THE AFL has told the Melbourne Football Club it has to face up to its financial crisis and poor public image according to a report in The Age.

The league revealed it has little faith in the club strengthening its brand as a result of its 150th anniversary, pointing out the club had failed to sell itself to a new generation of supporters.

Melbourne has no permanent training base, has stripped the Demon from its logo and its AusKick numbers are the worst in the AFL.

Melbourne chairman Paul Gardner would not rule out a bid for extra AFL cash, and suggested establishing a presence in the northern states.

"When we get down to looking at the budget for 2009 we might reassess that but at the moment we are concentrating on 2008," Gardner told The Age.

"We might have to take other matters into account like next year's draw. We might look at playing five games at Carrara. Who knows?"

New Melbourne chief executive Paul McNamee is understood to have vowed to concentrate on nothing else but the club's finances until the end of June.

The club's partnerships with China and Team Melbourne, while not discouraged by the AFL, have been placed on hold. Melbourne's membership sits at a relatively low 24,000 and its home-game attendances have been poor with the club winless so far this season.

"We are having a lot of talks, regular talks with the AFL and the MCC (Melbourne Cricket Club), and we'll look at anything the AFL puts to us." Gardner said.