Mega Thread The Mark Neeld Mega-Thread

[forwardflanker]

My answer to this is did the board step down, if not then don't expect much improvement, they have structured the club for failure and change needs to start at the top.

+1 the board had to go before they even looked at the coaches imo. This Melbourne board would have to be one of the worst organisations in AFL history. It makes Kennett look like an attractive alternative

 

[pazza]

The club's next move is to remove Sylvia and Watts.

Two under-performing "stars" and who are all about themselves and not the greater good of the club. Get whatever you can get for them.

 

[Zach Package]

so neeld only managed to beat one non-expansion side...

God I feel dirty

 

[DemonCambo]

I wish people would stop bringing Garry Lyon up as an option to either coach or become a board member.

He was a very good player for the MFC, but good players dont necessarily mean you are an AFL level coach or have the business accumen for a board position.

Gone are the days of being on the board purely because you are a blue-blood. Melbourne needs people who know business to be on the board. AFL isnt a sport anymore, but is a business.

Garry Lyon was involved in the panel to recruit Mark Neeld and at that time, it was obvious to everybody, except the football club, that they needed an experienced coach, not a Wanna-be.

The only input Garry Lyon should now have on the MFC is in mentoring the younger players on what it takes to be an AFL player. Nothing else. And yet, he has been out of hte game for so long, maybe even that is past him......

 

[PrideOf]

Yup. Coach to win ******* games of ******* football.

So, go against orders then?

 

[Wallaby]

Damn this club is a joke.

They sorta/kinda supported him a week ago with no guarantees. What changes during a bye week?

What changes is going to the Big Boss (Andy D) and getting money confirmed to sack the coach. Oh, there will be conditions attached, you can be sure.

The new coach will depend on how much the AFL says they can spend. Looking at decent ex-coaches around who might be interested - Ratten (no, too soon), Roos (you must be joking). Wallace may be a chance - at least the team would play hard.

 

[Brown Bottle]

Melbourne are such a disgrace of a football club. They get a huge freebie from the AFL and the first thing they do is sack one of the few reasonably competent operators at the club and pay out his contract. Honestly it should be the coach sacking the board in this situation because they have proven to be the biggest collection of dimwitted, downhill skiing, fairweathered, idiot children of the aristocracy in the history of AFL football. They used to say that the moronic children of the rich go into politics. This is no longer true, they now become Melbourne board members.

They got a huge freebie from the AFL so that they could pay for the changes they needed to make. The AFL has effectively sanctioned the removal of Neeld.

 

[LeverPuller]

So, go against orders then?

I'm sick of ****ing losing. Yes. Go against orders. Give the supporters some ****ing HOPE FOR ONCE.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Why would Harry O waste his valuable words on Melbourne's coaching situation anyway?

Would much rather hear his informed thoughts on the Syrian uprising, or the state of race relations in South Africa.

Or the issue of when the McRib is coming back, Harry needs to intervene to make that happen!!

 

[Catgirl]

What a disgrace. It's not Neeld's fault that the players take the piss out of the game.

Melbourne are bound to spend the next decade in the cellar.

 

[LouisCK]

AFL will tap someone on the shoulder. My money is on Choco Williams or Paul Roos (controversial I know).

 

[Vince12]

There's political reasons why the MFC survive for the AFL, not just sheer financial. You've got to remember that the highest supporter base of the AFL within the MCC are Melbourne supporters - 20% of MCC members support the Dees. Furthermore, much of this 20% is the old guard who are high up in the MCC hierarchy. If the AFL attempted to screw the MFC and remove them, the MCC could then turn around and "give priority to cricket" and generally make life difficult for the AFL.

The MCC makes so much money off the AFL anyway, they won't/can't screw them. You think that MCC members would just stop following AFL all together if they removed Melbourne?

Not true at all, they would find a new club to support and although the first couple of years would be difficult, eventually people would love their new team.

 

[The Art of War]

This is the quote that the footy media have pretty much missed.



So Bailey coached to orders to tank and was fired. Neeld coached to orders to play the kids and was fired.

Anyone else see the problem here?

Yes. The orders for both were coming from one C.Schwab. Fortunately he is no longer our problem.

 

[LeverPuller]

The MCC makes so much money off the AFL anyway, they won't/can't screw them. You think that MCC members would just stop following AFL all together if they removed Melbourne?

Not true at all, they would find a new club to support and although the first couple of years would be difficult, eventually people would love their new team.

Lots of Fitzroy people that didn't come back.

 

[lamaros]

Must say, I'm impressed with Peter Jackson so far. Seems serious about change. I hope for Melbourne supporters' sake that its not all talk.

Pretty sure getting the boot into the Chairman and Coach is almost exactly the opposite of 'all talk'.

 

[TheMcGrathMan]

Haven't been able to listen to the press conference so go easy, but here are my preliminary thoughts:

1) Weak decision to have that board meeting where the media wanted neelds head on a platter and instead of doing what was right and ending the contract, they put him through 1 more match. Yes money may have something to do with it, But that raises the question - if the AFL denied their requests, what would have happened? they would've fired him anyway

2) start by righting past wrongs - starting with getting James McDonald back to the club. Development/assistant role would be good, and he has knowledge of how gws worked with their kids, what worked and what didn't.

3) get a ex player like Cameron Ling as an assistant. Development role. I reckon Lingy is just having a couple of years of fun, but he won't want to talk to morons like BT and Darcy forever.

4) need an experienced coach here for the long haul - 4-5 years, who can cope with pressure and rebuild the side with mainly the current group of kids

5) here's where it gets tricky. You don't want to get rid of all your senior deadwood, but the quicker Sylvia, Davey, Joel macdonald, mckenzie, rodan and even mark jamar who is seemingly content with resting on his 2010? season are gone, the quicker Melbourne will be back on their feet. Personally I would keep the first and the last if I entered the club, but I would have to have a lot of confidence in my personal skills and mentoring ability so Sylvia and jamar can get the best out of themselves as they enter the twilight of their careers.

Just my 2c's. Personally I think 2013 Melbourne are shelf building, and they are just working out what goes where. The first shelf is the rest of 2013, and xwith the removal of people like Moloney, Petterd, Cook, Schwab, Mclardy and unfortunately neeld, I reckon they're starting to move forwards.

 

[Ron The Bear]

This is the quote that the footy media have pretty much missed.

So Bailey coached to orders to tank and was fired. Neeld coached to orders to play the kids and was fired.

Anyone else see the problem here?

That's just it, they're relatively young by current AFL standards, but they aren't kids.

Bailey 2011:
drew Sydney, average age 23.65
d. Brisbane 23.45
d. Gold Coast 23.47
d. Adelaide 23.60
d. Essendon 22.50
d. Fremantle 22.96
d. Richmond 23.21
d. Port Adelaide 22.97 and sacked two games later

Neeld 2013:
l. Port Adelaide 24.36
l. Essendon 24.32
l. West Coast 24.22
d. GWS 24.24
l. Brisbane 24.57
l. Carlton 23.39
l. Gold Coast 23.98
l. Richmond 24.06
l. Fremantle 24.49
l. Hawthorn 24.61
l. Collingwood 24.49

A good team is greater than the sum of its parts; Melbourne under Neeld is less than the sum of its parts. The players do not play as a team; as a group they are incohesive. But as Brad Scott said, the list itself is by no means a basket case.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Correct decision. Whatever else is wrong at that club, and it would appear there's plenty, Neeld is not the man to coach them. 10 minutes watching them play would tell anybody with half a brain that.

 

[Ridley This]

AFL will tap someone on the shoulder. My money is on Choco Williams or Paul Roos (controversial I know).

I feel that the phrasing here is unintentionally perfect.

 

[RandB]

IMO it's between Collingwood and Carlton to see where he moves on to as an assistant coach.

 

[HBF]

AFL will tap someone on the shoulder. My money is on Choco Williams or Paul Roos (controversial I know).

Can't see Roos doing it. Much more likely it will be Williams.

 

[Bugz]

Grant Thomas late 2011- They'll get a untried coach, give him a few years, realise he's no good and then sack him. They should appoint someone like Dennis Pagan.

Spooky. Rodney Eade to take over for mine.

 

[Capt_Blackadder]

Why? Do you think the Premier League would suddenly go downhill if Notts County went under?

There are too many AFL clubs, especially based in Melbourne. The talent is spread too thin and we get nothing but smashings week in, week out. Someone has to go and it may as well be the crappiest, least stable, financially screwed, undersupported team that is located right next to 8 other clubs that the members can support.

Also as it said in English Soccer there is no London FC

 

[Rack Watts]

Can someone give this thread title capital letters?

 

[jarrod87]

AFL will tap someone on the shoulder. My money is on Choco Williams or Paul Roos (controversial I know).

Do you think they'll go for an experienced coach like Rodney eade, Sheedy or Brett Rattan or maybe roll the dice with a senior assistant ready to make the transition to a senior coach like Adam Simpson or Scott Burns??