Next question.

Does Neeld need a senior assistant - A Craig or an Eade. Or do we need one of them as a head of football/director of coaching.

We've stuck by Schwab, which probably is an ok move as long as he behaves himself. We now need to make a call on Connolly and find a football director so the board has an understanding of WTF is going on inside the footy department.

Channel 7 saying Demons have signed Mark Neeld as senior coach

Neeld is not a Bailey. Bailey came right out of left field with no coaching background, just a good talker. Neeld has been coaching for rhe past 11 years in one form or another.

No coaching background? You may want to double check that. His record was actually very similar to neelds. Assistant at a premiership at port and coached Mt gravatt in Qld to a flag I think. I'm also underwhealmed and need to be convinced this is the right decision and not desperation after not being able to land a senior coach.

“An experience with Mark Neeld"

I went to an Ocean Grove final a few years ago. Mark Neeld was the coach and I was interested to see him being a former cat player and also because I got my picture taken with him and Mark Schultz when I was a young kid. Ocean Grove had their backs to the wall, during the whole match up until three quarter time and were not given much of a chance to win by those at the ground, the Ocean Grove captain was knocked out severely and was taken to hospital, and they were getting done at 3 quarter time, ENTER Mark Neeld...

I was told by my Ocean Grove mate to watch and to expect something special from him. I have heard a lot of coaches at the local levels through the years, but my friend was right, Neeld was something different, you couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the man. He entered the huddle; the grubbers had their heads down... There was a massive crowd around the huddle at this time. Neeld got all players to make a circle and link arms around each other, as a team. Neeld placed the jumper of the captain in the centre of the huddle. He circled the players looking each one of them in the eye, willing them to go on and force the most out of themselves and each other for their captain who was not there to lead them on.

He spoke gently and softly, but you could see the message sinking in, and you could hear a pin drop as he circled. Towards the end he stood in the middle. They surrounded him. (it certainly made me jealous not to be there playing in that side, I cant play for footy for quids, but after hearing his address, I reckon I could have done it, he had that sort of effect.) Arms wrapped around Neeld, he continued to challenge them to find inner strength and to win for their fallen captain. It was the best coach’s address I have seen to this day. I left the huddle and my mate turned to me and said, “Watch this, they will win.”... They did. As soon as the siren sounded, Mark jumped the fence and ran to his team, tears were streaming down his face as he grabbed his players and hugged all of them. They had found that inner strength… It was a magic day.

When I read today that Mark Neeld is being considered for the role of development coach, I think back to that day and I am left in no doubt that Mark Neeld would be brilliant for the role. I have seen his other addresses, and for those that have not seen him in action, its quite an interesting experience, he stares the players in the eye and he speaks very softly, you can't really hear what he says, then he suddenly rips into yelling, then very quickly, back to speaking softly and quietly, it really is captivating to see him in action.

I hope this gives people who haven’t seen him, a small insight to the power he has as a coach... A bloody good one in my opinion. And one that would be a very valuable asset to the Geelong NOW MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB B)

So Bailey wasn't at Port when they won the flag?

Or Essendon in 2000?

Mark Neeld will be good value - trust me.

I know a fair bit about the bloke given that Ocean Grove play in the same league as my local club.

I appreciate there's a huge gap between the Bellarine FL and the AFL, but Neeld has the goods.

I was at that match WYL.

Neeld's teams at Ocean Grove were dominant without having dominant players.

They just found ways to WIN.

How do you pronounce his last name? Kneeled? Neld (like weld)?

Until I see him at the Melbourne press conference in a red and blue polo ill treat it as a rumour.

Would be a good choice though, all great coaches need someone to give them a start.

Pendles in 2013, MM as director of football ( tongue in cheek)

There is risk in any appointment. We have an assistant from a premiership coaching team who is lauded by the man considered the best coach in the land. He surely has a grasp of modern footy tactics which unfortunately his predecessor didn't have. Tactically the team was behind the eight ball before the first bounce of the first game this year and we could never recover.

Let's give him the reins and see what he can do with our club.

i don't know a heap about the guy, but i like the appointment nonetheless. in the same way i like the idea of developing players rather than "buying" them, i would also prefer to "develop" a coach. don't assume he will be the same as Bailey just because he is an untried coach, and i had a couple of teacher's that scared the sh!t out of me, so don't assume he's soft either!

Pretty sure Al Clarksons a teacher and hes a [censored].

LOL

Neither do tagpoles..

Another smokescreen perhaps?

[censored] it, I give up.. I'm just waiting for an announcement. I heard Garry Ayres is a strong chance too. Whatever.

I think tagpoles turn into flogs

I was at that match WYL.

Neeld's teams at Ocean Grove were dominant without having dominant players.

They just found ways to WIN.

I just Printed out the link Trenners 09 put up.

I thought it was worth it....i like the sound of this guy....Malthouse has been Rock solid with him for quite some time, as was Bomber Thompson

Geelong & Collingwood experience cannot be sneezed at peeps

The Saints will be spewing....

The only appointment that would make me happier than this one is to get Malthouse.

Neeld is essentially Malthouse's right hand man behind Collingwood's tactical brilliance.

We have now secured the services of a coach who has been at the best club in Australia and seen how a proper club should be run.

We should expect some big changes at the Dees in the coming weeks/months.

Get excited, this is a great selection!

hahah what a surprise, another no-name looking to step up to the big time. What round will he be sacked in about 4 years and who will be caretaker

pathetic Melbourne

Thanks for that close the door when you leave please.

Cmon Dees!

So your ruling out Malthouse

OOops - great point! Except Mick Malthouse!

Regardless of how good or bad Mark Neeld ends up being the fact is that once again we have accepted mediocrity. He does not fit the profile that we initially said we wanted - experienced and successful senior coach.

We couldn't get Malthouse over the line - the Saints better not get him.

We couldn't get Clarkson over the line - always going to be tough but we failed.

We couldn't get Lyon over the line - did we go hard enough?

Our culture emerges again. Don't expect different results if the culture stays the same.

I'm happy with it, malthouse won't be coaching next year me thinks so Neeld was best of the bunch and with do many clubs looking for coaches, a good get

Kinda funny how some folk think ( or dont ) Down the road the current Premiers and likely ones for this year will be elevating an assitant to their senior role for 2012 onwards.. They seem more than happy with that.

At MFC were about to elevate another Collingwood assistant to the senior role and people are running around as though the sky is falling.

Im not sure I see the "obvious; disparency

Regardless of how good or bad Mark Neeld ends up being the fact is that once again we have accepted mediocrity. He does not fit the profile that we initially said we wanted - experienced and successful senior coach.

We couldn't get Malthouse over the line - the Saints better not get him.

We couldn't get Clarkson over the line - always going to be tough but we failed.

We couldn't get Lyon over the line - did we go hard enough?

Our culture emerges again. Don't expect different results if the culture stays the same.

I'm glad we dodged Ross Lyon. Even more so watching him today.

If we couldn't land Malthouse, Neeld is from the cutting edge school, and if rumours are true and we've snagged Neil Craig as well, then there's the experienced senior coach and we've scored the best of both worlds.

I'm slightly underwhelmed but optimistic with Neeld, but the rest of the coaching team could be the exciting ingredients.

I'm a little dissapointed we still leak our information. I'm sure it wasn't planned to have an anncouncement on Saturday which Gary cannot make but like the appointment of Neeld. Now for Pendles to re kindle his demon passion. All year we should put pressure on the pies. Just like GWS did to us.

Heard it reported on radio the leak came from Collingwood and not the MFC.

MFC have kept very quiet throughout this whole process which is good to see!

Looks like it's true Gary said on MMM it will be announced tomorrow!!

Damn, I told Mrs Robbie, showed her his picture and she said, Nah!

Mrs Robbie is never wrong.

Great post

I'm glad we dodged Ross Lyon. Even more so watching him today.

If we couldn't land Malthouse, Neeld is from the cutting edge school, and if rumours are true and we've snagged Neil Craig as well, then there's the experienced senior coach and we've scored the best of both worlds.

I'm slightly underwhelmed but optimistic with Neeld, but the rest of the coaching team could be the exciting ingredients.

Agreed, although Craig seems a little senile.

Well before the above timeline started and a couple of weeks before Bailey made his exit from the club, a certain betting agency had Neeld down as favourite for the MFC coaching job.

Make of that what you will.

I am surprised nobody took me up on my last post 11/9 when i said that a certain man that comes into my shop on a regular bases has a mate who is heavily involved in the mfc.

He told me that Scully had agreed to a 5mil / 5 year deal to go to the gws a month before ox said it on SEN.

Then he told me that we where after Clarko many weeks before it came out in the media

Then about one month ago he told me that we have our man in Mark Neeld .

we have a mole in the MFC.

I agree with Whispering Jack it makes you wonder if this whole thing is a show

From now on every time this bloke comes into my shop i will hound him for the latest news concerning the MFC then i will do a Mike Sheahan and post it saying you heard it first on demonland write it down.

I’ve got my fingers crossed and will give him as much support as i gave Bailey & Daniher...

My concern is he is untried, and while everyone is saying he has had a good education, so did Bailey...

One thing I did like is apparently one of his strengths is identifying a players good & bad points and working on them, we need as much of that as possible.