FIND out what the club’s key personnel said and what the award winners had to say at the 2014 Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy, held at Crown on Thursday night …

The president, chief executive and coach

Glen Bartlett: president

“We have been working hard to win back respect on and off the field. We saw this week how an error of judgement can compromise what we’re working towards. This emphasises that we must – and will – remain vigilant, determined and focused on doing the very best on and off the field for this club.”

Peter Jackson: chief executive officer

“Everything I’ve seen and been involved with over the last 16 months convinces me this club can be great again and that’s fundamentally why it excites me.

“You have to understand we don’t deserve to be great again, just because we were the first or we’re the oldest or we wrote the rules or we call the MCG our spiritual home. They’re in fact reasons why we need to be great again. They, plus the fact we carry the name Melbourne, the city of Melbourne – we’re the only club to do so and we have an obligation to be great again. We have an obligation to the competition we founded and the city we bear the name of. No one’s going to gift it to us. It’s not an entitlement and we’re going to have to earn it.

“We are judged every day and we don’t have any credit in the bank account like some other clubs do. That’s the legacy of our recent past and we have no room for mistakes, misjudgements or a lack of effort. As soon as that happens, we get taken back to our past. It’s fair to say this has happened a fair bit in my view over the last four, five or six weeks. We have perhaps lost a bit of the respect we gained early in the year.

“2015 will be huge for this club on its journey back to greatness – I can’t wait.”

Paul Roos: coach

“I’m 100 per cent confident that the club is in much better shape at the end of 2014 than it was at the end of 2013.”

“We will lose games of football next year. Just as Sydney lost to the Giants in the first round, just as Freo got smashed by St Kilda and just as Geelong got beaten by 110 points by Sydney. But we should not ever say ‘here we go again’. I’m sick to death of hearing that. A loss is a loss. A win is a win. This club has changed forever. It will never go back to the way it was.

“No one person can do this. This is every Melbourne supporter, every Melbourne player, every Melbourne administrator and every Melbourne coach. We are in this together and if you’re not in it together – you know where you can go.”

The award winners 

Nathan Jones: Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy (winner)

“The club needs to take some large steps forward and it’s in the players’ hands – there is no blaming anyone else. The players have to take control of the footy club and control their careers. We find ourselves in a good place and I’m really excited about 2015 and at the time I’ve been here, I think we’ve lacked direction, but I can guarantee right now that I’ve never been more confident in the direction we’re heading now. We’ve got some terrific stability from the top down and … we have true trust in the coaching staff and belief in the game plan – and more importantly in my teammates and the players that stand alongside me, when we run out on the weekends. I think we’ve just got to have a solid pre-season and continue to believe. I honestly don’t think success isn’t too far and I’m looking forward to a big 2015. I’m pretty excited about where we’re heading.”

Dom Tyson: Sid Anderson Memorial Trophy (second)

“It’s a critical time for us – we’ve got to enjoy our break and then get back into work. To George [Stone] and Benny [Mathews] – I’ve got to thank you guys for the feedback you give me. I appreciate all you did to help develop me as a player and person.”

Bernie Vince: Ron Barassi Snr Memorial Trophy (third)

“It is an absolute honour to win this. Coming from another club, I didn’t know what to expect to start with and the transition happened pretty quick. It didn’t take too long to settle in with the playing group and the coaches – they’re very welcoming. I can see the club going places in the next few years and I really want to be a part of it.”

Lynden Dunn: Ivor Warne-Smith Memorial Trophy (fourth)

“It’s taken me 10 years to get up here, so I’ve got a few thank yous … and to all of the players, I’d like you all to really think about the trademark and what it (the club) means to you as a player and person. Go and away and enjoy the next eight weeks, but make sure you come back to pre-season in good nick and ready to go, because we’re going on to bigger and better things.”

Daniel Cross: Dick Taylor Memorial Trophy (fifth)

“It is a huge honour to win a trophy in the name of a premiership player at this club. I’ve come in and all I’ve wanted to do is earn the respect of the playing group and the coaches and the footy club in general. Hopefully I’ve done that and I’ve been at the Bulldogs for 13 years, but I really do feel part of this footy club and I’m proud to be here.”

Lynden Dunn: Ron Barassi Jnr Trophy (leadership award)

“It’s a great pleasure to win this award and very humbling, especially to be viewed as a good leader from the coaching staff, led by Paul [Roos] and the players – it means a lot to me. I’ve worked really hard on my leadership skills over the last three or four years and to be recognised in the leadership group this year was a big thing for me. Ron Barassi was a great leader of our footy club and of the competition, so it’s a great pleasure to have this [award].”

Daniel Cross: James McDonald Trophy (best team man)

“It was probably 12 months to the day that I was thanking the Western Bulldogs family for having me for 13 years and the opportunity that they’d given me. Fast forward 12 months and I’m standing here at the Melbourne Football Club very proud.”

Neville Jetta: Norm Smith Memorial Trophy (coaches award)

“I’m very honoured to win this award. I wouldn’t have thought I’d be in this position 12 months ago.”

Dom Tyson: Harold Ball Memorial Trophy (best young player)

“I’d like to thank the coaches and recruiting staff for getting me to Melbourne and I’ve certainly loved being back [in Victoria]. It feels like there are a group of young players coming through and hopefully we can keep impacting and learning off the older players and developing.”

Jack Watts: Ian Ridley Memorial Trophy (club ambassador award)

“We’re very, very lucky to be able to play AFL footy, and it hasn’t been the smoothest ride, but I reckon a lot of guys can forget that along the way. So by getting out there and seeing what some people go through for me was a really important reminder of how lucky we are – no matter what the circumstances we’ve been delving in the footy world today. These guys are doing it really tough and to be able to help out in [community programs] a small, small way is very rewarding.”

Max Gawn: winner of Troy Broadbridge Memorial Trophy winner (best Melbourne-listed player at Casey)

“It really hits home when you see an award named after Troy Broadbridge. It’s great to see the legacy still going on with Troy. I wasn’t here when it happened, but I was very well informed of what happened and [a memorial of him] is up around the club and it’s really good to see the legacy still going.”