Neil Craig

[Goat 98]

Would it be possible to get Rodney eade ad a senior assistant

[andrewlamprill37 24]

I cannot believe people are whacking the club for overpopulating our coaching department.

The main knocks on our players in the past have been culture, toughness, fitness and professionalism.

Adelaide may not have won a flag but they were a tightly run ship who were fit and committed.Put Craig and Neeld together, coming from 2 of the powerhouses of the competition our players are gonna find out what gets done at serious footy clubs.

This is something all fans have to be happy with

[kegs 0]

Is it true that Craig was just announced as part of our coaching panel and if so what kind of role will he play

[kegs 0]

Sorry I just read some more posts so dont bother answering lol

[Deeoldfart 8,005]

................................................

Craig would not have bothered with this position had he not been able to see where he can influence and add substantial value to the Clubs efforts. It's not in his make-up.

I agree KiL ...... and I also think his view of our playing list, and the professional structures we are putting in place, would have been influential on him deciding to join the Dees ahead of the other suitors.

[DemonDave 1,089]

So our coaching structure is now only missing a forwards coach (and possibly an assistant backline coach) if I'm reading all the appts correctly?

[Ouch! 2,258]

So our coaching structure is now only missing a forwards coach (and possibly an assistant backline coach) if I'm reading all the appts correctly?

I assumed there are 3 vacancies still, the two you mentioned and potentially a Senior Assistant... Neil Craig doesn't appear to be a part of the coaching panel. Neeld and an assistant, then 2 coaches on each line is how I got 8... or is that wrong?

[H_T 3,043]

I assumed there are 3 vacancies still, the two you mentioned and potentially a Senior Assistant... Neil Craig doesn't appear to be a part of the coaching panel. Neeld and an assistant, then 2 coaches on each line is how I got 8... or is that wrong?

Isn't Brian Royal Senior assistant/midfield coach ?

[Deeoldfart 8,005]

.......................................................

And finally, on a more sobre note, I really hope that all of this news brings some succour to Jimmy and helps him through his illness. He placed his reliance on Garry Lyon and his friend is doing him proud.

Very well said Jack, a point that could easily be overlooked amidst the excitment.

[old55 23,372]

This quote from a story on MFC website:

"Neeld said there would be at least eight full-time coaches at the club next season, which “stacks up very well with the best clubs going around”.

So I make the organisational structure (in terms of who they are reporting to) to crudely look something like this:

MFC Board

\/

CEO (Cameron Schwab) / Football Director (Lyon (for now))

\/

Director of Sports Performance (Neil Craig)

\/

Senior Coach (Neeld) / Elite Performance Manager (Misson) / General Manager Player Devt & Strategy (Viney)

\/

Backline Coach (Rawlings / Midfield Coach (Royal) / Forward Coach (yet to be apptd??)

\/

Backs Asst Coach (?) / Mids Asst Coach (Greaves) Devt Fwd Line Coach (Satterley)

And also:

General Mgr Club Devt (Connolly)

Football Manager (Mahoney)

Developement Coach (O'Donnell)

Innovations Coach (Dunbar)

General Manager List Devt (Harrington)

Recruitment Manager (Prendergast)

Who i dont know where they fit in in terms of who they are reportable to (as the above would be).

They're going to need bigger offices at AAMi and the G!

That looks right to me - not sure if that makes "8 coaches" but the structure looks right - a "senior assistant" in addition to that sounds like overkill

[Ouch! 2,258]

That looks right to me - not sure if that makes "8 coaches" but the structure looks right - a "senior assistant" in addition to that sounds like overkill

I guess it depends on the definition of a Senior Assistant.... Is it Senior in terms of experience, or given the rest of the structure where there are 2 coaches on each line.... could there be Neeld and an assistant across all lines ? Doesn't seem like you need such a thing though....

[Carlos Danger 380]

Am stoked with getting Craig on-board. A very hot free agent with sky high currency at the moment, to look past the dollars on offer from Carlton and others to take on a role here speaks volumes.

Can't remember the last time I was this excited about the club.

[dee-luded 2,959]

A friend of a friend is an old vfl footballer, who played with hawks but is a mad demons fan, has alot of contacts still with melbourne, was talking about Neil Craig already agreeing to terms with Melbourne and he was saying "its looking good now we have got Craig". Didn't go into too much about it and everytime I ask him who he knows, he just winks and says footballers know footballers

Normally I would just blow this off, but he told me about Neeld 4 days before it came out in the press.

Don't bite my head off, just passng on a msg... I know its a friend of a friend but I thought I would share anyway.. Take it if you wish

I was wondering & hoping he may have agreed to come over prior to today, & now I've read your post, I can see it was in the pipeline.

Lets hope we have been doing other necessary ground work in the quiet prelude to todays announcement.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Am stoked with getting Craig on-board. A very hot free agent with sky high currency at the moment, to look past the dollars on offer from Carlton and others to take on a role here speaks volumes.

Can't remember the last time I was this excited about the club.

As am I, Deez nutz, as am I... Professional, here we come...

[Lutz 76]

Just spoke on SEN radio, basically reiterating what was said in the MFC website article.

Spoke about the 3 things that's drew him to MFC: the history of the club, the role we had in mind for him, and the group we have put together.

Also made a point of saying the hard work Dean Bailey has done should not be forgotten.

Class act.

We're building a very professional and driven outfit.

[DeeSpencer 25,444]

Is a class act. We couldn't appoint just anyone in this role (which involves collaboration with Misson, Viney and Neeld). We needed to make sure it was someone with tremendous character.

[Biffen 12,940]

Originally I didn't think it was necessary to have NC as an overseer or whatever the role is .They way he chose us has swung me over .

I'm a bit old fashioned in that if they don't want to be here then I'm not interested. I like to think passion still has a part in this game .

Hope we have spent enough on the football dept now to keep all Demonland freaks happy .

Now i want to see some of these boys come out looking and playing like men . Baby-sitter Bailey has done his job.

Gary Lyon has done his .

i think we have a group that will respect that we now demand immediate results and immense pride in everything we do .

We have depth on and off field.

Next year I want us to win games we shouldn't and crush those teams we should beat .

[pitmaster 3,513]

I too thought with Misson on board we did not need Craig but clearly his job is bigger than fitness.

In a sentence, we are fair dinkum now.

Craig is a huge win for us since several clubs were after him.

That we're able to afford this set up is a credit to the board for its work over the past three years.

This could be seriously exciting.

[Tatu 416]

This quote from a story on MFC website:

"Neeld said there would be at least eight full-time coaches at the club next season, which “stacks up very well with the best clubs going around”.

So I make the organisational structure (in terms of who they are reporting to) to crudely look something like this:

MFC Board

\/

CEO (Cameron Schwab) / Football Director (Lyon (for now))

\/

Director of Sports Performance (Neil Craig)

\/

Senior Coach (Neeld) / Elite Performance Manager (Misson) / General Manager Player Devt & Strategy (Viney)

\/

Backline Coach (Rawlings / Midfield Coach (Royal) / Forward Coach (yet to be apptd??)

\/

Backs Asst Coach (?) / Mids Asst Coach (Greaves) Devt Fwd Line Coach (Satterley)

And also:

General Mgr Club Devt (Connolly)

Football Manager (Mahoney)

Developement Coach (O'Donnell)

Innovations Coach (Dunbar)

General Manager List Devt (Harrington)

Recruitment Manager (Prendergast)

Who i dont know where they fit in in terms of who they are reportable to (as the above would be).

They're going to need bigger offices at AAMi and the G!

Might need more desks too...

[deanox 9,897]

If we are to have another coach I believe it would be the "opposition coach" role that Buckley currently has at Collingwood. I think the role is a full time opposition analyst, who would be trying to both analysing how to break down the oppositions game plan, and how the opposition would be trying to break down our game plan.

Not sure if we need this appointment, but it is part of the Collingwood structure that Neeld has come from.

[Lutz 76]

It's exactly what David Dunbar already does / did.

Not sure about his contract status.

[Samsara 65]

Certainly assembling what looks to be like a really good football department. Let us hope that this translates with big improvements in the playing group, by way of a team that is pushing for a tilt at a premiership in the coming years.

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Craig about to be interviewed on 3AW.

[hardtack 10,514]

The thing that's making me feel very good is that Neeld must have really impressed the hierarchy at the club in order for them to be so willing to allow him to have all of these resources at his disposal; I cannot recall any club ever doing what is being done at the MFC right at the moment. And the thing that impresses me possibly even more than that is that the likes of Craig and Misson are so sure of Neeld's abilities and potential, that they have been only too willing to jump on board!

In the words of the late "Big Kev"... I'm excited!!

Edited September 29, 2011 by hardtack

[Jaded No More 68,867]

Great work by the MFC. Very happy to have secured someone senior and experienced with great knowledge to oversee a relatively young coaching staff.

Suck on it Tom Scully, enjoy Kevin Sheedy, you [censored]!