One of the better positive articles any of the so called "Journos" have written -

Dees now more the team of Neeld's making

Melbourne coach Mark Neeld admitted the list changes were significant but not radical. Photo: Sebastian Costanzo

Was given the proverbial clean slate when he arrived, and afforded the players the same treatment. Spent some of his own capital in doing so.

Now he is doing so more slate cleaning, 12 months late in my view.

He certainly is making up for it though...

A man on a mission (with a Misson)

He is doing exactly what he was hired to do Make the team more competetive win some games and assist in changing both the culture and the perception of the club

He gave all on the list 12 months to be consdered relevent to the clubs future Some failed so be it! To all those delisted /moved on we can only hope they learn play well and have great career.

I am sure all those no longer with the Dees know exactly why they were not continuing with the Melbourne Football Club

WE must support Neeld and the Football department and I am sure we will be competetive in 2013

What you think would've happened if he cut 20 players last year though, with only coming in just before trade/list lodgement time?

Took his time to assess the maybes, those not up to it gone. Those he thinks aren't ruined redemption get a bit longer to prove themselves! I'd be packing my bags as part of the still outta contract guys and I didn't rock up to the club this week ready to go!

Great to see changes occuring well done to Neeld and co

The FD obviously as a group were not prepared for another 2012 which apart from the win over essendon was heartbreaking.

It has been a long period since we played finals, finishing down the bottom for so long bring on change

He who lives by the sword dies by the sword, and Neeld will be quite reasonably judged on the output of "his" list in 2013.

If he doesn't win at least 8 games, and I think that is a tall ask, he is in real trouble.

For what it is worth, I don't think I would be keen to put my career in the hands of Rodan, Davey, Bartram and other misfits, but good on him for making a stand.

He who lives by the sword dies by the sword, and Neeld will be quite reasonably judged on the output of "his" list in 2013.

If he doesn't win at least 8 games, and I think that is a tall ask, he is in real trouble.

For what it is worth, I don't think I would be keen to put my career in the hands of Rodan, Davey, Bartram and other misfits, but good on him for making a stand.

To be fair, I'd rather put my career in the hands of Dawes and Byrnes than Morton, Gysberts, Cook, Bate, Bennell etc.

I am considering to offer myself as a sex slave to Mark Neeld.

I love this man. I really do.

To be fair, I'd rather put my career in the hands of Dawes and Byrnes than Morton, Gysberts, Cook, Bate, Bennell etc.

agreed. But it is still a big ask. Unless the players look each other in the eye over this preseason.

David Rodan won 5 Flags before his AFL career started. I bet he would love one last crack at the grail. It may well be a big factor in his recruitment.....Drive.

i think people's opinions of our trade period is being skewed becasue they percieve some of our selections (Rodan in particular) to be no good. Also loosing moloney, Morton, Gysberts, Martin & Rivers is loosing quite a few better known names from our list. what outsiders dont realise though, its that Rivers aside, all of the players we lost were unlikley to get many games in 2013 anyway, so whilst its a loss from a squad depth POV, its not as significant as people might think.

Dawes - Quality forward taget who got games in a very strong Collingwood side, easily best 22

Byrnes - Small forward/mid, who was pushed out of the Cats 22 due to some very talented young players being prefered - still got alot to offer and is in MFC's best 22 due to the lack of small forward options that we have

Rodan - Pacy mid with good run and carry skills, delisted from port as new coach seems focused on youth/building a team from scratch. Delisted due to age/contract status, not ability. may well be in Neelds best 22

Pederson - Strong VFL form went unrewarded at previous club. Stocks are likley to rise with more exposure at AFL level. (might be our equivelant of Mumford, Kennedy etc etc)

He who lives by the sword dies by the sword, and Neeld will be quite reasonably judged on the output of "his" list in 2013.

If he doesn't win at least 8 games, and I think that is a tall ask, he is in real trouble.

Neeld won't die wondering and as 'Undeetered' alluded to when we do make it to Finals football would you rather have Dawes, Byrnes and Viney or Martyn, Morton and Gysberts. Which group is more likely to stand up when the heat is on?

I am considering to offer myself as a sex slave to Mark Neeld.

I love this man. I really do.

Is it the twitch?

agreed. But it is still a big ask. Unless the players look each other in the eye over this preseason.

David Rodan won 5 Flags before his AFL career started. I bet he would love one last crack at the grail. It may well be a big factor in his recruitment.....Drive.

Rodan impressed me a lot when he was with Richmond, but when he went to Post he seemed to lose a lot of his spark. I'm hoping that a return to Victoria (was that his home state? I have no idea) will see him get his mojo back. I hold out a lot of hope for him being a big plus for us.

I'm sick of hearing ppl in the media saying that we have just wasted 4 years of rebuilding.

Out of the 14 players that have been delisted 1 retired, 1 left because of family reasons. Three where rookies and four were players, who at over 26 and have been at the club before the rebuild stage.

So that's only four players who where picked up during this rebuild stage.

Four out of 35, how is that a waste of 4 years? This is why we got rid of Bailey, to get a coach to fix this club and that's what Neeld is doing.

It's refreshing to read an article that gives some insights into what Mark Neeld and the football department are seeking to achieve at the club instead of the agenda driven blather of low class journos who have an axe to grind with the club or are seeking cheap publicity by their poor attempts to be sensational. They could learn a thing or two from this bloke.

Neeld won't die wondering and as 'Undeetered' alluded to when we do make it to Finals football would you rather have Dawes, Byrnes and Viney or Martyn, Morton and Gysberts. Which group is more likely to stand up when the heat is on?

The problem with that statement is we would never make the finals with those three in the team

The problem with that statement is we would never make the finals with those three in the team

If you are referring to Dawes, Rodan and Byrnes yeah, because no team has made it to finals with those 3...............

I mean its not like Collingwood did this year, or Geelong won a premiership with one 3 times, or Port made a grand final with Rodan or anything, also its not like their finals experience is one of the reasons they are at our club..........

The thing that gives me the $^& about the whole thing is that if Malthouse had made these calls (and they at laest in terms of delistings and trades) would have been the same or perhaps harsher there would be no criticism, but because Neeld is a relative unknown quantity he is often dogged by doubters.

Neeld said he wanted to make this club the hardest to play - this about our talls now - Jamar, Spencer, Gawn, Pederson, Dawes, Sellar, Clark - if its a possession game or one on one marking we are going to improve in that regard. Main concerns speed and run. Word is they rate Rory Taggert and expect him to come on this season with Viney and Wines learning the trade under Sylvia, Trengove, Grimesy and Jonesy (Jordie tagging). And i talk about Wines like he is ours because i think he will be.

Lets face it - according to a source of mine who has been right on two things so far (gysberts to north, viney) the view was that the players were 'practically coaching the club' before Neeld's arrival.

Neeld has taken a year to assess the list that Bailey and Prendergast put together, and his assessment was made in the final days of the trade period and on saturday.

Encouraging to hear that the delistings this year appear to have been well handled, at least that's how Petterd seemed to feel:

http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=150465

Encouraging to hear that the delistings this year appear to have been well handled, at least that's how Petterd seemed to feel:

http://www.afl.com.a...x?newsid=150465

His a good guy Petterd. I hope we consider him for a rookie spot.

Encouraging to hear that the delistings this year appear to have been well handled, at least that's how Petterd seemed to feel:

http://www.afl.com.a...x?newsid=150465

That's good news..

Neeld has taken a year to assess the list that Bailey and Prendergast put together, and his assessment was made in the final days of the trade period and on saturday.

They are simply idiots in the media trying to fill a page or two. How blindingly obvious is it that MN wants players who will play the way he wants. He has evaluated the list and he is now moulding it to his own design.

The media wouldn't have a clue whether Gysberts was doing what he was asked or otherwise. Ditto Martin and all the other de-listed players. I'm happy he's making his own changes and not listening to popular opinion. He doesn't seem to mind if he isn't popular. Results count.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/melbourne-coach-mark-neelds-big-picture-is-still-unfocused/story-e6frf9io-1226505612475

This article is why I hate references to Moneyball.

It doesn't fit well, especially if no-one wants to interpret when value can be attained even when paying a great deal of money.

Oh, and as for the first line - Jon Ralph is an idiot. When the Oakland Athletics embraced analytics to get more bang for their buck they set off an 'arms race' of analysis that saw the Red Sox end the curse merely two years later.

If you don't know baseball just shut up about Billy effing Beane and Moneyball.