Time to go Mark Neeld

[DemonOX 8,550]

A pretty reliable source from the inner sanctums of the MFC said that, "if we lose this sunday to GWS, Neeld WILL be sacked."

This same source last year informed me mid season that Stefan Martin had a falling out with Neeld and that he WOULD be traded come seasons end..

Obviously a handful of us already think he will suffer the same fate, but this is still a big call.

DHD what does your source say if we win agains GWS will Neeld still be gone?

[jumbo returns 6,538]

Sack Neeld!!

Let's allow Watts, Frawley, Garland, Jamar, Sylvia, Davey, Blease etc etc strut their stuff, play (term used loosely) unaccountable footy.

Allow them to train when they want, collect their fat salary, grab a drink card.....as long as we get 8 and a half wins a year, it's all good.

[the fork 357]

I just can't see us sacking Neeld after a loss this weekend. I wish I had a reason as to suggest why but I don't. Perhaps it's founded in my belief that we need an experienced coach and that there are none currently available that would come to us. We missed our opportunity with Ross Lyon who I was desperate to get.

Question: Would we be in our current predicament with Lyon as coach?

Perhaps impossible to answer but I'm interested to hear people's views.

Edited April 17, 2013 by the fork

[Cheap Seats 3,303]

I personally don't suppor the sacking of Neeld this early in to a new season...

If Neeld is sacked after a loss this weekend then the Don and board should also resign immeaditly.... I will have no faith in this current administration. You don't employ someone to do a job and sack them half way in to it. Also there is the Schwab issue

This club is becoming a side show

[ThreeOneSix 953]

Neeld is just not much chop.

I've never liked King and McLure, but listen to them speak about Neeld and it's evident he doesn't have much of an idea.

[ThreeOneSix 953]

Clarkson would be an ideal replacement at the end of the year.

In the meantime, give Neil Craig a go at it.

[Die Hard Demon 1,152]

DHD what does your source say if we win agains GWS will Neeld still be gone?

We win, he stays.. For now.

[jumbo returns 6,538]

Neeld is just not much chop.

I've never liked King and McLure, but listen to them speak about Neeld and it's evident he doesn't have much of an idea.

Selective listening?

King and McLure are parroting pathetic media gibberish.

Stand firm - don't be seduced by such rubbish.

[P-man 13,276]

Neeld is just not much chop.

I've never liked King and McLure, but listen to them speak about Neeld and it's evident he doesn't have much of an idea.

Neeld may not be much chop, but he's also an easy target right now without results on the board, and I'd much rather listen to him talk about football than King or McClure. McClure especially is just a lazy old git. Puts zero research into forming his "opinions". He's a fool to be laughed at, not listened to seriously. King at least puts in some research, but his inflated opinion of himself doesn't match what he has to say, which is often rubbish.

[Hardnut 327]

Even Justin Westhoff said on SEN today that the new structures Hinkley has put in place has given himself and the team confidence in themselves.

Good call DeeZee. It's a simple case of sack Neeld and Craig. Yes, it may cost money, but what price the survival of the club? Radical actions are rarely popular, but sometimes they just have to be taken - in this case it's long overdue!

[Pipefitter 2,029]

I can't see the point of holding onto him? We don't improve under him, only get worse. He's recruiting strategy this year was a clear attempt to save his own job and its completely backfired. If we are rebuilding, do it freakin properly. Rodan, Byrnes, gillies. That ain't rebuilding. Unless you are rebuilding a tip.

[Pitchy 196]

This is indeed a diabolical situation. Every onlooker is cringing at the sight of our club. Our talent walking out, drafting in spuds, weak capitulations, players mum's calling up. Short of the players actually kicking the wrong way, what more can they do to show that they are poorly coached and administered? I can not imagine a coach having worse measurables than Neeld in 16 months. Simply unimaginable, our percentage is 7% in 3rd quarters this year.

[Biffen 12,423]

To all of you who want to sack the coach because the players are still working out if he is "cool" or not.

Grow up.

I have realised that Gen Y will be the end of humankind because they were not slapped around enough .

FFS-stay the course you weaklings.(dedicated,diehards who voice gruntlements excluded)

What does not kill us will make us search and destroy our detractors when we are strong .

[Cheap Seats 3,303]

I find it amusing that people here think sacking Neeld will magically solve all the problems...

[bing181 8,208]

If we are rebuilding, do it freakin properly.

... by investing in talented kids and under-agers. Which we have done, in spades.

We've also topped up across the boards with some solid younger players from state leagues.

If Neeld was only interested in saving his job, he wouldn't have picked up Hogan, who can't even play this year. In any case, drafting and recruiting is a club-wide activity, with input from the entire FD, and includes the coaches, list management, recruiting etc. etc.

Edited April 17, 2013 by bing181

[Hardnut 327]

To all of you who want to sack the coach because the players are still working out if he is "cool" or not.

Grow up.

I have realised that Gen Y will be the end of humankind because they were not slapped around enough .

FFS-stay the course you weaklings.(dedicated,diehards who voice gruntlements excluded)

What does not kill us will make us search and destroy our detractors when we are strong .

What are you saying - I'm certainly not Gen Y!

[Hardnut 327]

I find it amusing that people here think sacking Neeld will magically solve all the problems...

It won't be a magical solution, but it will be a step in the right direction!

[Hardnut 327]

By investing in talented kids and under-agers. Which we have done, in spades.

We've also topped up across the boards with some solid younger players from state leagues.

So what about those older players who weren't good enough at their old clubs....?

[Pitchy 196]

I find it amusing that people here think sacking Neeld will magically solve all the problems...

No one thinks that! Sacking Neeld will, however, give us a chance to solve the problems. ie. he is one of the big problems.

What I find amusing is that people think that cos sacking Bailey didn't work out we have to stay with Neeld. Neeld is worse! Full stop. By all measuring sticks available he is doing a disastrous job getting the boys up and playing good footy.

Sacking him herald a fresh approach which may or may not work.

[Cheap Seats 3,303]

It won't be a magical solution, but it will be a step in the right direction!

Just a gut feeling, it's the right direction??

We aren't going to take into account Mission and Craig are proven successful coaches with impressive records???

Culture changes dont happen overnight. I'll expect the boards resignation with Neelds sacking!

Sounds like a heathy environment any new coach would jump at

[Cheap Seats 3,303]

No one thinks that! Sacking Neeld will, however, give us a chance to solve the problems. ie. he is one of the big problems.

What I find amusing is that people think that cos sacking Bailey didn't work out we have to stay with Neeld. Neeld is worse! Full stop. By all measuring sticks available he is doing a disastrous job getting the boys up and playing good footy.

Sacking him herald a fresh approach which may or may not work.

You're facts on Neelds performance (or lack of) dint give me a lot of confidence....

I don't think you take in to account no coach with a brain would want to step into the current MFc environment, who in their right mind would want to ruin their career coaching us now??

[Biffen 12,423]

So what about those older players who weren't good enough at their old clubs....?

What are you saying - I'm certainly not Gen Y!

No problem wit you Hardnut-we disagree on this issue but that is no biggy.

Magic bullets do not exist.The strong will survive.

Give him till the end of the year.

SHort termism ,fadism ,trends etc will pass.

[Pitchy 196]

You're facts on Neelds performance (or lack of) dint give me a lot of confidence....

I don't think you take in to account no coach with a brain would want to step into the current MFc environment, who in their right mind would want to ruin their career coaching us now??

Sorry what facts do you need? There is the AFL ladder for starters, maybe get your hands on a copy?

I think you are right about the current environment. I am serious that they all need to go, the board, prez, coach etc. To have AFL talking about stepping in is soooo embarrasing. Time for a group to step in with a clean slate and deep active passion for the club. I'm sure the current board and prez and coach all are trying to do their jobs well, but they haven't done well enough, in fact they have done absolutely terribly and should say farewell.

[monoccular 16,380]

Poppovic Coach of WSW was asked what were the criteria he was looking in players

• Hunger
• Play for each other
• Play for the supporters

This club was formed less than 12mths ago & took in recycled players & were able to create a great culture which has resulted in winnining the premiers plate & unbeaten in 10games!

When you watch them play every player is pressing up & pushing the opposition back in their defensive half...no space which results in turnovers

Different sport though principles are the same...if anything AFL has taken a lot from world football

Does this suggest that it is easier to instil "culture" into a start up club than re-infuse it into a long established club after half a century of crap?

How did they do it? How should we do it? I can't see how sacking another coach mid contract could help.

So... We sack Neeld then what??

Who in their right mind would sacrifice their future coaching prospects and integrity by choosing to coach the Dees?? We are a basket case... as a club we are like a traumatized soul rocking back and forth in the fetal position. Its sad bordering pathetic.

We have a sh!t list. We have quite a number of overpaid sub afl standard players... there's few shining lights so can we really put this all on the coach? Yes, hes built "his team" but is it really?? Its B grade replacing B grade and we expect miracles. We'd have been better stripping it bare and just taking all kids in the draft but thats history now.

Also, Neil Craig is supposed to me mentoring Neeld.... seems to be wasted money. Maybe the money would be better spent on ex AFL players in part time consulting roles such as what Dogs have done with Mooney and Scarlett. Maybe spend the cash on psychologists or hypnotherapists???

I have been all for a sports psychologist sine the ND days - certainly couldn't do any worse, could we? And PLEASE get Ox down to spend a few days informally with the players to try to install a bit of passion and commitment.

It's easy to use strong words and huff and puff when things are going bad. It’s easy to say things like the solution is to sack everyone, belt the players etc. This is what was said though Daniher's era, then Baileys, now Neeld's....what’s the pattern? Getting rid of everyone involved hasn't fixed it in the past. It makes people feel better for a while, but it doesn't fix it.

This club has a culture problem. This culture is in every act, every word, every interaction within the club. It isn't fixed by rotating people though it every 3-5 years. It breaks people down.

3 years ago James Frawley was, in my opinion, our best player. I reckon I could count on one hand the amount of times he was beaten in a one on one contest for the season. When his opponent did take a mark inside 50 and it was due to a lack of midfield pressure or another bloke not giving him a chop out (ie not really his fault), he was that dirty on himself. He hated anyone getting an inch on him. Fast forward to 10 minutes into round 1 2013, he’s jogging at the ball not giving a stuff that his opponent is hell bent on the ball. Now some people will automatically assign that act to something to do with the coach. For me it’s the culture getting him. It’s being around others that accept mediocrity, accept not putting in all you’ve got, and so on for so long it’s finally infiltrated him.

Now Neeld seems to be on a path to rectifying this. He’s reversed training attitudes and weeded out some of the players who were most ‘sick’ with the culture in the space of a year. The next step is seeing this on the field.

It is a huge issue without an easy solution - NO evidence (twice in the last 5 years) that a new coach can do this on his own.

Jury is still on MN coaching ability, but if we are so bad with our culture we need to fix it. Is it a tough job? Well he seems tough enough. Lost the players? They are supposed to be professional. Trouble at the top? Maybe not be press hungry, but they seem competent. Strip the club back to the bones? I think we have to. We will get it right (pray).

Mark Thompson had seven 10 goal losses in 2003, a couple of seasons in, everyone was calling for his head as they instituted a no DH policy in both the team and the club, and they started from a better position than we did. Give Neeld time (or just go and shoot yourself).

Trouble is that I cannot see any of our players with the mental strength and leadership capability to replicate the DH policy - MN has I think tried with the 'moving on' of Moloney. The parallels with Thompson's early days are easily forgotten.

[Deetective Sgt. Taggert 380]

So what about those older players who weren't good enough at their old clubs....?

I think it has been well documented that the mature age recruits were brought in for their leadership qualities as well as their experience and mature bodies. Obviously the coaches would hope they would be able to make an impact in games too but they are also there to raise training standards, provide mature bodies to compete against at training, and increase competition for spots in the 22. Unfortunately these wont translate into immediate benefits on the field but long term I'm sure will help change the culture and performance. Sounds logical in theory at least!

Edited April 17, 2013 by Ascobar