, my son and I sat though the reserves as they got beaten by 30 goals and then the seniors by 186 points...I am still recovering from that defeat!!) My Dad also knew Dudley...and I remember Dudley selling peanuts at the footy at the G in the 1970s and 1980s... Anyway... I love this club with all of my heart and soul! Stay strong and take care. Go Dees!!!

So from reports this is our new List Manager following Todd Viney moving in to other roles then vacating. We know about his police background as a detective as well as his footy background, having joined as a recruiter in 2012. Have we skilled him in useful tools for the position: 1. Contracts 2. Negotiation 3. Analytics Clubs are hiring former player managers (see Collingwood with Ned Guy) as they understand the contract and negotiation. St Kilda hired a former Investment banker because he knows contracts, knows how to negotiate outcomes and knows how to interpret data. https://www.saints.com.au/news/2018-08-02/saints-appoint-list-manager Josh Mahoney gets a lot of credit/blame at this time of the year because he's the public face of the club during the trade period but he's not necessarily the main decision maker. Anyone else got any information or opinions?

Who's going tonight!? Who's watching from home? Share a pic of your game gear! I got myself a new guernsey (I had an old Tooheys one) because I wanted to mark the start of a new era. I'll be at the G tonight. Don't think I'll be able to work today haha. So excited! We've got this. Go Dees!

Hard exercise, I'm sure many will disagree with some selections and on those I did not include. (and no I didnt overlook Woewodins brownlow medal year, Im well aware I omitted it). 1. David Schwarz, 1994 - Led competition in marks, kicked 60 goals at CHF, dominated the first two weeks of finals. Widely regarded as the equal to Wayne Carey. And he did it in style. 2. Jim Stynes, 1991 - Brownlow medal winner with 25 votes. AA ruckman Redefined the ruck position by averaging 26 disposals, 9 marks and chipping in 15 goals. B and F. 3. Garry Lyon, 1994 - 79 goals, including 10 in a final. Went into the midfield in numerous final quarters when the team needed a lift, and he always delivered. All Australian. B and F. 4. David Neitz, 2002 - 82 goals, AA full forward and a rare Coleman Medal for the Melbourne Football Club. Became a great leader and one of the comps best enforcers and most intimidating big men. B and F. 5. Clayton Oliver, 2017 - One of the greatest seasons a teenager has ever played, culminating in a landslide victory in the Best and Fairest. Became the only Melbourne player in club history to average 30 disposals in a season. 6. Jeff Farmer, 2000 - Electrified the comp, kicking 76 goals including 9 on Queens Birthday and 8 in the Prelim FInal, helping the Dees into the granny. All Australian. 7. Garry Lyon, 1995 - ,Makes it 70+ goals in back to back seasons, and earns his third straight All Australian selection. 8. Max Gawn, 2016 - A dominant season, winding the clock back to the days of the great Jimmy Stynes. AA ruckman and polled 16 Brownlow votes. 9. Allen Jakovich, 1991 - 71 goals in 14 games, it was a record breaking season. Eight goals in the first final, vs Essendon, eliminating them. Fastest player to 50 career goals. 19 scoring shots in a single game. Possibly would have been number 1 on this list if he had played even just a few more matches. 10. David Neitz, 1995 - In just his third season, future skipper David Neitz holds down centre half back with distinction, and is named in the All Australian team.

NAB AFL Women’s Competition / JLT Community Series double header NAB AFL Women’s Competition – Round 4 Melbourne v Carlton Casey Fields Saturday 25 February, 11.35am EDT JLT Community Series – Week 2 Melbourne v Carlton Casey Fields Saturday 25 February, 2.05pm EDT Gates Gates will open at 11.00am. Gate 1 is for membership scans, entering with pre-purchased tickets and those tickets purchased on the day and Gate 2 is for membership card scans and pre-purchased tickets only. Access and Ticketing Entry is free with a Melbourne Football Club membership. If you are not a member, as this is a fully ticketed event, a ticket to the 2017 JLT Community Series match will need to be purchased for entry to the JLT Community Series and AFL Women’s matches. We encourage you to pre-purchase your ticket for both games through Ticketmaster. Access to JLT Community Series matches is subject to capacity and is not guaranteed. Family Fun Day Visit our free Family Fun Day located on the Village Green near the main entrance for a range of great activities! The Family Fun Day will run from 11am-2pm. Parking Limited public parking will be available on site at the south end of Casey Fields. Get there early to secure your spot. Nearby street parking is also available. Membership and Merchandise Memberships and merchandise will be available for sale from the Melbourne marquee located outside the main entrance at Gate 1 from 10.45am. Support the women’s team with a membership from $75! 2017 scarves will also be available for members to collect. Kick to Kick Kick to kick will take place on the ground following the completion of the JLT Community Series match. Bring your footy and enjoy one of footy's greatest traditions! TV Times NAB AFL Women’s Competition – Round 4: Fox Footy –11.30am EDT Live JLT Community Series match: Fox Footy – 2.00pm EDT Live Social Media Keep up-to-date on game day with our live coverage of the game on Twitter (@melbournefc) and follow the hashtags #AFLWDeesBlues and #JLTSeries Get a behind-the-scenes insight into the day by following us on Instagram (@melbournefc), liking us on Facebook (facebook.com/melbournefc) and adding us as a ‘friend’ on Snapchat (melbourne_fc). Website melbournefc.com.au will also publish quarterly updates live from the game. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Backs: Brooke Patterson, Mia-Rae Clifford, Katherine Smith Half Backs: Daisy Pearce, Laura Duryea, Shelley Scott Centre: Harriet Cordner Half Forwards: Karen Paxman, Deanna Berry, Lily Mithen Forwards: Sarah Lampard, Jessica Anderson, Cat Phillips Followers: Lauren Pearce, Mel Hickey, Elise O’Dea Interchange: Emma Humphries, Richelle Cranston, Aliesha Newman, Jasmine Grierson, Maddie Boyd, Alyssa Mifsud Emergencies: Sarah Jolly, Ainslie Kemp In: Newman Out: Jolly Injured/unavailable: Stephanie De Bortoli, Meg Downie, Pepa Randall ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The last thing we should do is get arrogant, but jeez I've got a good feeling about the Melbourne AFLW team. OUR team. 'Twas a great win last week against the Dogs and thank christ we didn't have to hear that horribly remade 'Daughters of the West' team song. We're going in to this round with the momentum off of our back to back wins against what is considered to be one of the top 2 teams in this comp. What's working in our favour this week is their best player Brianna Davey is out with a back injury and another key defensive player is out for the season with an ACL. This is a massive advantage having her out as she is probably one of the best in the comp and according to Carlscum match preview, they are resorting to putting Darcy Vescio up at CHB. As always, this mightn't be the case on game day but the advantage this provides shouldn't be understated. Need to capitalise and dominate. They came off second best against Adelaide last week by a whopping 3 in points in a thrilling one goal game. After being so heavily beaten they will be looking to come out firing this week. Many will refer to the practice match we had prior to Round 1 where we got one goal and they beat us by 44 points. I think that's irrelevant now as the team has well and truly clicked and are starting to look dangerous up forward. Not to mention that the Demon ladies themselves will want to make up for the praccy spanking - Laura 'Irish' Duryea (Number 11) looked absolutely filthy so lets hope she irons someone out. This is another MUST win game as we sit 4th on the Ladder, equal with Carlton, and we simply have to get the win to jump over them to 3rd and keep our grand final chances alive. Also looking for Freo and the Giants to get a win as well to keep the Lions and Adelaide stagnant. Alyssa Mifsud found her feet last week and booted 3 majors, giving us a great key forward target to work alongside Jess Anderson. Considering our forward line was considered to be our weakness, it's great to see it finally gelling together. Rocky was back in the team last week and again missed an easy shot on the run in front of goal, but I'm willing to let it slide as she wasn't in the Round 2 game where we lifted as a team. Hopefully she steps up this week and boots a couple. Daisy Pearce again was terrific, getting 26 touches and showing the comp that she's still the best. Kazza Paxman did even better by getting 27, could these two be the first AFLW players to crack 30 disposals in a shorter game? I think we can seriously win this one.

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2016-06-06/off-air-vision-ceglar-gets-hogan Been offered one week for this dog act on the Hulk. Bernie Vince gets called garbage for a slap yet Ceglar doesn't cop any heat for a blatant elbow

Watched a bit of this online last year and it's only gotten funnier this year. Absolutely leaves most current Australian comedy for dead, plus it's all footy. Thankfully the dees aren't too much the butt of the joke this week. http://m.afl.com.au/fridayfrontbar

Discuss.

Doesn't let up, does it? We convincingly beat a side who's the clear favorite to win, while Hawks get spanked by Richmond. Yet, there's still Hawthorn morons online paying out on Melbourne!! Seriously thinking Hawthorn may replace Collingwood as my most hated team, purely because of the obnoxiously arrogant supporters.

Surprised no thread has been made on this so far: Footballers in Cars getting Coffee. It's a new video on the MFC website and it's a brilliant idea to rip off an already brilliant idea, that is Jerry Seinfeld's great little Internet show "Comedians in Cars getting Coffee." Episode 1 is Robbo interviewing big Max Gawn. If you've not seen the original, this is basically the same thing where the host picks someone up, they drive around in the car and then have coffee, all the time just having a conversation. Nothing groundbreaking, but it gives an insight into their personality and is relatively entertaining. It's exactly that - light entertainment for supporters. I notice its directed and produced by Court Sage Heart, who looks to be new to the media dept and I think is bringing in some great new ideas. I think the AFL club media is heading towards more personality driven content, as there's only so much we can watch where the coaches repeat all the same cliches and in the end tell us essentially nothing new. Same with anything to do with injury reports, etc. Newsbeat looks like a regular segment that has popped up and is a bit like a short highlights show for those of us who have a hard time finding the time to watch all the videos produced, and to get the snippets that actually do come out of all the other guff. Not the greatest I've seen from the outset, but a rough diamond that could be polished. Saves me time at least. Also probably worth mentioning that there's another new face on there, I think her name was Anna Harrington from memory. She interviewed T-Mac and Barry when they signed extensions. Good to see the media dept expanding and producing greater quality media for us supporters.

Hey Guys, As some of you are aware MFC has a yearly golf day, this year its at The Heritage on Friday Nov 15. I am looking for one more golfer for our team. Its $325 pp which incls prizes and lunch, also many dees players will be attending. So far we have handicaps of 12, 19 and 19 in our team so someone of single figures or close to it would make an unbeatable team!!! Happy Golfing, Nick

I found this youtube video, which was an intro to a new Tom Wills documentary Since he is the founder of Australian football and Melbourne football club, I thought it was appropriate to share this video with the Demonlanders.

Last year I was savaged by posters on this site for pointing out the bleeding obvious. I will state it again. Neeld is missing a major skill required to have success as a senior coach. This is the skill to be able to get the most out of your players. Neeld has no ability to create the confidence and self belief required to be an AFL coach. The number of players who play as a shadow of the players they were prior to last season in staggering. Virtually all players have gone backwards despite them being mostly low draft picks, young and up coming. I watch as our x players who were moved on suddenly find there lost ability at new clubs and point to this as further evidence. At the same time our recruits from other clubs suddenly struggle to get a kick, struggle to play. I said it last year and I will say it again now. Neeld is not our man. He may be tough and smart, he may have a good footy brain but he is missing the skill of installing self belief and confidence while still being tough. He must be sacked ASAP. The perfomances since he became coach have been beyond appauling. Come season end we will see another wave of our better players asking to be traded or leaving through free agency if we don't get someone in who can install the most important thing in football........ self belief. Further we will be unable to trade for any quality recruit as the MFC will continue to seen as poison for any players career. We must get rid of Neeld before more damage is done.

In case anyone missed it ... Dees clear about Draft In this pre-draft Q&A, Todd Viney discusses the criteria the club uses for selecting players - the 4 pillars of talent identification: competitiveness football talent physical attributes character Worth a read, if you haven't yet.

Melbourne coach Mark Neeld hanging tough after nightmare start to season Not altogether that bad. There are clearly a few paragraphs that should be bolded because they have been said by MR, but have been attributed to Neeld. Notes that he reads letters sent to the club, and sometimes conveys them to the playing group, which should fill a few here with burgeoning sense of self-satisfaction. Any thoughts?

In light of recent comments, and many not-at-all-recent, we are again facing the accusations of having a poor culture. And I think it's plain to see they are correct, or at least have been. But my question is: how do you change a bad culture? I'm not into exaggeration using terms like "toxic." Basically we have had a culture for some time that is simply not conducive to reaching the ultimate success at AFL level. There have been other reasons, but this has been a significant contributor. And recently, when we have been trying to rebuild, I think the leadership vacuum has exacerbated the culture problem. So - how do you change it? How will Neeld change it? How long will it take? WHAT DOES THE CLUB NEED TO DO?

Hi all, I'm new to Demonland, but decided to get on board to float the issue of the sometimes touted premise of a mid-season draft. Keen to know who you'd want in and out, and the how much hope you would find in having a mid-year draft?