Watts given a kick up the ...

[Deeoldfart 8,033]

Most around here were arguing that we needed a 'new broom', and now some of them are suggesting that all we needed was a different feather duster ........ sheesh! My guess is that Neeld's comments are precisely the type of reality-check needed to jolt some players out of the comfort zone they have been occupying for way too long. Maybe this approach will work and maybe it won't, but surely two weeks into Neeld's first pre-season is way too early to criticise it.

[daisycutter 29,616]

Not quite, we're not even the oldest football club in the world. Sheffield United was founded in 1857.

And the reason the MFC was formed was to keep cricket players fit during the winter months, so one would naturally assume that there were cricket clubs around before us too.

Ah-ha dd you really meant Sheffield fc not United nor Wednesday

again from wikipedia

Sheffield F.C.

For the other association football clubs with similar names, see Sheffield United F.C. and Sheffield Wednesday F.C..

Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The club is most noted for the fact that they are the world's oldest club now playing Association football, founded in 1857. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One South.

The team was originally based at various grounds around Sheffield, including Bramall Lane, formerly home to Sheffield Wednesday and now the home of Sheffield United. They are now based at the Coach and Horses Ground in Dronfield, Derbyshire. The club are also noted for participating in the world's oldest footballing rivalry. Sheffield competed against Hallam in the world's first inter-club match during 1860 - the match is known as the "Sheffield" derby.

Edited November 12, 2011 by daisycutter

[Bang Bang Bang 5,826]

Can't believe people aren't enjoying what Neeld is saying. He's clearly a no nonsense coach who expects nothing less than 100% commitment from all within the club.

If he had said something like "Watts is a big softie, I want him to harden up" then I could understand the concerns, but all he has said is that Jack should forget about TV ads etc and focus on becoming the best player he can be. Woahhh, what a travesty! How dare he say that! Let's bring back Bailey who can put them all on the head and tell them how great they are for beating Essendon.

At the moment it's all talk and the proof will be in the pudding (game plans, W/L, effort etc) but as far as I can see, Neeld is exactly the kind of hard head we need. He would have been a scary teacher

[Biffen 12,943]

Steely eyes ,red hair , earnest manner, straight forward .Reminds me a little of Norm Smith .Lets hope he can do half as well as Norm .

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

Did anyone truly believe it was going to be any different with Neeld in charge, considering Dave Misson & Neil Craig were bought in as well?

I knew from that first day it was going to go up about 5 notches...All 3 have had Modern Finals experience...They know where these guys have got to get to...& they have to be ready by round 1.

I don't think these guys are thinking long term at all...Yes it will take some time to Gell, but there is not one mention of 2-3 years here.

Only time frame i have heard mentioned is 4 months.

[Carrot Top 947]

Loving it so far. Sure it's only talk but it's talk that was needed. Get 'em fit, get 'em hungry and leave 'em with no illusions that near enough is good enough no matter your draft spot or the size of your contract.

[Biffen 12,943]

Right dude -we've waited about as long as any sane man could wait .Correction-

Longer than any sane man could wait .

[Demon Disciple 12,163]

Ah-ha dd you really meant Sheffield fc not United nor Wednesday

again from wikipedia

yeah, that was the one.

[demoniac 1,333]

I have never enjoyed reading the Age and the Herald Sun as much as I did this morning. I even went out and bought a hard copy of the Herald Sun.

For the first time since Northey we have a coach with a hard edge. And I like it. I have no issue with what he said and I am sure there is nothing in there that he would not have already told the players. Since the Swooper era we have just not been hard enough. Sure we had ordinary facilities and not much money but so did the Kangas and they won 2 flags in the 90s. Meanwhile our football departments were tolerating gifted senior players who showed little defensive intent or hardness and were consistent only in their inconsistency. A wasted generation.

Fast forward to the 2011 post season and the rebirth of the Dees under Stynes now sees its final foundations in place with some highly respected coaching and sports science appointments. Mark Neeld comes from a Collingwood that has played off for the flag in each of the last 2 years. They won the 2010 flag in the toughest of circumstances having to regroup from a draw. David Misson arrives from St Klda and the Swans. Teams he has conditioned have played off in 4 Grand Finals plus a Grand Final replay. Both teams were conditioned for brutal contested footy. Neeld and Misson knows how their elite players prepared. What times they ran. What weights they did. Neil Craig comes from Adelaide with a unique mix of elite sports science and coaching experience. He knows how elite Olympic athletes have prepared for competition. He has been a senior coach at both AFL and SANFL level. He was in demand from numerous other AFL clubs. An ideal mentor for an assistant coach stepping up to a senior position for the first time.

Neeld, Misson and Craig are shaking the joint up. Insisting our players are elite in their preparation and disciplined in their play. Demanding that this generation transform their potential into performance.

And I for one am bloody excited.

Go Dees!

[fuchsia 37]

"There's none so blind as those who will not see" (in reference to NEGATIVE supporters comments, about Mark Neeld).

 

This club has been  too politically correct for too long and as such suffered in silence...even a large number of  supporters!

One can take extreme courtesy and polite manners too far, can't one (as far as any business is concerned)?

It's about knowing when to play the " scare witless card".

 

Keeping the supporters abreast of the "PROFESSIONAL"attitude required is a master stroke... (puts public notice on players who read their own publicity).

He is not going to play it every week or month for that matter.

 

It's a direct result from his DISMAY at the lamentable results from that 3km time trial and Misson's report on the level of body size and fitness level comparability to the elite players they have been in charge of previously.

Only Jonesy, Bail and first year player Nicholson were at an acceptable level of fitness after break.

That 3k run stated who wanted to play in the big league or just take the easy "polite "option..

its better to put the wind up them than blow smoke.

 

This coach is a GEM (at last). 

How can any MFC supporter say that about any coach since Norm?

[mollydee 22]

Not quite, we're not even the oldest football club in the world. Sheffield United was founded in 1857.

And the reason the MFC was formed was to keep cricket players fit during the winter months, so one would naturally assume that there were cricket clubs around before us too.

Sorry. I didn't further specify because we were talking about a football club . So --- "oldest professional football club in the world "

[mollydee 22]

Ah-ha dd you really meant Sheffield fc not United nor Wednesday

again from wikipedia

Sorry again , I stand corrected .

[daisycutter 29,616]

Sorry again , I stand corrected .

yeah, looks like they beat us by one miserable year

although wikipedia has us as being created in 1859 (not 1858) but that is another argument i fear

[888Dee 6]

My take is hes come in and said there are no more excuses, Ill give you a game plan and all the coaches, facillities and resources you need. As good or better than any other club. Its up to you the player to make the most of whats on offer. We ask from you 100% dedication,effort and professionalism to the task. No more illusions at Melbourne this is whats expected of you. You know it, i know it and now the media and supporters know it. There is no where to hide. Expectations have now been lifted and the balls in your court.

No one will be gifted games in this side.

[Sir Why You Little 37,046]

I have never enjoyed reading the Age and the Herald Sun as much as I did this morning. I even went out and bought a hard copy of the Herald Sun.

For the first time since Northey we have a coach with a hard edge. And I like it. I have no issue with what he said and I am sure there is nothing in there that he would not have already told the players. Since the Swooper era we have just not been hard enough. Sure we had ordinary facilities and not much money but so did the Kangas and they won 2 flags in the 90s. Meanwhile our football departments were tolerating gifted senior players who showed little defensive intent or hardness and were consistent only in their inconsistency. A wasted generation.

Fast forward to the 2011 post season and the rebirth of the Dees under Stynes now sees its final foundations in place with some highly respected coaching and sports science appointments. Mark Neeld comes from a Collingwood that has played off for the flag in each of the last 2 years. They won the 2010 flag in the toughest of circumstances having to regroup from a draw. David Misson arrives from St Klda and the Swans. Teams he has conditioned have played off in 4 Grand Finals plus a Grand Final replay. Both teams were conditioned for brutal contested footy. Neeld and Misson knows how their elite players prepared. What times they ran. What weights they did. Neil Craig comes from Adelaide with a unique mix of elite sports science and coaching experience. He knows how elite Olympic athletes have prepared for competition. He has been a senior coach at both AFL and SANFL level. He was in demand from numerous other AFL clubs. An ideal mentor for an assistant coach stepping up to a senior position for the first time.

Neeld, Misson and Craig are shaking the joint up. Insisting our players are elite in their preparation and disciplined in their play. Demanding that this generation transform their potential into performance.

And I for one am bloody excited.

Go Dees!

It feels great.....i can handle waiting 4 months for the season to start when i know the list is being conditioned properly-I had actually forgotten that Misson also worked with the Swans for those 05-06 GF's...Saw 2005 on TV and was there for 2006...Tough Hard great contests. Both of them.

as were 09-10...Interesting that Neeld & Misson opposed each other for the 2010 Twin Towers...

Let's hope they both looked at the MFC & thought...."This one is the real challenge"...Misson assisted in the Swans first in 72 years....was a whisker away from doing the same at the Aints....

[888Dee 6]

No doubt whos in charge at MFC.

[Swampfox 190]

Every player on that list got a one on one with what Neeld expects from them

I bet he gave EVERYONE the same message

If you don't raise the bar you will always fall short

Would you expect the media to highlight Lucas Cook or Jack Watts ?

What the last few articles have said to me is that the players are NOT AFL FIT

They played like that for the majority of 2010 IMO

I would be willing to bet that Neeld has not even decided on where he thinks some of these players will play (apart from the obvious)

From the articles i have read so far i would say Neelds to do list would have physical attributes and fitness levels at the top of the page

Selecting the team and a captain would be at the bottom

[fuchsia 37]

Stan Alves tells a great story that goes for approximately15 minutes about his first day at the club.

After being invited by the relevant club officials, he came into contact with the coach and as Stan had a similar pheno type to one "RF" being extremely light, he was told in no uncertain terms what he thought - that this was a game for men and told to get out of here and return  home to his mother.

But Stan refused to go anywhere and continued on in the face of adversity, training on the outskirts of the group with a cold blunt occasional look from the coach to eventually after 2 years (me thinks ?) getting a game and eventually captaining the club.

The coach "OBVIOUSLY" was one Mr. N. Smith.

 

So that when young (or 29yo) athletes are seen to be under-utilising or wasting their god given talents, it takes a VERY good motivating disciplinarian to hit it home and, if certain comments ruffle feathers, GREAT - go watch netball.

 

And Bailey who wanted to play the softly softly monkey & be the players & assist coaches best buddy or respected & loved father figure failed in his duty of care & responsibility to play bad cop when needed with the end result obvious to all,even the rank layman.

 

For crying out loud, in 8 weeks one M. Neeld has said more and done more than Bailey managed in his whole tenure...

I have never experienced a guy to talk for so long and at the same time, say nothing like Bailey, who was able to put supporters to sleep with a single media conference.

So if Neeld wants to get supporters enthused or informed by continually making public admonishments and/or statements, great, good on him for the insight & inspiration ... because the previous guy sure in Hades didn't.

[Born to Run 204]

Fair to assume Watts might have been told by Neeld what he expected from him etc etc. He probably said in addition to this, that if he did the things asked of him he will be very very good. He certainly would have pumped up his tyres a little in the meeting, subject to him doing what is demanded of him.

Media does not report this stuff as less interesting.

Pretty confident that message would be similarly delivered to other players on the list.

I am glad he is being direct.

As for the point about Neeld being in the media and talking tough, I prefer it this way than Bailey who almost chose to fly under the radar. Maybe this was because of the 5 year plan which was afforded him. Neeld does not have that luxury. His time is now. Or he will go. We should be thankful he is not willing to wait, he is being transparent to players and supporters alike. He is taking a risk and backing himself to deliver. I prefer this to keeping a low profile.

I also love that he is developing a strong and healthy divide between the coaches and players. This separation is essential to develop a healthy working relationship based on respect and an appreciation of roles of the two different parties. Players play and coaches coach. Less matie stuff the better.

Loving the fresh approach.

[Hannibal 5,814]

Yes, there is a soccer club in England older than us....Not sure of the name but i heard the President of it, interviewed by Mark Fine a couple of years back.

The started just before the MFC, but have not been continuous, so i say that means we are older!!!...But we need that 13th. Cup more.

We're the oldest club in the world that is still playing at the highest level.

[Dee Dee 1,108]

Wasn't it Max Gawn who said after first meeting Neeld that first he was scared and then he was very scared (or words to that effect)!

Dean Bailey was the junior school teacher: now the players have jumped straight into year 12 and preparing to do battle at university level!

[45HG 1,539]

yeah, looks like they beat us by one miserable year

although wikipedia has us as being created in 1859 (not 1858) but that is another argument i fear

Let's not forget that Northern Premier League Division One South is division 8 in the English system.

It'd be difficult to work out the equivalent in footy terms, but possibly the TAC cup?

But yes. We are not the oldest.

[jnrmac 20,100]

As for the point about Neeld being in the media and talking tough, I prefer it this way than Bailey who almost chose to fly under the radar. Maybe this was because of the 5 year plan which was afforded him. Neeld does not have that luxury. His time is now. Or he will go. We should be thankful he is not willing to wait, he is being transparent to players and supporters alike. He is taking a risk and backing himself to deliver. I prefer this to keeping a low profile.

two points.

DB's approach was probably right when he first came but it shows perhaps how difficult it is to change that approach once the players get used to the coach. The softly softly approach didn't work with Morton or Davey and arguably a bunch of other players. So Neeld could be the right man for the right time..

Neeld is doing everything that we would expect him to do. be blunt with the payers about where they are and where they need to be. After all he has seen (with Dave Misson) first hand what it takes to be successful in terms of fitness, commitment and game plan. DB did as well but his knowledge and game plan appeared to be based on stuff we couldn't deliver on. DB didn't have the assistants with the knowledge either. He had a bunch of first timers aside from Royal. West and Mahoney were learning their trade. So far I am very impressed with the team the Dees have build around Neeld. It should show pretty soon.

The only other point is whether Neeld is right in being public about the heat on players and personally I think he is. The other way clearly hasn't worked. These players are players with talent. That is it. If they want success they have to sacrifice a lot for it. Our players frankly have not done that. You can look at the Scully/China trip as a microcosm of that but the facts are (as I believe) our guys treated the trip as a junket and not as a professional player should. Sylvia's most recent misdemeanor is more evidence of cancer within the group.

Cousins going to the Tigers was interesting to me because it showed the young tigers what it took to train and compete. Say a lot about Cousins but he was a ferocious trainer. Its also why you can never have a Fevola at the Dees. Cotchin, Deledio and Martin now have instilled in them what it takes to be an elite player. And quite possibly all three will be. That is the difference betweenm having talent and being a good player and being an elite player - the commitment, training, intensity and drive.

I hope to hell that Neeld can bring it. From what I have heard so far the signs are good. There will be players fall by the wayside (Sylvia and Morton are two obvious candidates) but it will be up to them.

[Deeoldfart 8,033]

The Mark Neeld approach reminds me of an old saying that, to me, rings very true with the most of the last 47 years at the Melbourne Football Club ...... "if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got". Our new coach is about changing that trend.

[Ned 156]

I found the articles tedious. When our team comes out next year playing hard, accountable football I'll be happy to shower praise on Neeld. I've read enough words from the MFC.

Having said that, a bit of a public roasting of those guys is fine. Let's be honest, Morton aside all four are capable of being champions. I think that's all that was said. They were challenged to be the best they can be.

But as I said, let's see Melbourne play a top team and really compete. That's when we'll know something is really afoot.