FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Age

Dees on the attack to hold on to Scully
By Michael Gleeson

MELBOURNE will tonight tap its roots deep in the establishment to draw on the money and business reach to find ways to help keep star youngster Tom Scully. Exploiting its access to what it boasts is a group of the city's business elite, Melbourne Football Club hopes to raise money and use the business network to safeguard its players from the raiders of Greater Western Sydney. The Melbourne Foundation Heroes, whose dinners have helped the club wipe out its debt and turn the balance sheet around by $11 million in three years, will tonight turn its attention to raising the money to build assets, pay its full salary cap and help player retention. The annual dinner has coincided with the recent sacking of Dean Bailey as coach and the turmoil at the club, matters which will be addressed tonight. President Jim Stynes, who will this morning have surgery to remove another large tumour, this one from his stomach, has in recent days recorded a video address to be played at the dinner in the Myer Mural Hall. ''Our focus has changed from a defensive position of raising money to wipe out debt to an offensive position of building assets, paying 100 per cent of the salary cap and player retention,'' club vice-president Don McLardy said.