Fitzroys last days - Melbournes de ja vu?

[Bulldog4life]

You know I really don't care. I am only worried about us who have won 8 of the last 24 games.

Or you can look at it more favourably....we have won 2 in a row.

[bulldogtragic]

2013:

CEO sacked
Coach about to be sacked
Awful playing list
Massive $500,000 fine for tanking
Massive losses on and off the field
Crowds at crisis point
Rebuilding the rebuild which needs to be rebuilt

AND

TODAY President McLardy quits
TODAY the anointed future president resigns from the board
TODAY the stand in President refuses to endorse the coach for the season
TODAY MFC take cap in hand to AFL for EMERGENCY funding
TODAY MFC make strong demands to the AFL for priority picks before the season has ended, despite being guilty of tanking...

Is shambolic the most apt word. Or crisis...

What is the AFL to do???

[lemmon]

Surely they can't be given PPs after the tanking fiasco? They bite the hand that feeds them and then scratch at the door again for dinner? Pathetic

[bulldogtragic]

Surely they can't be given PPs after the tanking fiasco? They bite the hand that feeds them and then scratch at the door again for dinner? Pathetic

Plus the $500,000 tanking fine, then they ask the AFL for it back plus an additional $2,500,000 interest.

Makes a mockery of everything.

[Remi Moses]

They SHOULD NOT get priority picks .
A) looks farcical as they've been punished for playing for draft picks
B) Their biggest issue is poor development and coaching of players they've drafted.

[bulldogtragic]

2013:

CEO sacked
Coach about to be sacked
Awful playing list
Massive $500,000 fine for tanking
Massive losses on and off the field
Crowds at crisis point
Rebuilding the rebuild which needs to be rebuilt

AND

TODAY President McLardy quits
TODAY the anointed future president resigns from the board
TODAY the stand in President refuses to endorse the coach for the season
TODAY MFC take cap in hand to AFL for EMERGENCY funding
TODAY MFC make strong demands to the AFL for priority picks before the season has ended, despite being guilty of tanking...

Is shambolic the most apt word. Or crisis...

What is the AFL to do???

And now Neeld is gone, not doubt after the AFL refunded the tanking fine.

When will things bottom out?

[The Underdog]

And now Neeld is gone, not doubt after the AFL refunded the tanking fine.

When will things bottom out?

When they appoint Alan McConnell as coach.

Seriously the AFL are about to give them a ton of cash, they'll be ok in the long run.

[1eyedog]

With Peter Gordon at the helm, I am confident we won't be on the down wide spiral.

One advantage we have had is we are the club representing the Western Region of Melbourne, one of the fastest growing regions in Australia and with over 500,000 people.

BAD we changed our name 17 years ago to take advantage of this and we are still in a similar membership position as we were then, all things being equal. Population increases are not good drivers for a rise in memberships. Many of the new residents in the west are either Immigrants with no interest or knowledge of AFL or families who are taking up house and land packages throughout the Wyndham, Tarneit, Point Cook etc. areas. Most come from areas outside the West (I believe there are a heap of sales in these areas from Geelong residents who work in Melbourne) and already support AFL teams.

[LostDoggy]

BAD we changed our name 17 years ago to take advantage of this and we are still in a similar membership position as we were then, all things being equal. Population increases are not good drivers for a rise in memberships. Many of the new residents in the west are either Immigrants with no interest or knowledge of AFL or families who are taking up house and land packages throughout the Wyndham, Tarneit, Point Cook etc. areas. Most come from areas outside the West (I believe there are a heap of sales in these areas from Geelong residents who work in Melbourne) and already support AFL teams.

I agree that relying on the western suburbs thing doesn't work and we'd be far better off recruiting fans via the following channels:

• Winning games and finals
• Increased media coverage
• More blockbuster games
• More money to spend on marketing in general
• Bigger sponsorship dollars

None of those things are realistically in our immediate reach. Our region is something we don't need to pay for, and is “lower hanging fruit” to pick until we can start hitting some of those other areas above.

It may not be the best advantage, but it's better than nothing, in other words.

[1eyedog]

I agree that relying on the western suburbs thing doesn't work and we'd be far better off recruiting fans via the following channels:

• Winning games and finals
• Increased media coverage
• More blockbuster games
• More money to spend on marketing in general
• Bigger sponsorship dollars

None of those things are realistically in our immediate reach. Our region is something we don't need to pay for, and is “lower hanging fruit” to pick until we can start hitting some of those other areas above.

It may not be the best advantage, but it's better than nothing, in other words.

Agreed. But how about selling the farm to recruit a superstar and see if that impacts on membership sales. Didn't someone post on here that memberships went up 5500 when we recruited Aker? Finals don't get you anywhere, even Grand Finals, look a North. I know they have a much more closed region to work with but gee, Carey and premierships and still in strife a few years later. The only way to get all those things you've listed above is to get a bigger membership base. We need to put bums on seats. Majak Daw may end up selling North 10,000 extra members if he goes on and becomes a good player, Jong may eventually do the same for us.

We need a good, maybe two really good players in their prime, not at the end of their careers.