Team Melbourne

[beaver fever]

AFL is the stronger code in Australia, I'd say that fans are aware of the threat that soccer has but certainly don't have an inferiority complex. Some will say things like "soccer is boring", "why do those fools bring flares", "if they need to sing and chant then obviously the game isn't interesting", etc... However, there are is a fair section of AFL fans who like soccer and there are also those who will occassionally watch it (i.e. World Cup, important qualifiers, etc...) and respect that it is a good sport.

However, if you have a look over at the Victory forums, for example, some of the comments there are ridiculous. While there are a lot of AFL fans who now follow the A-League, for those that don't follow the AFL, they think it is the devils sport and that anyone or anything that is remotely linked to AFL is pure evil. They harp on about averaging 30,000 fans, well if they continue to alienate the AFL fans within, then it will go back to 4,000 fans like the NSL.

I would guess the fans that don't like AFL would constitute a small minority of soccer fans in general. To say that they can ruin their following because of their dislike of AFL is a weak argument.

 

[HFC082]

Therefore although Melbourne have a very good squad now, don't expect it to look anything like it does now in 2 years time. Players like Leijer, Broxham, Hernandez, Keenan will most likely move to better clubs, Muscat will retire, and other players may move to other A-League clubs for more money/opportunities.

We had players move this year. Our best player left and we have strengthened our club even more than last year. If people leave, we have the structures and recruitment strategies in place to ensure we keep getting the best possible players to wear the navy blue.

Players like Zorro, Keenan and Ljubo all took significant pay cuts to play infront of massive crowds and with the best players in Australia. I don't see this as a problem. Players won't move to other A-League clubs when we have 20K members and are the richest and most successful in the country.

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

We had players move this year. Our best player left and we have strengthened our club even more than last year. If people leave, we have the structures and recruitment strategies in place to ensure we keep getting the best possible players to wear the navy blue.

Players like Zorro, Keenan and Ljubo all took significant pay cuts to play infront of massive crowds and with the best players in Australia. I don't see this as a problem. Players won't move to other A-League clubs when we have 20K members and are the richest and most successful in the country.

plus that costa rican player

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

AFL is the stronger code in Australia, I'd say that fans are aware of the threat that soccer has but certainly don't have an inferiority complex. Some will say things like "soccer is boring", "why do those fools bring flares", "if they need to sing and chant then obviously the game isn't interesting", etc... However, there are is a fair section of AFL fans who like soccer and there are also those who will occassionally watch it (i.e. World Cup, important qualifiers, etc...) and respect that it is a good sport.

However, if you have a look over at the Victory forums, for example, some of the comments there are ridiculous. While there are a lot of AFL fans who now follow the A-League, for those that don't follow the AFL, they think it is the devils sport and that anyone or anything that is remotely linked to AFL is pure evil. They harp on about averaging 30,000 fans, well if they continue to alienate the AFL fans within, then it will go back to 4,000 fans like the NSL.

Some of those are just geese who hate everything that is not Victory (including Rugby, Cricket, AFL, South Melbourne Hellas etc). I have been to victory games whereby people have been talking about the cricket, AFL etc, I have been to AFL matches where people have been talking about soccer.

If people like one sport over another than that is good. It is not good when people say that soccer is an immigrant sport or that supporting Australian sports makes you a redneck or unaustralian (Branko Culina). They're just games. I see that there is nothing that makes one sport any different at the end of the day.

Supporters of all sports should just be quiet about sports that they don't care about/don't know anything about. If you like soccer, then don't put down other sports just for the sake of it and vice versa.

AFL/Rugby etc people should realise that soccer is a world game and the biggest sport in the world and a very skillful game

Soccer people should respect the traditions of Australian Rules, Rugby league/union and cricket and don't put these sports down if they are only played in 1 country or a few countries.

 

[Bakes]

Does this mean Melbourne can drop Travis Johnstone and Adam Yze to the Melbourne Pheonix to regain some form? They would be major hard arse Wing Defenders.

Nah TJ would still hang out.

 

[Mr Hard Ball Get]

As a Melbourne Victory member I am not interested in being affiliated with any of those teams bar the Melbourne Storm. If any of my money from my Victory membership ends up in the hands of those other clubs I will consider canceling my membership.

sore loser

 

[HFC082]

plus that costa rican player

I said Zorro (The Fox) That's Carlos Hernandez

Looks like a good player, just with some weight and injury issues that will hopefully get sorted out before the season starts.

Also...

Melbourne Victory commercial match with China

MELBOURNE Victory plans to turn its pre-season match against China into a major trade and diplomatic initiative to boost Australian business links with the world's fastest-growing economy.

The A-League champions will play the Chinese national team in China's final warm-up game before the Asian Cup next month.

Victory chairman Geoff Lord believes the match offers an unprecedented chance for Australian businesses, particularly those from Melbourne, to forge links with commercial partners in China.

Mr Lord hopes Premier Steve Bracks and Lord Mayor John So will spearhead an initiative to sell "Brand Melbourne" on the back of soccer, which, Mr Lord argues, offers more opportunities for commercial engagement in Asia than any other sport given the game's popularity there.

Mr Lord is also seeking to broker a deal with a television network to broadcast the July 4 match live into Australia. He said he had broached the idea with SBS, even though the game was only given the final stamp of approval on Monday.

"To my knowledge, this is the first time any Australian club side has organised a game like this against a national team like China," he said. "I think it's an absolutely outstanding promotional opportunity from the City of Melbourne's point of view.

"They could do a trade promotion around the game and use it to generate business and advertise Victoria. The game will be shown live throughout China, and the television audience is vast. I would like it to be shown live here too.

"We would hope to make this an annual event and build on the links we establish this year."

After Victory plays China — who could end up facing the Socceroos in the knockout stage of the Asian Cup — it moves to Tianjin to take on the Chinese Super League side from that city, Tianjin Teda, three days later.

The games are part of the club's long-term preparation for the Asian Champions League, which it will compete in for the first time next year.



http://www.theage.com.au/news/socce...atch-with-china/2007/06/14/1181414390705.html

This is of much, much more value than joining Team Melbourne

It becomes clear that MVFC were wanting their own BrandMelbourne before Team Melb was announced and was the obvious reason why we didn't join that farce of a group.

FTA on SBS is also a great thing for our club and football in Victoria.

 

[vinnie]

The fact that Melb Victory will play CHINA on free to air on a Wed night shows the potential of soccer and should instill fear in every soccer-hater on this forum.

This will become an annual event, and other national games against A-league clubs is likely.

This will affect sponsorship. How can a $780 million TV deal for AFL be sustained when its soccer that's getting Asian audiences in the billions? It won't happen. This is the commerical reality you need to brace for.

 

[HFC082]

The fact that Melb Victory will play CHINA on free to air on a Wed night shows the potential of soccer and should instill fear in every soccer-hater on this forum.

This will become an annual event, and other national games against A-league clubs is likely.

This will affect sponsorship. How can a $780 million TV deal for AFL be sustained when its soccer that's getting Asian audiences in the billions? It won't happen. This is the commerical reality you need to brace for.

Good Post.

We have no limits on how big this club and the A-League can go, if we continue to manage the game properly. We are doing our end, but the other sides are a real worry.

 

[Chewy]

Saw nothing mentioned so I am going to run with it.

There's a new sporting conglomeration in Melbourne - it's Team Melbourne.

Now it appears to be made up of:

* Melbourne Football Club
* Melbourne Storm
* Melbourne Tigers
* Melbourne Phoenix
* Melbourne Kestrels
* Melbourne Racing Club
* Melbourne Cricket Club

No sign of the Melbourne Victory at this stage, but, it is coming according to discussions on SEN today.

Will feature things such as member sharing (both members themselves and the facilities they can use).

Seems like an interesting idea and could have great direct benefit to the Melbourne footy club in particular.

They could probably negotiate a cheaper group booking for the Arlberg Hotel during peak season.

Do you reckon that Brad Green and Jeff White would be allowed to also represent the Melbourne Kestrels?

I reckon that Trav Johnstone, Daniel Ward and the Ox would also appreciate the Caulfield members during the Spring Carnival.

Maybe someone could also get Joe Gutnick to do his stand-up routine at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Or Nathan Carroll could do a version of the Village People's YMCA.

 

[From The Fence]

What a bunch of B grade sporting organisations (apart from the racing club I guess, not really a ‘team’ tho is it)

Not surprising that Victory does want to have a bar of it.

Same day that TeaMelbourne is announced, Victory announce a match that will probably have the highest TV audience for an Australian sporting club match (any code) ever!

The sponsors would dancing the bloody can can.