Hey everyone, give Mark Neeld a break

Mark Neeld was appointed Coach of Melbourne at about the same time as Ross Lyon was appointed coach of Fremantle. Fremantle had won one more game than Melbourne in 2011 - albeit with a list that was severely crippled by injury for much of the year. On being appointed, Neeld spoke about outcomes: "I want to coach the hardest team to play against". Lyon was more circumspect and process orientated in his initial assessment of the task ahead: We want to do "the work on a daily basis that’s going to give us the best opportunity to succeed in the manner we all want". Neeld sacked two senior players from the leadership group and appointed two players under the age of 22 as co-captains. Lyon's approach was to instil belief in players who were seemingly on their way out, or under the microscope under the previous coach - Clancy Pearce, Michael Walters, Ryan Crowley and to a lesser degree Michael Johnson and Paul Duffield. Whilst I realise Fremantle and Melbourne had considerably different lists in terms of age and experience at the time of their appointments, I can't help but compare the vastly different approaches to bringing about change to a football team. I know which of the two coaches I would rather play under.

I am a Melbourne supporter. As much as it pains me to agree with a Bombers fan about anything, I agree totally with Bomber Goddards comments above. Neeld made a massive error in alienating our senior players and not working with the strengths of the list he inherited.

While it isn't all Mark Neeld's fault that Melbourne are in the position they are, I do believe he is a major part of Melbourne's problem. The moment Neeld stepped into the club, he has literally tried to undo all of Dean Bailey's hard work towards the playing group and coach inexactly the opposite way that he has. Under Dean Bailey, Melbourne weren't a great team either but at least Dean Bailey did his best to optimise Melbourne's strengths on the field and these were in the ways of getting Melbourne to play exciting, quick corridor-based football. However at the same time Dean Bailey was also accused of making the playing group lazy and bruise-free, which is fair enough because it was evident on the field by their inability to play hard consistent football for 4 quarters Mark Neeld just came into the club in late 2011, looked at all of Dean Bailey's coaching and eradicated them from the playing group. He then took out a page out of Mick Malthouse's book by promising that Melbourne would be the toughest team to play against. However he seemed to do it in spite of all of Dean Bailey's teaching and tried to play the tough coach. By doing this he kicked Brent Moloney and Jared Rivers out of the leadership group ignoring any past contributions the duo made with the club. He overlooked Nathan Jones as captain and put in 2 young star players who had yet to really develop enough experience to carry that role. Now look at where Moloney and Rivers are, far away from Neeld. I think the fact that Mark Neeld though is coached under an extremely successful coach is a bad thing for a club that doesn't utilise brutality and contestability as a team strength. Ever since Neeld took over as coach of the club, Melbourne have converted their fast and exciting corridor-based game plan into a sloppy "kicking around the boundary line to contests" style of play shown by Collingwood in 2010 when they won their premiership. They have been continually manipulated when their opposition win the contested ball and spread back into the corridor because most clubs have figured out how to counter that game plan exerted by Mick Malthouse in 2010. Mark Neeld needs to stop pretending it is 2010 and create his own game plan for 2013 because his players will never succeed at manipulating it. The Collingwood Premiership 2010 gameplan is out of date and has been replaced by quick spreadings when a team has won the contested ball (look at Sydney whenever they win the contested ball) Melbourne needs a coach that is an independently thinking coach and can think of a way to counter the current popular gameplan implemented by the most successful clubs in the competition rather than copy an old one. They can't afford another successful assistant coach, because they tend to rely on using the gameplan their old coach taught them which is what seems to be the case with Mark Neeld being under Mick Malthouse's wing from 2008-2011. Just look at Port Adelaide and Ken Hinckley, Hinckley was never under the wings of a successful coach and look at the transformation he had made to Port Adelaide so far. I know Port has lost their last 5 games now, but the 5 games Hinckley won at the start of the season had been more than what Neeld had achieved at Melbourne for his 1.5 year tenure. The worst thing about Neeld though in my opinion is that he frequently uses excuses for the clubs on-field mediocrity even when it was present under Dean Bailey's tenure. He always talks about Melbourne's lack of competitiveness being accredited with the lack of average games (around 65) played between the players. However in 2010 Melbourne didn't have a heap more average games of experience played at that point and they managed to have a 1 point loss and a draw against the premiers whom Melbourne are trying to copy now. Mark Neeld must leave for the sake of the football club. I am not a Melbourne supporter, but I feel great sympathy for them because they were pioneering club of this great game and after 155 years are slowly rotting to death with Mark Neeld in charge. Again they need a coach that can present a new waye originality and belief towards the playing group rather than one who simply wants to emulate the successful clubs.

Alex Ferguson built lowly Aberdeen into the best team in Scotalnd and took them to European glory. Then he developed a wonder team from youth at United and led them to their first league title in decades. Since that great team he has gone the quick route and picked the best money could buy. But he earned his laurels.

Neeld can't be blamed -.coaches can only do so much,.when players aren't playing it's.hard.to cope. Neeld should.coach again,.but.for godsakes he is.too easy then too harsh on his players then back to too easy. Consistency in his comments would be nice

Haha, cheeky

Too bad. If that pathetic rabble of unfulfilled draftees and washed-up recycled hacks don't want to play for their coach then they don't deserve to play AFL at all.

Thanks Kanga Always interesting to hear a first-hand account. My guess is, we will never find out whether he can coach or not. Also what a disgraceful decision to re-sign Connolly. If there was one decision out of a series of bad decisions that has destroyed the heart and soul of this footy club it was Connolly's decision to give up half a year of player/coaching development and disregard the importance of building a good club culture for the sake of one 17 year old who may (probably won’t) be a good footballer.

So who replaces him? Gary Ayers, Gary Hocking, maybe even Mike Nunan?

If Neeld goes I think Assistant Coach Jade Rawlings will get the gig.

And there lies the biggest problem Brendan. Will they play for anyone? Well guess what, it was Neeld who picked these so ultimately the buck stops with him. It doesn't matter whether he picked a group of players that are failing because of lack of talent or lack of mindset, both result in the same thing. Poor performance is poor performance and as such is his responsibility, it matters nothing whether they will play for someone else. There is no effort level from these players and there is no excuse for that. A good coach doesn't just make good tactical moves on the day. A good coach does all the hard work in the preseason, liaises with all the right people outside the club, puts great people in and around them to build a strong team. A good coach has a game plan and builds on it, I don't think you will find any expert in the country that can break down Melbournes game plan and tell you what it is because they don't have one. I see nothing like the with Neeld. He is poor in press conferences, he has no confidence and at times looks slightly simple if you ask me! He appointed 2 captains which were 20 and 21 years old at the time. I don't care who voted them in, the coach at the end of the day authorised this ridiculous appointment and for that a lone he should be sacked. He is not competitive, again no excuse for this. I wouldn't mind if they lost 22 games in a year, but by an aggravate of nearly 100 points this year is a disgrace! You can always be competitive on a week on week basis. They occasional game they will get thumped, but not by teams like POrt Adelaide in Melbourne, come on seriously! The worst thing tat has happened to Melbourne this year is winning the last quarter against GWS. Had they lost that game Neeld would be gone, I have no doubt. For this they are going to set the club back even further. I also have no doubt Neeld was initially taken on as a care taker coach, depsite what anyone says here. Mick Malthouse was out for a year thanks to Eddie and Melbourne knew this. Todd Viney didn't what to care take for a year in case Malthouse did what the job. What they were not expecting was Ratten getting the arse from Carlton since he was looking quite good at the time Neeld was appointed. This is now their undoing. I would be going after choko williams, he has an excellent track record and is a premierhsip coach. Pick up the phone and see what he thinks D's.

Definitely the million dollar question. You'd have to think that with so many first round draft picks in their team that they should have at least SOME hidden talent?

I absolutely agree with this article, and what happens if they do sack him? They rope in another inexperienced coach who starts his own plan, and they are back at the beginning yet again. Remember when Al Clarkson & Bomber Thompson were supposedly not the right men to lead Hawthorn & Geelong respectively? Sometimes it takes a long time to really get a game plan up and running, and Neeld also inherited what was the worst list in the AFL by a country mile.

It doesn't matter how good of a coach he is. The players won't play for him. So you either sack 45 players or the coach. Whoever is in charge of recruiting should be shown the door too.

Speaking from personal experience here. Neeld coached me in his first coaching assignment in Vic ammo's in the 1990s. He was simply the best coach I ever had, the way he spoke reminded me a lot of Malcolm Blight and I thought then he would coach at AFL level someday even back then. He did but his was handed a basket case like the bloke who coached the last ever Fitzroy side. A lot of this type of thing comes down to luck. A great coach who just gave it away in Alex Ferguson was allowed to cherry pick the best talent time after time after time. Imagine if he had a club with no money, player's who would not want to play there and a rubbish core of talent. How would be have been remembered then? Just remember this people, you cannot turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mark Neeld is sacked before the end of the season, but in my opinion I think it'll be best for him to stand down with his head held high. This way he can escape all the pressure of being a head coach, then take a break and then start again, even if it means he returns to an assistant coaching role at another club. Melbourne seriously need someone experienced like Paul Roos or Leigh Matthews, they could turn Melbourne around in the short term like Ron Barassi turned Sydney around in the mid-90s (three-time wooden spooners one day, grand finalists the next you get the concept) and Matthews did likewise to Brisbane (wooden spooners in '98, preliminary finalists in '99, premiers in '01, '02 and '03).

A good article and I agree that neeld needs until at least until the end of next year.

Could not agree more with this article. Tough gig at Melbourne.

That is the big question Ian.Let Neeld see out the year at seasons end if things dont improve sweep a broom through the coaching and playing lists and start anew.The Demons are no better off for sacking Bailey mid-season so i cant see how replacing another coach with more than likely a caretaker appointment willl change much.