I, having worked in education for quite a while, have seen all this before (in myself and in others). It's when the people in your care switch off. A leader/teacher/coach can keep pushing and trying their guts out to get the ship back on track but when you have lost your underlings/students/players, it's nigh on impossible to get them back. It's a huge strain on your health and the best thing to do, for yourself and for the good of those who are in your charge, is to just let go.
I feel now if Neeldy could, he would have handled his first 12 months at the club very differently. Less arrogance and more attempts to build rapport with the players. I was once told by a mentor of mine who had heaps of experience in these matters about the differences of building a culture of achievement vs. a culture of fear. A culture of achievement is essentially the standards a group sets for themselves. It's about getting the best out of yourself for intrinsic reward, not because you are scared that the coach will give you a bollocking (culture of fear defined).

I feel for Neeldy now as I think he has gotten himself in over his head. He's probably a great assistant but I'm thinking his coaching career cannot recover from this. There is no anger and no bitterness in this post. It's just how I see it as I have been there before and know what it feels like.

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by Guest

I've tried prayer, it didn't work. You expect Himself to support the Demons?

He supports everyone its about free choice

The Sheedy's speech last year was right before the game started, totally different context. As also mentioned they are professional footballers, its like your job you get yourself motivated, if you need someone else to do it, you need to change jobs. Besides if they ran out all pumped it artificially it would have deflated in about 5 minutes which you see in lots of teams.

You can still show emotion and some kind of connection with the players even if it isn't just before they run out on the ground.

I wrote this in the other Neeld presser thread.

Regardless of what happens to him - and I think he'll be relieved of his duties - we should keep in mind he looked close to a nervous breakdown there tonight. That goes beyond football and we must first and foremost be concerned for Mark Neeld the person.

I hope the AFL Coaches Ass and the MFC are on standby to provide him with counselling if need be.

I wrote this in the other Neeld presser thread.

Regardless of what happens to him - and I think he'll be relieved of his duties - we should keep in mind he looked close to a nervous breakdown there tonight. That goes beyond football and we must first and foremost be concerned for Mark Neeld the person.

I hope the AFL Coaches Ass and the MFC are on standby to provide him with counselling if need be.

I actually felt when he was delivering the pre-match address, it looked like he didn't want to be there and he was emotionally flat. If you are doing something, you have to be doing it for the right reasons. If you are doing it because your ego is dictating that you go on or you are doing it to collect a paycheck, you are doing it for the wrong reasons and it's best for all concerned for everyone to part company as the damage being done both ways will outweigh any good in you staying on.

I feel bad and Mark might feel insulted that I have said that. It's just how I see it and as I have said, I have been there before.

I wrote this in the other Neeld presser thread.

Regardless of what happens to him - and I think he'll be relieved of his duties - we should keep in mind he looked close to a nervous breakdown there tonight. That goes beyond football and we must first and foremost be concerned for Mark Neeld the person.

I hope the AFL Coaches Ass and the MFC are on standby to provide him with counselling if need be

I believe they will be RR.

I wrote this in the other Neeld presser thread.

Regardless of what happens to him - and I think he'll be relieved of his duties - we should keep in mind he looked close to a nervous breakdown there tonight. That goes beyond football and we must first and foremost be concerned for Mark Neeld the person.

I hope the AFL Coaches Ass and the MFC are on standby to provide him with counselling if need be.

the coaches association must step in. Whether its neelds fault or not he is degrading the association.

We need to appoint (and Mick m would of been perfect) an independent reviewer and mentor for Neeld for the rest of the season. Maybe even 2 people. If Roos won't coach again pick him. Otherwise get Leigh Matthews as a sounding board to sit in the box and provide no input except debriefing. Then get someone else as a club reviewer. Maybe that can be Greg Healy, otherwise James McDonald would be brilliant to come in and just observe everything. He should be both independent and a Melbourne person who will stick around. No more Gary lyon

Have to agree with Colin B Flaubert.

Neeld's voice was flat, except in the bit where he was telling them we believe in you. He repeated it, with an increasingly accusatory tone. Tone is inescapable, students know whether you like them or not, whether you are with them or not, whether you can see the good stuff coming. He told them off, by his tone, when he told them we believe in you. They could only walk away knowing that, somehow, they weren't getting this bit right.

There are different types of teachers. He is allowed to trim his classlist each year - but nothing disguises his inability to to set off growth in his room. Maybe, as he found at Collingwood, when the students are on fire and good at the work, he is really skilled at maintaining the pressure, and preventing complacency from undermining their progress. But that ain't us, Mark...

Jack Watts could not have looked less interested...

Never mind sacking Mark Neeld - he's got a contract, and this is the MFC we're talking about. We have a little more loyalty to both players and coaches - perhaps too much at times, but I'm OK with that

He has Neil Craig as a mentor, but no doubt needs a bit more support. Hopefully that will come from the playing group as well.

Colin B Flaubert makes some good points, but if he stays, and I assume he will, what does he do to change the culture? - I think that would be the advantage of having someone like Paul Roos on board - but aren't there other people at the club supposed to be doing this? What about assistant coaches and the FD staff? Mark Neeld seems to be carrying the can for a whole lot of people, not just players.

Get it right guys. The address was 90 mins before the bounce not the ra ra one before they leave the rooms for the start.

Get it right guys. The address was 90 mins before the bounce not the ra ra one before they leave the rooms for the start.

I get that franga. That being said, it still seemed incredibly flat. No enthusiasm, no verve, no bounce. It sounded like he didn't want to be there. The boys left in complete silence. It looked awful from the outside looking in.

I get that franga. That being said, it still seemed incredibly flat. No enthusiasm, no verve, no bounce. It sounded like he didn't want to be there. The boys left in complete silence. It looked awful from the outside looking in.

Who would have made the decision to let the cameras into the rooms for a coach's address to a demoralised team 90 minutes before the start of the game? Seriously, what were they thinking??? How was this ever going to do anything except make a really bad situation much worse?

Edited April 6, 201312 yr by Akum

I get that franga. That being said, it still seemed incredibly flat. No enthusiasm, no verve, no bounce. It sounded like he didn't want to be there. The boys left in complete silence. It looked awful from the outside looking in.

No rapport.

I've spoken to quite a few non-Melbourne supporters about this and they all say how depressing his talk was.

Again, the message was good but he is so void of any emotion or connection with the players that in no way does what he says resonate with them.

I've spoken to quite a few non-Melbourne supporters about this and they all say how depressing his talk was.

Again, the message was good but he is so void of any emotion or connection with the players that in no way does what he says resonate with them.

It was hard to watch.

Everyone looked like they had just lost by 10 goals.

I understand that it wasn't THE last thing that was said before the game - this was a pre-game meeting. But that is not the mood you need to foster confidence. It was solemn, defeated, and it was just Neeld.

If I were addressing that group, I would have them all in as close as possible with instructions to all leaders to reinforce points. I would also build to some sort of a crescendo - attempt to get some sort of emotional response of confidence, however feigned, from the players.

Every talk at that club needs to be about instilling or encouraging some confidence.

They look like they do not like footy.

Forget the 90 mins before the game no hoo hah rubbish. The players looked like how I used to look in Economics lectures. Disinterested and bored. By the way I flunked Economics. No wonder we didn't get close to winning or even losing with grace.