Hey Paul Gardner......

[Karl Pilkington]

They are coming off a shocking 2007.

True

Melbourne and Carlton have had the most Priority Picks in the AFL(is it 4 or 5?).

Trav Johnstone, Colin Sylvia are the only two I can think of. Who are our other priority picks?

You have the lowest membership base in Victoria by a long way.

False. We have the second lowest. And the highest conversion rate of supporters to members.

Last year you sold 1 game to Brisbane and 1 game to Darwin, (correct me if I'm wrong). You also collected $1.5million from the CBF, (correct me if I'm wrong). You also had a huge blockbuster game on Queen's Birthday against Collingwood.

True.

I would like to ask all Dees, or is that MelbourneFC supporters a few questions. What is going to happen when you lose the CBF?

If we need it, we will keep getting it I imagine. Can't picture the AFL not helping us out. If we don't need it, we won't use it.

What is going to happen when you no longer can sell games interstate?

I'll be stoked. It will mean we get more home games at the G. It won't impact us financially, because we'll be running at a profit before we ever stop selling games interstate.

What is going to happen when the AFL decide to take away the Queen's Birthday blockbuster.

When is that happening? My answer depends on what exact year it is the AFL have announced they'll be removing it.

I'll hazard a guess.

Of course you will. That's all this thread is anyway, a mix of guessing and fiction.

MelbourneFC will be posting $3million losses every year.

Oh noez! Wot wil we doo?!?!

 

[Karl Pilkington]

Most of the Melb. supporter on here back Gardiner to the hilt and won’t hear of any criticism. Truth is they have been precarious for a long time and remain so.

The truth is we were nearly bankrupt and at least we're posting profits now.

They may not be Collingwood level profits, after all we don't have a legion of impoverished halfwits who would rather trade their foodstamps for a membership instead of new clothes, but a profit is better than nothing.

With new training facilities available from 2009 and an increased MCC influence, we're hardly staring down the barrel.

 

[Karl Pilkington]

At least we're involved in a blockbuster game

Well, the Saints did get to play in the Finals in 2006, they played the Demons in the Elimination Final I believe.

Can't quite remember the result, but I do recall there being more Melbourne fans there than Saints fans, especially within the last 5 minutes of the game.

 

[MarkT]

The truth is we were nearly bankrupt and at least we're posting profits now.

They may not be Collingwood level profits, after all we don't have a legion of impoverished halfwits who would rather trade their foodstamps for a membership instead of new clothes, but a profit is better than nothing.

With new training facilities available from 2009 and an increased MCC influence, we're hardly staring down the barrel.

Yeh Collingwood is rich with impoverished supporters and Melbourne is impoverished with rich supporters. Seriously, you don’t think you are staring down the barrel?

The AFL want a club. North may well be sorting themselves out. That would leave Dogs and Dees. Do you know what a barrel looks like from the outside?

 

[Hodgies Heroes]

The truth is we were nearly bankrupt and at least we're posting profits now.

They may not be Collingwood level profits, after all we don't have a legion of impoverished halfwits who would rather trade their foodstamps for a membership instead of new clothes, but a profit is better than nothing.

With new training facilities available from 2009 and an increased MCC influence, we're hardly staring down the barrel.

Is it really posting a profit of $96,000 if you are including a $1.15 million dollar handout given to ytou because you can't make a profit ?????

Not having a go , i believe strongly in the AFL trying to keep all clubs going, but the truth should be stated openly that as a club you ran at an operating loss of over $1 million dollars - and rely on the Competitive Balance Fund assistance to survive.

 

[Karl Pilkington]

Yeh Collingwood is rich with impoverished supporters and Melbourne is impoverished with rich supporters.

Yep. it's quite ironic. Melbourne supporters pay taxes so that Collingwood supporters can buy memberships with dole money, then Melbourne get charity from Collingwood via the QB game each year. Capitalism at work!

Seriously, you don’t think you are staring down the barrel?

Not at all. We have some excellent facilities being built, coming off a record membership year (in which we won a total of 5 games, usually that bad a result would result in very poor membership numbers at our club) and are almost completely debt free and have made a profit.

The AFL want a club. North may well be sorting themselves out. That would leave Dogs and Dees. Do you know what a barrel looks like from the outside?

North "may" be sorting themselves out - and I hope they are. But if you think the MCC would let the MFC get moved to the Gold Coast you have got rocks in your head. The membership numbers may not reflect it, but our blue blooded connections still have a lot of clout with the AFL.

I'd be absolutely flabbergasted if the AFL were even considering Melbourne as a real option anyway - it simply wouldn't make any sense to move the club that started it all, especially when they're running a profit.

The AFL have enough bad publicity at the moment, the last thing they need is for Adrian Anderson and Vlad to show up dead at the Junction Oval with their testicles shoved in their mouth.

 

[Karl Pilkington]

Is it really posting a profit of $96,000 if you are including a $1.15 million dollar handout given to ytou because you can't make a profit ?????

Firstly, it was 1 million. Not 1.5 million.

Secondly, as has been repeatedly stated by the AFL, it's compensation for inequities in the draw. The AFL acknowledge they don't provide a fair ground for all 16 clubs to make profit in, they admit they fixture certain games each year to ensure bigger profits for the league - part of those profits then get redistributed to the clubs who get shafted by the draw the most.

Not having a go , i believe strongly in the AFL trying to keep all clubs going, but the truth should be stated openly that as a club you ran at an operating loss of over $1 million dollars - and rely on the Competitive Balance Fund assistance to survive.

As a club we posted a $90,000 profit. The CBF is revenue that we are entitled to.

 

[Hodgies Heroes]

Firstly, it was 1 million. Not 1.5 million.

Secondly, as has been repeatedly stated by the AFL, it's compensation for inequities in the draw. The AFL acknowledge they don't provide a fair ground for all 16 clubs to make profit in, they admit they fixture certain games each year to ensure bigger profits for the league - part of those profits then get redistributed to the clubs who get shafted by the draw the most.



As a club we posted a $90,000 profit. The CBF is revenue that we are entitled to.

But you are only entitled to it because you are running at a huge loss !!!!!
It has nothing to do with the draw or stadium deals or fixtures the CBF - the main criteria is that you are running at a loss.

I agree that you are entitled to the CBF - but you should paint the proper picture that your clubs operating loss is around $1 million dollars. If it wasn't at that level you would not get the CBF money.

 

[Deenamite]

Sylvia and McLean were the 2 priority picks and I'm content with the way the club is travlleing considering where we were. You might want to look at your own clubs board stability before you question ours.

 

[demonfan9]

But you are only entitled to it because you are running at a huge loss !!!!!
It has nothing to do with the draw or stadium deals or fixtures the CBF - the main criteria is that you are running at a loss.

I agree that you are entitled to the CBF - but you should paint the proper picture that your clubs operating loss is around $1 million dollars. If it wasn't at that level you would not get the CBF money.

As far as I'm aware, we put a certain amount of money towards paying off our debt. Not sure of the exact figure though. Now, if we didn't receive the $1m CBF, then we simply wouldn't have paid off that debt, and our profit would've stayed the same.

 

[Brock Machine]

Sylvia and McLean were the 2 priority picks and I'm content with the way the club is travlleing considering where we were. You might want to look at your own clubs board stability before you question ours.

McLean wasn't PP, just straight out pick 5.

Priority 1 Adam Cooney West Adelaide Football Club Western Bulldogs
Priority 2 Andrew Walker Bendigo U18 Carlton
Priority 3 Colin Sylvia Bendigo U18 Melbourne

 

[Karl Pilkington]

But you are only entitled to it because you are running at a huge loss !!!!!

Incorrect, we are entitled to it due to unbalanced scheduling. That scheduling would ordinarily result in a loss, but because of the compensation fund, we do not run at a loss.

It has nothing to do with the draw or stadium deals or fixtures the CBF - the main criteria is that you are running at a loss.

The main criteria is that scheduling is forcing us to run at a loss, or at least worsen the loss we might run at. Why do you think St Kilda don't get it? Or Carlton? Or Richmond? All of those clubs have run at a loss and not received it (they have of course received different payments, but that's another thread altogether) - if running at a loss was the main criteria, why didn't those clubs receive it? Unless of course it wasn't that main criteria.

I agree that you are entitled to the CBF - but you should paint the proper picture that your clubs operating loss is around $1 million dollars. If it wasn't at that level you would not get the CBF money.

Our club, if we weren't fully entitled to the CBF because of unbalanced scheduling, would run at a loss. If Collingwood had a third of the members they had, they'd run at a loss. If not for organised crime and white collar criminals, Carlton would run at a loss. If not for...

Year end financial reports don't come with an asterisk - the bottom line is just that. The bottom line.

 

[Pipefitter]

Melbourne made a profit. St. kilda didnt. Nice one mate! Where did all your cash go loser?

 

[SpInNeR]

Melbourne made a profit. St. kilda didnt. Nice one mate! Where did all your cash go loser?

...It probably went to the salaries of most of our players.

Something Melbourne doesn't have to worry about too much...

 

[Karl Pilkington]

...It probably went to the salaries of most of our players.

Something Melbourne doesn't have to worry about too much...

We pay 100% of the cap, always have. Why don't you profitless Saints fans seem to know anything about footy?

 

[Deenamite]

...It probably went to the salaries of most of our players.

Something Melbourne doesn't have to worry about too much...

What's that supposed to mean?

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Melbourne supporters, don't give this fool oxygen. They spent months trolling North, now they've turned to you. It means nothing - let it go.

 

[MarkT]

Yep. it's quite ironic. Melbourne supporters pay taxes so that Collingwood supporters can buy memberships with dole money, then Melbourne get charity from Collingwood via the QB game each year. Capitalism at work!

Pensions aren’t taxed any more.

Capitalism at work!

It’s not capitalism but I’m not surprised you are 180 degress out.

Not at all. We have some excellent facilities being built, coming off a record membership year (in which we won a total of 5 games, usually that bad a result would result in very poor membership numbers at our club) and are almost completely debt free and have made a profit.

You have no facilities and cannot sustain yourself.

North "may" be sorting themselves out - and I hope they are. But if you think the MCC would let the MFC get moved to the Gold Coast you have got rocks in your head. The membership numbers may not reflect it, but our blue blooded connections still have a lot of clout with the AFL.

The MCC have no say in the matter as it is but as time marches on the MFC supporting membership % declines. This is exactly he attitude that I keep saying is undoing MFC. The MCC are not your benefactor they are your road block and you keep falling back on two irrelevant intangibles being MCC ties and the name of the City.

I'd be absolutely flabbergasted if the AFL were even considering Melbourne as a real option anyway - it simply wouldn't make any sense to move the club that started it all, especially when they're running a profit..

They aren’t running at a profit. I don’t know that the AFL are considering moving MFC at all. Perhaps they are. They want a presence on the GC and they want at least 1 less Melbourne Club. It is the lowest common denominator that they will move or cull. There are currently 3 candidates. They had their crack at 1.

The AFL have enough bad publicity at the moment, the last thing they need is for Adrian Anderson and Vlad to show up dead at the Junction Oval with their testicles shoved in their mouth.

Look, can we leaves the Masons out of it for once?

 

[NeXus_Helen]

The AFL did not say the CBF is due to inequities in the draw. They said it was to help clubs that historically had a low membership base and as a result could not stand on their own 2 feet.

Anyway, come the end of 2009 the CBF will be terminated and so will the Melbourne football club. Unless they agree to become the Melbourne Bulldogs and be based at the Whitten Oval. Why else do you think they are putting money into that ground??

 

[Goffa]

What happened to the $1,000,000+ profit that you were happily sprouting all year? Why did it turn into $90,000 instead?

Let's analyse the Dees situation a little closer.

They are coming off a shocking 2007. Melbourne and Carlton have had the most Priority Picks in the AFL(is it 4 or 5?). You have the lowest membership base in Victoria by a long way. Last year you sold 1 game to Brisbane and 1 game to Darwin, (correct me if I'm wrong). You also collected $1.5million from the CBF, (correct me if I'm wrong). You also had a huge blockbuster game on Queen's Birthday against Collingwood.

I would like to ask all Dees, or is that MelbourneFC supporters a few questions. What is going to happen when you lose the CBF? What is going to happen when you no longer can sell games interstate? What is going to happen when the AFL decide to take away the Queen's Birthday blockbuster.

I'll hazard a guess. MelbourneFC will be posting $3million losses every year.

Geebus christos you got a lot wrong there!
Firstly, ou only priority pick this century was number 3, 2003, for Colin Sylvia. Was Travis Johnstone a priority, I can't remember? That would make a massive two. And hang on... a Saints fan is complaining about prioirty picks?

Our membership base is not lowest in VIC, higher than Kangaroos, Bulldogs, and roughly even with Hawks and St.Kilda, as are our attendence figures over the last five years, ten years, twenty years (ie, any way you want to look at it).

We sold our final game to Brisbane last year, and the sale to Canberra (not Darwin) is a short term agreement which will expire in one more year.

Our CBF payment is one element in the standard package of dispersals paid by the AFL to all clubs. Our total dispersal from the AFL is about mid-range.
Yes we get the Queen's birthday blockbuster, it's a historic fixture in recognition of the rivalry built between Melbourne and Collingwood, during the six grand finals we beat them in (I guess a St. Kilda fan wouldn't understand the appeal).
We also DON'T get the extremely favourable broadcast and times fixturing which, oddly enough considering you're only marginally larger and marginally more successful, St. Kilda do. One Friday Night game this year, I think one more saturday night game. So don't hang anything on suggestions the AFL is handing an easy ride to us. In essence, the CBF payment is to balance the unfavourable broadcast arrangements.
We have paid out more than half our debt over the last three years, have increased our investment in the footy department, have organised a new, first class home training facility, and coninued to post consecutive profits after all that got done, and after the season from hell.
So next time you want to go bashing another club, just don't....
Because moving to Frankston, installing poker machines in disadvantaged areas, getting into idiotic personal fights with ex-coaches and having a creepy megalomaniac for a president just isn't impressing anyone.

 

[GAMBLER]

Our membership base is not lowest in VIC, higher than Kangaroos, Bulldogs, and roughly even with Hawks and St.Kilda, as are our attendence figures over the last five years, ten years, twenty years (ie, any way you want to look at it).

Really?

From the Herald Sun

Other Victorian clubs doing well on the membership front include Hawthorn and Geelong, both of which are approaching 24,000, Richmond with more than 23,000, North Melbourne with 20,000 plus and St Kilda which recently passed 21,000.

Collingwood has signed around 28,000 members. Melbourne is trailing the competition with around 15,000 members.

 

[Karl Pilkington]

Really?

From the Herald Sun

That is membership figures for this year, to date. Not membership base.

Try again please.

 

[Karl Pilkington]

You have no facilities and cannot sustain yourself.

We run at a profit, and will have the best facilities in the league in one year.

 

[Rob]

As far as I'm aware, we put a certain amount of money towards paying off our debt. Not sure of the exact figure though. Now, if we didn't receive the $1m CBF, then we simply wouldn't have paid off that debt, and our profit would've stayed the same.

Income is income, irrespective of what it goes towards. If you use $1m of income to pay off debt, then it doesn't stop being classed as income.

Put simply, your profit included the handout, and would have been $1m less without it.

 

[GAMBLER]

That is membership figures for this year, to date. Not membership base.

Try again please.

The Hawks and Saints have both had 30000+ members for years, when have Melbourne?