Leaning against a wall in Mark Neeld’s office is one of those “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters. At least, there usually is. Perhaps he took it to the Melbourne board room yesterday.
According to reports, that meeting was supposed to be the end of Neeld.
Instead, calm prevailed and he survived, although clearly not by much — president Don McLardy’s statement was not a vote of confidence.
Even though the Dees are playing too badly for the board not to have the discussion, calm is not a bad outcome.
As unsexy as it might seem, it was in fact the right response.
“Melbourne were always going backwards this year. Always.” I wrote that in April and despite the time since, still critics don’t understand how limited the Demons’ potential was this season.
They lost 1050 games of AFL experience in the break yet only added 384 games worth. More than a third of their list had not played a game for Melbourne at the start of the year.
Neeld and the footy department had clearly decided they were starting from scratch.
That “recruiting spree” everyone talked about was a handful of moves to avoid completely hitting the self-destruct button — by replacing 1050 games with anything less than 300 — and to give young players the sort of guidance that doesn’t immediately reveal itself on the field.
Of course, it helps that Chris Dawes is starting to show his worth, but if you thought this was a team capable of true improvement you had it horribly, horribly wrong.
It was never going to happen.
Now, if you take a team that won four games — propped up by wins against expansion teams — and then accept they will go backwards, what do you think they’re going to look like?
Obviously, pretty darn awful. That shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Their percentage after ten games last year was 54.6. Their percentage after ten games this year is 51.4. We shouldn’t be losing ourselves over this.
Yet, yesterday afternoon, like moths to a light bulb, there we all were waiting for an answer. Most of us, it seemed, content with the idea Neeld was gone.
Yes, yes, I’ve heard. “There’s been no improvement” and “the message isn’t getting through”. Of course. When a bad side plays bad, that has to be it.
But Round 2 against Essendon genuinely appears as though it was this team’s rock bottom.
In Round 2, they laid 35 tackles. Since then, they’ve laid less than 50 only once.
In Round 2, they had 28 inside 50s. Since then, they’ve had less than 40 only twice.
In Round 2, they had 11 scoring shots. Since then, they’ve had less than 17 only once.
It’s true, this means every now and then they lapse. It’s true, 17 scoring shots isn’t a massive hurdle to clear.
But it comes back to expectations. It’s completely normal for a side like this to lapse and the hurdles we set for them can’t be too ridiculous.
This perspective doesn’t sell papers, but the fact is you don’t go from that horrid Round 2 performance to challenging the flag favourites in eight weeks.
You go from that horrid game to a slightly less horrid game. Then the next week you’re slightly less horrid again and perhaps good enough to sneak a win against a GWS.
Then you have some ups and downs, which might include a backward step on a long road trip to Perth. Forgivable. Then, maybe then, you can win a quarter against the flag favourites despite still being flogged because, I don’t know, maybe they are the flag favourites for a reason.
That is what “improvement” looks like for a team like Melbourne.
If I’m the Dees board, keeping calm is my mantra from now until the end of the season.
That does not mean sticking with Neeld at all costs. If the side creates a new rock bottom by being comprehensively destroyed to the scale of that Bombers defeat again, that’s when you know the message isn’t getting through.
Similarly, a percentage in the 50s at season’s end probably won’t cut it.
Indeed, with twelve coaching changes in the past three years leaving ten experienced coaches without a senior gig, at either of these points pulling the trigger becomes sensible.
But the more one digs into the facts of this situation — such as those from the off-season or performances since Round 2 — the more one realises the storm isn’t fully justified.
Melbourne have been really bad, but the claims against Neeld haven’t always been with foundation. And all along, the spotlight needed to be shared between him and the entire footy department, who it’s fair to say haven’t really provided Neeld an A-grade list to work with.
At yesterday’s meeting, interim CEO Peter Jackson — who will now be in the job until the end of 2014, rightly — recommended exactly that. He outlined changes to the structure of the footy department that need to take place, changes the board approved of. It was a case of better late than never.
As for Neeld, going forward, the fixture provides a fair and reasonable judging ground.
The Dees have played teams from the current bottom five just twice. In the second half of the year they have five games against them.
Give Neeld the chance to navigate that draw. See what happens.
Until then, carry on.
david miller
Guest
If now is notcthe t8me for a clean sweep i dont know what is. Its t8me for neeld to go and the president mclardy as well. A ne3 board and coach8ng staff are what this cl7b needs. There is no way they could do any worse. Supporters need to have memberships refunded or at least have coaches and president and players cu t salaries. I fear if nothing happens there may be groundswell of grassroots change. Ie a save our club campaign where mclardy and neeld will be forced out anyway. 8f not this club will dissappear
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Swampy, that MFC= rich families with loads of $$$ to pull them out of the crap, is simply not the case. Footy has been in the corporate age now for decades. Melbourne supporters have been well aware of that for just as long. It's a fallacy now, and probably has been for about 40 years.
Keen Observer
Guest
Instead of sacking the coach they need to performance manage him, if he is alienating half the playing list then he needs to change his approach. They cant afford to sack him when the interim coach cant really change anything.
Swampy
Guest
The funniest part is the Melbourne members include many of Victoria's richest families yet Melbourne sink deeper and deeper into the mire. The onfield performance is reflective of the apathetic nature of the well-heeled power brokers. I feel sorry for Melbourne's fans who care. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Oh absolutely Radelaide, pushing an assistant from one of the benchmark clubs is a terrible crime.
Radelaide
Guest
I agree that rev up speech that they played over and over early in the season was cringe worthy, Gary Lyon has a lot to answer for pushing for a guy who had unlimited resources at Collingwood.
Radelaide
Guest
Ross Lyon could have done something, he may not be a premiership winning coach but his ability to get instant top 8 results will become legendary. I can see him becoming a multi million dollar mercenary.
daniel p
Guest
I don't believe that any other coach could have done better with our squad this year if they sack him before the end of next year I won't be renewing my membership next year
Gecko
Guest
The concerns above re Melbourne's finances are spot on. Melbourne needs to go back to VFL level or get a massive hand-out from the AFL. Only with a massive hand-out can they make a coaching decision based on who's the right man for the job. Only with a massive hand-out can they afford to buy a senior player from another club to add on-field and off-field leadership (instead of just buying fringe players). Melbourne are not going to raise significant money by themselves after Jim Stynes admirable fund-raising effort imploded, and without money they'll remain a blight on the AFL competition.
Adam
Guest
Neeld needs to go. I bet you anything it will be the same story next week when collingwood flog them on queens birthday match. He just seems to accept mediocrity, they need a change and fast.
Slane
Guest
The bottom line: The players aren't playing for their coach. He needs to go or the entire roster needs to go. It's easier to sack the coach than 45 guys.
Matt from Singpaore
Guest
Sorry the guy can't coach. His body language is shocking, he talks in clichés & seems way over his head. The players don't play for him. He looks & sounds like a suburban coach. A club with any professionalism would have flicked him weeks ago.
fieldy
Roar Rookie
i disagree but the board/club may not have the money to settle his contract (when was the last contract not paid out because of non performance?) and hangin on to Neeld may be out of financial pressures than what is next for the club for the remainder of 2013. To me the board should take most of the blame. How does a chairman give an unproven/inexperienced coach such Neeld "carte blanche" to change the culture of the footy club. That is not the coaches job, particularly someone so green as Neeld. Maybe a Kevin Sheedy but not many other career coaches. The tanking saga also goes back to McLardy and unfortunately when Jim Stynes was in charge. I believe the club has been rotten for some time. As a long suffering Dees fan, the AFL needs to step in and provide resoruces ot assist Peter Jackson with his review. Its almost a Fitzroy all over again.
Titch
Guest
The Melbourne players must be under terrible presure off the field as well. And that can't do much for their confidence. I wonder if when they meet strangers they admit to being a Demon player. So bad is their plight I wonder what they put under occupation in their tax returns; soccer player?
Macca
Guest
It's not about winning games - it is about developing players.
LK
Guest
If Neeld stays on and the Dees win some games at the junk end of the season, what will it prove? They will still have a disenfranchised supporter base and a queue of talented players looking to leave. The fans and players need to feel energised and engaged. Structural changes in the footy department aren't going to do it. Crunch time is rapidly approaching for the Dees and Neeld.
Swampy
Guest
Stop deluding yourselves. Neeld is still there because Melbourne cannot afford to sack him. The Dees are dire financially. On field performance have had a big effect on gate takings. They cannot afford another hit to the finances for paying out another coach. I've been using the eyeball test on Melbourne and they are awful to watch and there are a number of players who just don't work as hard as the opposition. That is a classic case of the coach losing the players. Guys like Frawley, Jones and Howe should really consider their options at the end of the season as they could face very attractive offers from teams that are serious about finals footy. I go back to the pre-game demotivational speech Neeld gave on live tv - that moment sums up everything with Neeld. Poor decision by Melbourne to allow that particular event be seen - I can't help but think that was a decision indicative of the poor decisions the Dees continue to make. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
"...all over the ground, we're going to be the hardest to play against." Cam, no doubt whatsoever those words are coming back to haunt Neeld right now.
Michael DiFabrizio
Expert
Would be cruel if so Cameron. Their two most winnable games in some time are right after the bye, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs.
Cam Larkin
Roar Guru
Gone before the bye? They seriously need to look at the roster and stop blaming the coach as much.