I love the 16 matches deadline. Very amusing.

I agree that if next year follows a similar pattern then he will be under the pump to be retained for his last year, but round 10? Give me a break.

Last nights team on paper was one to the worst sides in talent, disposal ability, and forward ability I've seen the MFC ever produce. My only concern is our ability to run games out, hopefully that will be addressed with another big pre-season.

Neeld has up until round 10 next year to improve this side otherwise there is no way his contract will be extended.

At this rate there is a distinct possibility that we will only win 1 or 2 games in the first half of 2013.

If this is the case 'sayonara' Neeld. Even the most inept board will not stick the course with you.

Please don't give me the "he needs time to change the culture" or "we need to start recruiting from scratch"... None of the top clubs would except this mediocre performance.

The clock is ticking. any suggested replacements?

You've Got 88 Minutes to explain how it is, you think Neeld will be shelved, after only One Season? Tick Tock _ Tick Tock

I reckon 99% of the Bailey support was predicated on the idea that "games together" with "talented players" would be all that was required. That approach has since been shown to be fundamentally flawed. Just letting those players have fun together (no hard training) and play with flair (no matchday kpi's) was all that Bailey ever did. He was a terrible COACH, and faith in Neeld should not deemed misplaced simply because of the mistakes of his predecessor.

Sounds a lot like Bluey McKennas rein, up in the Gold Coast. Softly Softly... Now Blight has put the bite on 'em.

Bailey did better and I didn't rate him too highly what does that tell you?

Remember 186?

one of the funniest threads all year. and so many to choose from as well.!!

Savage cull in October. Savage.

The problem is we heard the same thing with Bailey at the start. We've been burnt before, people have good reason to question where the club is heading (and I like Neeld).

As you would hear when any new coach takes over the absolute rabble we have become.

ANY coach would need TIME to turn this around, good, bad or otherwise. Whether they are up to the task or not.

If you can't see improvement in some areas, and you can't recognise the causes for our current ineptitude, then you probably won't have a clue what's happening until we start winning again and you claim it's because "we stopped accepting mediocrity and decided to do the things necessary to win".

*cue WYL whinging about having already waited 40-odd years for us to start winning again...*

If you can't see improvement in some areas, and you can't recognise the causes for our current ineptitude....

Jose, just wondering what you think these improvements are? Not saying they aren't there just interested in where the improvements been from your perspective.

I have held my tongue most of the year about Neeld, preferring to see what he could produce. The only point I have made about him so far is that when we are in a run of really poor form - and we have been for most of this year - it is his job to lead, inspire and challenge us out of that form. To date he has not been able to do this. I see him teaching, coaching in a very general sense but I don't see him inspiring our players to greater feats.

I disagree with many posters about our list. I reckon the players we have is basically OK with the exception of one highly-skilled, pacy midfielder. Our player development under Bailey has proven to be rubbish and we are 2 years behind where we should be. Our list problem is that the we have formed a habit of keping people on our list who are middle-of-the-road players and never rise above this.

I would also point out that injuries have been horrible this year.

The heat will defeinietly be on Neeld next year because he will have had 2 preseasons for fitness and game-plan development. He will have had 2 drafts - and this year's is a beauty - to recruit and exchange players. The choices he has made about a new leadership group and co-captains will have had almost 2 years to bear fruit.

Whether we make the finals on 2013 is one thing, but we need to see tough, consistent football with the following corrections:

• A much higher disposal efficiency
  
• Matching if not winning contested possession in most matches
  
• The upside of players like Trengove, Blease, Strauss, Jurrah, Bail, Tynan, Gysberts
  

The heat is on Neeld in 2013 for these things, and it is right that he be held accountable for them. However, he should be given his full contract to see if he can produce the goods. A yet, we have seen little eveidence. Having said that, he is beginning to win me over and I am emjoying tyhe way it appears he is leading us so far.

If I quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

Neeld has mentally and spiritually destroyed this team. He is the worst coach that MFC has had. His performance is so terrible that it may even result in the sacking of scwab and mclardy.

What a joke of a coaching selection, what a disgrace of a first years tenure, neeld has been given enough of a chance, let's replace him, schwab and mclardy at seasons end.

Changing the culture requires changing the key power brokers. 2012 gone.

Here's an idea ... let's give coaches one year deals and sack them if they don't make the finals in their first season. Just keep turning 'em over until we stumble across an instant Norm Smith.

I want success now, now, NOW! Waaaaaaahhhhhh!

Hilarious thread. Keep the entertainment coming.

Maybe we have a clause in the contract that allows us to get rid of the coach if he obviously is not up it.

You would have thought that the board would have enough brains not to risk the important coaching position on a speculative, untried assistant, with a poor playing pedigree.

Staggering!

If I quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

Neeld has mentally and spiritually destroyed this team. He is the worst coach that MFC has had. His performance is so terrible that it may even result in the sacking of scwab and mclardy.

What a joke of a coaching selection, what a disgrace of a first years tenure, neeld has been given enough of a chance, let's replace him, schwab and mclardy at seasons end.

Changing the culture requires changing the key power brokers. 2012 gone.

You take the cake Distopia... first you blame Neeld for the likely sacking of Schwab and McLardy, and in the very next sentence you call for the sacking of Schwab and McLardy... you bring to mind a form of kicking that disappeared from the game decades ago... perhaps you should go the same way as the drop kick?

I didn't have high expectations for this season, but I still expected Neeld to have some kind of positive influence. Yes, it looks a diabolical list at the moment, but it's still largely a list that won 8 games in 2010 (including a 73 point annhilation of Sydney and a draw against the eventual premiers). In 2011, they also won 8 games and drew against Sydney.

Supposedly, if you 'play the kids' you can fast track the development of young players, but the concerning thing is, we've seen more players stagnate or go backwards than improve.

I'm not putting this all on Neeld, because in my opinion the rot set in midway through 2011. The fact is, the club has had nearly 6 years to rebuild this list. Players drafted in the 2007 draft are now 23 years old.

Look at what Sydney, Adelaide and even North Melbourne have achieved in the same time frame, and without the same opportunities. Unfortunately, Melbourne are still as bad as they ever have been.

Having said all that, Neeld deserves to see out his contract. Under Bailey, it took the players a good 18 months to adapt to a new gameplan, so I think we should probably expect the same.

I seriously question the intelligence of anyone who thinks that Neeld should have done better to date.

Mind boggling to see some of the unrealistic expectations some have.

Where on earth was this improvement supposed to come from?

Why is pertinent evidence consistently ignored?

For a supposedly higher class of supporter that MFC has, some certainly are absolute planks.

Doubt any coach in the league could have done any better at the moment. Even Viney struggled after Bailey went out the door. Going to take some time to turn things arround. We had quite a few good players out that would have made us more competitive.

If we sack Neeld today we could not be any worse off for a long time coming. But he will stick around while there's a promise of him delivering and stays or he goes when the club spin masters finally run of out of excuses for him and themselves. It just doesn't matter anymore whilst those responsible for our decline still run the club.

Edited July 22, 201212 yr by Jackie

I've given this year away. Too many injuries, too many players out of form. But I do expect a better performance next year, much bettered. Hird turned Essendon around in a pre-season. The problem with Neeld is he made no attempt to manage expectations. His comments in hindsight were ridiculous.

I haven't written him off. I can see what he's trying to do. But I'm not sure about his judgement and man management. If we have another really poor start the drums will be pounding and in the modern AFL environment it'd be hard to see him getting to the third year. The good news is Craig is there to step straight into the role.

But as I said, at this point I think he has a decent chance of turning things around. The game plan looks solid and if we can execute it may all turn for the better fast.

I disagree with many posters about our list. I reckon the players we have is basically OK with the exception of one highly-skilled, pacy midfielder. Our player development under Bailey has proven to be rubbish and we are 2 years behind where we should be. Our list problem is that the we have formed a habit of keping people on our list who are middle-of-the-road players and never rise above this.

So Neeld is going to suddenly make up this two year gap caused by Bailey and solve all our recruitment problems in one pre-season.

So Neeld is going to suddenly make up this two year gap caused by Bailey and solve all our recruitment problems in one pre-season.

I think it would be fair to say that much of our poor disposals is more to do with adapting to the game plan and confidence. In the first three games for collingwood this year, their disposal was just as shocking but they adapted to Buckley quicker. Neelds way and structures are a mile off what we were doing last year. Some players, Jones and Watts have shown improvement. Some players are just in bad form. Some are just no upto it and will go. When it all clicks, things will improve.

He aint going anywhere!

Will be a 10 year premiership coach.

The game plan looks solid and if we can execute it may all turn for the better fast.

I could be wrong but it looks like the game plan is built on contested ball and percentage play (boundary) that gets us a stoppage and keeps the ball in dispute if not in our favor. Great plan! One slight problem - we have the worst list in the league for this style. Next year is going to be equally as rough. It's a very long term plan and I'm not sure an industry built on winning can withstand the pressure of the losses sure to come. I hope the club can keep the faith that it's asking of all it's supporters when the sharks start really circling.

I could be wrong but it looks like the game plan is built on contested ball and percentage play (boundary) that gets us a stoppage and keeps the ball in dispute if not in our favor. Great plan! One slight problem - we have the worst list in the league for this style. Next year is going to be equally as rough. It's a very long term plan and I'm not sure an industry built on winning can withstand the pressure of the losses sure to come. I hope the club can keep the faith that it's asking of all it's supporters when the sharks start really circling.

It's a defense-oriented one that requires winning contested footy. But if we can't adapt we're gone anyway, only those sorts of game plans stand up in finals. Cam Mooney - who I'm starting to respect more and more - said it right. Under the old system we would always win 8-10 games, but never make finals. What we're trying to do is develop a finals-type plan. doubters are Neeld's capacity as a coach. I'm pretty sure his idea is right.

It's a defense-oriented one that requires winning contested footy. But if we can't adapt we're gone anyway, only those sorts of game plans stand up in finals. Cam Mooney - who I'm starting to respect more and more - said it right. Under the old system we would always win 8-10 games, but never make finals. What we're trying to do is develop a finals-type plan. doubters are Neeld's capacity as a coach. I'm pretty sure his idea is right.

The idea was right for Collingwood in 2010. It is a solid plan but it's clearly not built on anything we have. That's why the draft and trading period is a great indicator of the goal. If we go after bigger bodies the club and coach are aware of the need for short term accountability. If they don't get what they want or go young then I fear for Neeld in the current climate.

If I quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

Neeld has mentally and spiritually destroyed this team. He is the worst coach that MFC has had. His performance is so terrible that it may even result in the sacking of scwab and mclardy.

What a joke of a coaching selection, what a disgrace of a first years tenure, neeld has been given enough of a chance, let's replace him, schwab and mclardy at seasons end.

Changing the culture requires changing the key power brokers. 2012 gone.

lucky its Not duck season, you would be the first to be shot