PRESIDENT Don McLardy has made a passionate plea for those who bleed red and blue to show their true colours and sign up as a member for 2013.

Speaking at Thursday night’s Commencement Dinner at Crown, McLardy said he was frustrated when people who supported the Demons chose not renew or join up as members.

“In the past few weeks, some members have written to me, saying for various reasons, that they won’t be renewing their membership,” he said.

“I’ve tried to write to them all and I give them this same message: ‘it is your decision to do what you like with your membership renewal, but by not renewing, you only hurt the club and you make our job harder’.”

McLardy was adamant the club did not want fickle supporters who chose to support the Demons only in good times.

“We do not want or need fair weather supporters. We need committed members and for many and varied reasons. Our footy club recently has been seen as an easy target. It’s been maligned, criticised and dismissed as just making up the numbers,” he said.

“[On Wednesday night], Mark Neeld and I had a short and important chat. And we, like all of you, are sick of it. And things are changing.

“The AFL found out during the investigation that the Melbourne footy club can be a formidable force when challenged, and we will continue to fight for our due respect in this competition.

“We’re the oldest club, and we’ve earned our place in history and we’ll do whatever it takes to preserve it. In the past, we have not responded in many instances to false and misleading information, provided about our footy club. This will change. Those who continue with this practice will be strongly challenged.”

McLardy said all players, coaches and administrators were working tirelessly to help the club build sustained success.

“Only those who remain loyal to the cause in these toughest of times will be able to truly enjoy any future success,” he said.

“So to those of you out there who are wavering in their commitment to our club, what about proving we are a club to be reckoned with, standing up for your club and committing now and backing this footy team.”

And he said that sponsorship deals, such as this week’s signing with the Northern Territory Government – NT Tourism – were integral for the club.

“It’s our hope that through this partnership and our ongoing community work, with our training camps and with our games in Darwin that in time, we’ll become the Territory’s AFL club,” he said.

But McLardy also made it known to the players that they needed to up the ante in 2013.

“Talk is cheap, and much of what I said tonight means nothing if we don’t perform on the AFL stage. How you players train, how you run on the ground and how you carry yourself and how you contest and compete is the greatest reflection of our footy club,” he said.

“It is the responsibility that you carry all of the time and not just when you put on the jumper or the blazer. Those who went before you knew and accepted that responsibility.

“I know in the next few weeks you will demonstrate why our supporters should believe in our future.”

Meanwhile, McLardy praised the efforts of board members Guy Jalland, David Thurin, Russel Howcroft and Peter Spargo for their tireless work into the AFL investigation for Melbourne’s onfield performance in 2009. 

“We were determined not to run the investigation through the media. It was a deliberate strategy and one that we know paid off. We know it was very frustrating for all of our supporters to read the media’s often sensationalist approach to the subject,” he said.

“We proved that our club did not set out to deliberately lose games, which we achieved.

 “They are all great people and they should be very proud of what they did for our football club,” he said.

McLardy added that there “will be a lot of challenges” this year, following from the investigation.

“The cost of the investigation and the $500,000 fine has and will hurt us. We are currently reforecasting our financial position in light of that,” he said.

“Our aim has always been to remain operating debt free and post a profit, but this will be sorely tested this year.

“The AFL landscape is, as we all know, is very challenging for all clubs. There are many AFL clubs budgeting for a loss this year and prior to this investigation, we were not one of them.”

And on a poignant note, McLardy also paid tribute to the late, great Jim Stynes.

“[Wednesday] marked a year since the death of our former player and president Jim Stynes,” he said.

“It was at this event a year ago that he stood up and accepted his blazer from another legend - Ron Barassi.

“Jim will always be with us, and his contribution will never be forgotten. If Jim was here, he’d be telling us to move on and create the next chapter - and that’s what we will do.”