Melbourne - The Poor Cousin of the Melbourne based Clubs

[kymhodgemansmo]

How can a clublike the Melbourne Football Club, with massive support from a rich demographic of the community, perenially underachieve and find itself relatively bereft of criticism.

With such a valuable commodity at its fingertips (ie its supporter base), how can that club perform so inadequately over such a long period of time (ie in excess of 36 years).

They make a Grand Final and become all pumped up, but the state of the Melbourne Football Club is a disgrace.

Given resources, supporters, potential corporate support, the club is a shambles, bailed out by one rich supporter who knows nothing about football.

Undoubtedly, Melbourne Football Club is the most disappointing of all the Melbourne Clubs when all resources, compared with performance, are taken into consideration.

Thoughts anyone????

 

[homework_boy]

You sound like my mum! ummm mum that's not you is it?

 

[dees01]

Get Lost. It is not even worth commenting on.

 

[kymhodgemansmo]

Is it difficult to believe that Melbourne supporters would not know how to react to a post like that - I think not, they do not know enough about their own club to make a reasoned response.

 

[dees01]

I can see from another post you barrack for North. What a bloody surprise. I'd worry about the state of your own club before you attack us. Talk about underachieving. After the success you have had recently yet you still have no supporters.

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The Melbourne Football Club: Tradition, Heritage, Excitement

 

[homework_boy]

I thought North and Melbourne were close

 

[kymhodgemansmo]

Perhaps as a Melbourne supporter you wouldn't realise that supporters don't just hop on board because you are going alright - and I do believe we have more members than you by a long, long way.

And as real supporters take time to develop (ie Hawthorn is benefitting now from the support it earned in the younger generation through its success in the 80's), things may change for North in the future.

But premierships dont all of a sudden make most people barrack for a different team just because they are successful - a concept that would be unfamiliar to you.

Therefore, I accept your criticism of my club but also do not expect this situation to change in a hurry.

As for your club, what are your thoughts, why have you been cellar dwellers for so long, why did you members vote to merge with all of the resources you possess and why in the hell did you end up unable to remain financially viable until Joe turned up????

North have been discussed verbatim, I would love to talk about other clubs and their strengths and weaknesses.

Do you have any valid arguments??????????????

 

[dees01]

Who was it that couldn't pay its players?That's right North. They had to ask the AFL to help! You may have more members than us but we definately have more supporters than North. For example crowd figures. Also this year at the Prelim Final, Melbourne supporters way outnumbered North. I admit, I was pro merger because I thought it was best for the club. But we did not want to merge because of money, it was to attract more supporters and to have better facilities. That is why I was pro merger. To benefit the club. Don't forget North wanted to merge with Fitzroy.

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The Melbourne Football Club: Tradition, Heritage, Excitement

 

[kymhodgemansmo]

That is my point exactly ... look at things objectively.

You have heaps more supporters yet less members.

You vote yes for the merger, yet you are in a much more financially sound position than we are.

Why would you want to merge when you have so many supporters, so many resources as you claim.

And subsequently, you have greater resources than us by your own admission yet you still can't even get close to North's record in the last 30 years.

Eight Grand Finals

Five Preliminary Finals

Not even in the same league _ WHY WHY WHY???

You are not answering my question - this is not an argument about North v Melb, but a discussion about Melbourne's deplorable attempt at calling itself an AFL Club over the last 30 years.

Give me some answers

 

[dees01]

Look, although Melbourne have alot of supporters they will never have a high membership because of the MCC. The reason to merge was to have a good base (Glenferrie)with better training facilities and to get more supporters from the merged partner Hawthorn to become members.
As for Melbourne's performance, the last ten years has been better than many others before that ordinary. Why not attack the Bulldogs. Only one flag in 54, not many members etc.. Have not played in a Grand Final since the 60's. North were no good until Barassi came. What about St.Kilda?

 

[kymhodgemansmo]

Explain how they become so far in debt merger was considered and Gutnik had to bail them out.

The MCC is a cop out because the club has never been progressive enough to tap in to its base, offer alternative memberships, and sought to take the easy way out with the merger.

It riles me to noe end.

Give Hawthorn for example Melbourne's resources and you would have one helluva club.

How Melbourne, for all the academics, for all the business leaders who support them, have managed to be so incompetent for so long amazes me.

As for Barassi, well I think the administration was more the reason, and I think Melbourne and Barassi's five year plan were evidence that Barassi alone could not work miracles.

 

[dees01]

Well I'm sorry but that is where alot of our supporter base comes from. As far as I knew we were not in debt. I remember reading an article stating we were the only club not in debt. Have you seen Melbourne's facilities at the Junction Oval? Glenferrie Oval is much better. What I meant by Barassi is that NORTH were no good to he came to your club.

 

[kymhodgemansmo]

Your club is not in debt noe, but it sure as hell was when the merger was about to take place.

And as for facilities, Junction Oval is Paris compared to Arden Street, and if your supporter base comes from there, surely the club could market to them in some way shape or form.

Most MCC members are hardly short of a buck.

But no, your club has embraced complacency and paid the price with a lack of success.

As for Barassi, I am stting that Barassi was not the basis for North's success, but rather the vision of Aylett, Cheatley & Co.

Your administration has been a farce - Hassa Mann for example - turn it up will you, everything he touches turns to aluminum.

 

[dees01]

It was not in debt at the time of merger! No I have not seen Arden St but if it is that bad why don't you attack your club for not having better facilities?
If our administration has been a farce what about your club for not attracting supporters to barrack for the club?

 

[kymhodgemansmo]

And we jump on the merry go round and around and around we go, but still with no answers as to Melbourne's pathetic performance on and off the field over the last 30 years.

No ideas, no hopes for the future, no logical explanation as to how the club will survive into the future when Joseph takes away the handshakes or the commodity market collapses.

As Denis Pagan says, you can argue with a fol for so long until you in fact become one yourself.

You have not presented one shred of reasonable discussion about your own club, and turned a post about your club into a North v Melb argument - read ample posts on North and our defieicencies and read my responses to those.

As for the Demons, you seem eeither unwilling or incapable of defending your club reasonably.

I dont quite understand you sweetheart.

Cheers

 

[dees01]

I have defended my club. It has shown that we are in a better state than North. We fail to attract supporters but at least we have some. I admit that the years between 65 and 86 were horrible. But you have failed to show to me how North will be able to go on in the future. What about North? In the 80's and early 90's they had no members at all Explain that? That's pretty pathetic. Don't call me sweetheart.

 

[DEES RULE!]

you pathetic excuse for an afl fan.
Melbourne Football Club was the first Australian Rules football club established in the world with 142 years of pride and tradition. Without melbourne your stupid lame excuse of a club wouldn't exist seeing as melbourne opened the way to other clubs.
Melbourne has its problems but did every other club and what you call the roos are not heading down La La land either so dont come crying to us when the idea of merging pops up again. your club is happy if they fill one stand in the MCG during a match so dont go telling melbourne has no supporters.
we might not have been the best in the past 30 years but we always tried our hardest and our supporters were always there which doesn't even happens to north when they are at the top of the ladder.
melbourne is the club if the most history and tradition and making some lame comment about the way its run wont ever change it, so go get a life you sad pathetic stupid little man and go deal with the many problems your club has coz at the moment melbourne is doing very well and no ******* like you can ever change that.
GO DEES
PREMIERS IN 2001!

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there are certain things in this world that will make you angry. what i say might be one of them...
The Mighty Melbourne Demons- Legends of the game!

 

[dees01]

I still don't know why you attacked Melbourne when there are other club's that have gone hust as bad if not worse than the Dees. For example The Bulldogs and StKilda even to a lesser extent the Cats although they have made GF's. What about Richmond? One final series in about 15 years.

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The Melbourne Football Club: Tradition, Heritage, Excitement

 

[dees01]

Thanks Dees Rule. I needed your help while I was in "debate with this North supporter!

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The Melbourne Football Club: Tradition, Heritage, Excitement

 

[DEES RULE!]

i am glad i got that off my chest. he is suck a stupid little mangrel he is not worth it but u cant help but defend the club that has been around the longest.


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there are certain things in this world that will make you angry. what i say might be one of them...
The Mighty Melbourne Demons- Legends of the game!

 

[dees01]

Take a look at what the person said on the Melbourne board. The debate carried on there as well!

 

[Hawktalk]

Noble sentiments Dees Rule but you will find Collingwood were actually the first REAL stand alone footy club. The Dees were just a off shoot of the cricket club.

You were basically dead & buried before Diamond Joe stepped in & if the punishment for salary cap breaches was worth more than lip service you'd still be screwed.

If Glenferrie is such an oasis don't you think its odd we asked the Pies if we could train at their ground this year?

 

[Same Old's]

Originally posted by Hawktalk:
Noble sentiments Dees Rule but you will find Collingwood were actually the first REAL stand alone footy club. The Dees were just a off shoot of the cricket club.

I'm fairly sure Essendon were a "stand alone footy club" when they were formed. I'm not certain if they were the first, however since they were formed before Collingwood that would mean that the magpies wern't the first "real" football only club.

 

[Ms.Storm]

Kym (oh why do you have such a long name?)

At last a person who can see the light re MFC
I'm a member and have been for years but I also love rugby league as much)
However, you know I agree with you totally
except for the Northy years and the last few years since Danniher/Joe have taken over.
Firstly, it is a HUGE MISCONCEPTION THAT MELBOURNE SUPPORTERS VOTED FOR THE MERGER, what the press barely reported on the night was the thousands of supporters were turned away from voting (the hall too small to cater for such a event) and the scene outside was definately ANTI-merger, it would have romped in if people weren't turned away and allowed to vote.
Also the then ADMIN. Ridley and Mann canvassed many postal votes (extra memberships bought) and that's why it just pipped in for a merger vote, but if the people outside had voted, NO WAY WOULD A MERGER VOTE HAD GONE AHEAD.
You might recall Joe saying just after the vote that he would have taken the club to court if Hawks had voted YES BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED OUTSIDE - IT WAS ILLEGAL.
Now getting it off my chest, you are right about MFC PAST ADMIN. (even now - and Joe is still a little too blame as he is too trustworthy) IT WAS PATHETIC TO SAY THE LEAST.
The trouble with the club is still lives in the 60's to a degree, but jOE HAS changed that a little. He now knows something about footy and is a good administrator, but has still not got good staff behind him. (Office staff that is.,..the footy people have been very good)
Anyone who voted for the merger in my books typified many Melbourne supporters (and staff) that sit back and wait things to happen and NOT FIGHT OR TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
Melbourne have a huge supporter base, but too many MCC MEMBERS refuse to buy memberships, we have 20,000 footy members and potential another 22,000 if all MCC (SO CALLED MELB. SUPPORTERS BOUGHT A FOOTY TICKET - but only 1-2,000 do)
To their credit Joe has tried to introduce a membership package to entice them over I think a $50 and another more expensive one offering a better package, but they refuse to take them up - they apparently don't care enough for the club. Personally I wish they would play at another stadium so those so called members would not have a team to follow (sound bitter don't I? but if you had fought the merger, like I did you would have experienced those Melb. morons wanting the merger!!!)
Anyway you can't give your club up, I just hope Joe gets on track with more progressive and dynamic staff who are NOT AFRAID TO TRY THINGS. They are still so old fashioned in many ways.
I could scream barracking for that club (admin. wise particularly, but at least its looking up in the footy dept. and that somewhat appeases oneself,even though you often could kill the admin.)
I tell you what, I am much relieved now I have a great team I barrack for also, called the Storm, whose ADmin IS SPOT ON, they have had so many events over summer for their supporters, the players are so accessible, the social club is fantastic and so on and so on, Melb. cannot compare in anyway shape or form. I have really fallen for rugby league in a big way, so I don't feel so angry anymore.

But a good post...and oh, so true.

 

[CURVE]

Kym, you're a w***er, and I'm ashamed that you are a North Supporter. We should be picking on teams like Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. Teams whose supporters can defend themselves. Not a team, who like their supporters, are old and dying.

Show some respect


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Are We Not Men
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