I'm Mark Perkins- Board Nominee

[Roosviews]

....

 

[Bren]

Good morning everyone. I'd like to introduce myself and answer any questions you may have.

I hope you are all intending to vote by 5PM today by proxy or at the meeting on Friday. Its your chance to help shape your footy club.

What do you bring to the roos that the doc cannot?

 

[Bren]

How long have you supported the roos for?

 

[trevagreene]

What are your thoughts on North Melbourne being refered to as the "Kangaroos" by the media, and listed in the fixture as the Kangaroos as opposed to our real name - North Melbourne.

 

[Event Horizon]

Mark,

I like your strong commitment to keep the club in Melbourne.
Do you believe that there are current board members who are open to relocation ideas?
Given your business background, what are the basis of your belief that we can generate suffient revenue to keep our head above water in the future?

Do you have any views on potentially changing the name back to North Melbourne as I believe that having a nomadic name is a clear path to extinction. Every sporting club has to belong somewhere. We've always had a large following in WA for example, and being called North Melbourne didn't hinder that at all.

 

[Pykie]

Born a North Melbourne person. My grandfather followed North since we joined the league in 1925 and he sorted that out from day 1.

As a kid we would listen to the games together on the radio and if we got beaten I would wait for "The Winners" to come on the TV to see if we would get up in the replay.

In 1980 I was the only kid at school dressed head to toe in full North Melbourne gear the day after the night grand final. I was hunted for every minute of recess and lunch time by a group of Collingwood supporters hell bent on beating hell out of me. Seriously. And I never took a thing off- not even the scarf.

I carried the drinks tray for the club in the early nineties, was team senior team manager for Denis Pagan for the 1995-97 seasons, including the 95 night premiership and 96 day premiership. I had the opportunity of sitting in on match committee, team selection and team meetings for those three years and I have a good understanding of what makes successful football clubs, on and off the field.

From your experience at the selection table, how would you view North's recent recruiting, particularly last seasons, and would you support North heading towards a youth policy, ala Carlton's.

 

[CrazyQ]

Why are you posting on Bigfooty Mark?

 

[desie]

Its only my personal opinion, but if you're not careful, by trying to belong a little bit everywhere, you can end up belonging nowhere.

This is the bottom line.

We are far more easily dismissed by the wider football community as being fodder for the mill because of that lack of geographical identity. "Kangaroos", much as it's a great moniker, is simply a wishywashy symbol that at the end of the day means little. North Melbourne on the other hand evokes visions of over 100 years of football history.

And this is coming from an interstate supporter who has never even been to Arden St.

If the club was serious about making a statement of strength the first thing it would do was change it back.

 

[CrazyQ]

Why are you posting on Bigfooty Mark?

Marky boy.

 

[CrazyQ]

As a demonstration that if elected, I'll be accessible to the rank and file supporters, as I should be.

What do you mean by rank and file supporters?

 

[Z_K]

Mark, you are ticking all the right boxes.

Re our standing as a footy club, I don't believe we need to be the biggest, or even close to, to have sustained success. But we need to do everything very well. We need to retain the members we have better than most. We need to be attractive to the 'maybe' supporters. I think we give those people too many excuses not to be involved. Our ability to run a knowledgable, slick admin department is crucial, and something we have let slide IMO.

Good luck.

 

[mightymax]

My preference quite clearly is Melbourne based club, Melbourne based name. It makes a statement as to where we see ourselves into the future.
Thats my personal view.

Any chance of us playing our home games at Arden st again ?

Look we would all like north melbourne to remain melbourne based. But lets look at reality, it ain't going to happen.

There is a real opportunity to take advantage of the AFL's desire to be successful in SE QLD. There is a real chance to develop a new market, new members, new corporate sponsorships, new revenue streams. ie Gold Coast social club AND a decent Melbourne social club.

So as a candidate, tell me how you will protect my 11 game melbourne membership ticket, whilst playing games in a new market.

So we can be as financially strong as any other club.

Thats what I want to hear.

Look at the Dogs. In 2006, they played finals football. Had record membership. But they still lost $650 thousand ! And I reckon that includes a CBF payment.

Unless you stand for ways to develop north melbourne in and outside melbourne, then you are treating a brain tumour with panadol.

 

[westdog54]

Hi guys hope you don't mind a neutral fan butting in...

Mark I think its fantastic that you've come onto Bigfooty to introduce yourself before the board elections at North Melbourne. You've given straight answers to the questions asked, you haven't gone attacking current board members or the President and from what I can see I think you'd be great for the club.

All the best with the election

 

[year of the roo]

What do you mean by rank and file supporters?

What are you hoping to achieve with this line of questioning ****

Edited to remove name of poster. Please note it is against BF policy to publish users real names without their consent.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Mark, best of luck. I voted for you at 10am today. If you don't get at least two votes (yours and mine) you should demand a recount .

I'm not knocking the Doc or anyone else at the Club, but I see you and a couple of the other candidates as true members' representatives.

Plus, anyone "recommended" by Anthony Stevens (and John Dugdale) is clearly a good operator and a worthy person, as your answers have demonstrated.

 

[CrazyQ]

Mark, if you get elected, will you keep coming back here?

This is great I reckon, the Bulldogs Cam Rose does this on another site.

Smart move.

 

[mightymax]

Mark Perkins:
The North Melbourne Football Club to remain a Melbourne based club. The club to build its own asset base and achieve financial independence by drawing on the resources of successful and innovative North Melbourne people to contribute with new ideas and revenue initiatives. Provide supporters with direct access to the Board via an email address personally overseen by a Board member. Supporters can submit their ideas and revenue initiatives direct to a Board member at any time and play an active role in re-energising and improving their club. Provide media training to a select group of young players who will actively promote the club in the media and project a more positive, vibrant and youthful image of the club. Improve club/media relations. Become a more open and media friendly football club. Provide opportunities for prominent North Melbourne people in the media to become more involved in lifting the club profile.

***I did read your profile before posting and I couldnt see anywhere where you have mentioned maximising the opportunies in SE QLD, whilst protecting our Melbourne members ***

 

[shintemaster]

Good luck Mark, I voted for you, partly on your views and partly on the recommendation of Lidge. I'm hoping you don't let me down, that way I won't have to sit Lidge in front of a TV and play "best of 2006" highlights for him...

 

[mightymax]

You cant say everything in 150 words. You wont find anything against SE QLD in there either.

But given the fact it is the most important item facing north in the near future, it might have been a good idea to mention something.

 

[Event Horizon]

I sent a proxy for me and my wife as well.
North Melbourne being North Melbourne is my key point.
As well as having access to board members.

 

[Event Horizon]

But given the fact it is the most important item facing north in the near future, it might have been a good idea to mention something.

Anybody who finds SE Queensalnd as more important to the future of the club than it's Melbourne heartland, should support Brisbane Lions.

There's a perfectly viable SE Queensland club for you.

 

[mightymax]

Anybody who finds SE Queensalnd as more important to the future of the club than it's Melbourne heartland, should support Brisbane Lions.

There's a perfectly viable SE Queensland club for you.

if you loved the club as i do, you would accept that north need to expand outside melbourne.

as you dont and are happy to see the club die in melbourne, you are not a true supporter. go barrack for the tigers.

 

[mightymax]

John Raleigh:
I see the role of a “member” board representative as providing the views of the broader membership (the heart and soul of the Club), to the Board, ensuring that you are kept informed of the issues facing the Board to ensure its ongoing viability and would put mechanisms in place to support this.
I strongly believe that the NMFC should maintain its primary head quarters at its spiritual home at Arden Street, while accepting the necessity of having a secondary interstate base. If our Victorian tenure became impossible then I would favour relocation ahead of a merger or going out of existence.I implore all NMFC members to become involved with our great Club, consider all applicants and to provide a proxy to the member candidate of your choice. A poor voting response will be seen, by the larger AFL community, as example “poor old North” withering on the vine.

 

[Event Horizon]

if you loved the club as i do, you would accept that north need to expand outside melbourne.

as you dont and are happy to see the club die in melbourne, you are not a true supporter. go barrack for the tigers.

I will not contribute further to this argument.
Although the Tigers comment is silly and offensive.

Of course I could ask questions such as what is expanding outside of Melbourne? Isn't it what we've been doing since late 90s?
How that helped us so far?

And I am not against playing 3 games in GC or anywhere else. But anyone who thinks the club can have two equal bases has rocks in their head.

And just because I refuse to support a Queensland club, doesn't mean a I don't love the North Melbourne football club. It just means I don't love the Gold Coast football club.

"If our Victorian tenure became impossible then I would favour relocation ahead of a merger or going out of existence." - those are the kind of remarks that won't get my vote.

 

[mightymax]

I will not contribute further to this argument.
Although the Tigers comment is silly and offensive.

Of course I could ask questions such as what is expanding outside of Melbourne? Isn't it what we've been doing since late 90s?
How that helped us so far?

And I am not against playing 3 games in GC or anywhere else. But anyone who thinks the club can have two equal bases has rocks in their head.

And just because I refuse to support a Queensland club, doesn't mean a I don't love the North Melbourne football club. It just means I don't love the Gold Coast football club.

"If our Victorian tenure became impossible then I would favour relocation ahead of a merger or going out of existence." - those are the kind of remarks that won't get my vote.

Geeze you really dont have a clue do you.

If we dont move on our terms NOW (like we are doing),

we stay in Melbourne, continue to struggle.

then one day, when we cant pay our bills, the liquidators are called in and we are sold to SouthPort as the Southport Sharkaroos.

Would you love the club then ?

Embracing the Gold Coast market now, is a strategic move that will strengthen the club and ensure we never follow the same path poor fitzroy did.

But as you have said, you wouldnt support the club. Fine. Well you might as well not support them now. Because it will happen. It has to happen.

And Mark Perkins doesnt even consider this topic is important to mention !

Please !