Melbourne president Don McLardy and coach Mark Neeld. Source: Herald Sun
MELBOURNE president Don McLardy has conceded the club's woeful start to the season and $500,000 "tanking" fine have the Demons on track for a $1 million loss this year.
But McLardy yesterday labelled suggestions an AFL administrator should take over Melbourne as "fanciful" and "ridiculous".
McLardy said he would accept help from the league, with AFL bosses Andrew Demetriou and Gillon McLachlan making contact with Melbourne officials yesterday.
After four straight profits and with a board of business heavyweights, McLardy said the Demons administration had excelled and rejected calls for chief executive Cameron Schwab to step down.
He said the club would stand by coach Mark Neeld even if the heavy losses continued in the next two rounds against West Coast and Greater Western Sydney.
But McLardy conceded if on-field performances, which he described as unacceptable, did not improve, "we will have to look towards the end of the season at what has happened".
McLardy said the club was united despite a pair of losses totalling 227 points.
Schwab was reappointed in August on a three-year deal, but McLardy said criticism of him was misguided.
"What we saw on the ground on the weekend, you can't link it directly to our CEO and say if we sacked him it would solve our problems," McLardy said.
"The result on the field is unacceptable ... but everyone keeps linking it to Cameron and what has gone on in the past.
"That lacks understanding of what goes on in an AFL footy club," McLardy said.
Demetriou said yesterday he was concerned about Melbourne's performance.
"In a competition where you want every team to be competitive, it's not where we would like them to be and if you're a Melbourne supporter that's most disheartening," Demetriou said.
"Hopefully there's people at the club that understand what needs to be done to turn it around, and any support that we can offer we will. We're only a phone call away. As yet we haven't been asked for any help."
McLardy said he would welcome AFL help.
"If the AFL can help us in any way, absolutely we would seek assistance," he said. "But people keep saying we should get an administrator from the AFL to run our club. It's fanciful. It's ridiculous.
"The people sitting on our board are the CEO of the Bank of Queensland (Stuart Grimshaw); Guy Jalland, who is the legal counsel for James Packer; John Trotter, who is the ex-managing partner of Deloitte; Russell Howcroft, who is effectively running Channel 10; Karen Hayes, who runs the Guide Dogs Association of Victoria; and Peter Spargo, who is a successful businessman.
"And people suggest we should get someone from the AFL to come in and tell us how to run our business."
McLardy said the board had approved the club's list management strategy and accepted responsibility.
"Maybe the issue is the football department and the talent on our playing list and we are just not getting them to perform," he said.
He said the club would not blink even if the defeats continued, but signalled the board's patience with Neeld and company would not last for ever.
"I say look ahead and what happens if we beat West Coast? People will look silly then," McLardy said.
"But I understand we will have to look towards the end of the season at what has happened. Clearly, if we are still performing like this, we have got issues to address.
"I have no problem saying that, but (don't think) we would look at it after Round 2 or Round 4 and say, 'Holy crap, let's sack the CEO, let's sack the coach'. It just won't happen.
"We will be strong. Stability is critical. We just have to turn around what is happening on the ground."
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