BOARD member and advertising guru Russel Howcroft has drawn an analogy between Melbourne and restaurant giant McDonalds.

Howcroft, speaking at the club’s best and fairest dinner at Crown on Thursday night, said Melbourne, like McDonalds, was now able to “weather whatever gets sent our way”.

“No matter the changing conditions McDonalds remains anchored. This is the core to the franchise stability and success.  This is the reason it can adapt and change rapidly to changing economic and consumer conditions,” he said.

“AFL clubs are subjected to a sea of change, week in week out. The tide of football public opinion changes almost daily [and] we have to weather the occasional storm, deal with unforeseen surprises, get battered by heavy winds and thankfully sometimes, sadly only sometimes in the season 2012 - enjoy calm waters and sunshine.

“[But] our club is well anchored.”

Howcroft said Melbourne was led by “an outstanding management team” and an “uncompromising” football department.

He also praised the club’s sponsors, members and “Jim Stynes values” - which Melbourne upholds.

Howcroft said that, without the late, great Stynes, Melbourne was in “grave danger”.

“He kept us afloat and then helped us create the anchors that will keep us strong. His resilience, uncompromising fighting attitude and crazed passion for his footy club must never be forgotten,” he said.

And Howcroft added that Melbourne was “lucky” to have president Don McLardy follow in Stynes’ footsteps.

“In the words of Jim, ‘Don McLardy … is a wholly trustworthy man, a man of great integrity who is not only competent but always full of optimism and energy’. Just like Jim,” he said.

Club president Don McLardy, who was unable to attend the best and fairest as he was in Ireland to attend the scattering of Stynes’ ashes, sent a message via a pre-recorded video.

“Off the field we’ve dealt with several issues that would’ve tested any club, yet the solid foundations that are now in place - we’ve been able to handle adversity competently and professionally,” he said.

“[It’s] something that we should all be proud of - we’ll continue to build our club and we look with excitement towards the draft and the trade period ahead.”

Long-term, chief executive Cameron Schwab said Melbourne’s challenge was to rise and surpass the competition standard.

“It’s not the club that sets the standard, but it’s the competition itself - it’s the quality of your opponent,” he said.

“And if you’re ever in doubt of what this looks like, take yourself to the MCG and watch the last two weeks of the finals and watch the game closely - the victor and the vanquished and that will tell the story.”