Do you THINK Neeld will get the axe this week?

[RickyJ45 407]

Do not sack him until there is a well verified contingency plan involving an experienced successful AFL coach.

Don't even go there with Viney or Craigy as interim coach - let Neeld suffocate on his own BS till we git our house in order.

[angrydee 842]

Get rid of McLardy and Neeld.

Short term pain for long term gain.

Actually no pain. lots of gain

[Bring Back Barassi 552]

Jackson has been talking about how the early sacking of CS has cost the club and that we will be 1.5 million out this year. To sack Neeld would require paying out another contract with over a year to run on it, plus paying another coach to come in. It could well blow us out past the 3 million dollar mark. This if nothing else will see Neeld safe through this season.

Paying out Neeld would cost a few hundred K, then getting a new coach, well if thats going to cost us a million this year, we are talking Roos or someone like that. If thats the case, then BRING IT ON

[robbiefrom13 887]

We can't stay like this - supporters and sponsors will depart, which would be terminal for the club. Delaying any changes has to have in mind the increasing likelihood of those departures.

If we spend to get change and there is no change, supporters and sponsors will still depart, and presumably we will go broke.

Two questions occur to me:

firstly, not whether change will push us into heavy debt - it is certain to - but whether we can actually service that level of debt until we trade our way back into the clear. Bad decisions have clearly undone all that Jimmy did. Is it time to call it quits - or do we invest in faith? What could persuade supporters and sponsors to stay on board - what would it take?

Secondly, whether or not we can get a clear run at making change without having the old boys' claws all over the levers. Somehow the old boys' club is central to the mess - it has to be (it keeps coming up) - and it has somehow stifled the players. So my second question: can Jackson get the old boys back into the glass cases quickly enough, so that real change can be made in time? And, in line with that, how possible is it to arrange that Connolly will not be back? I am convinced that freeing the present generation of the club from the clubby grip of the past is the key to real change. The blazers were Schwab's slow drip, anaesthetising the players, and that whole drivel needs to be swept aside. We need a Satis House fire, to clear the air, and get the past off our shoulders. Then see whether in fresh air anything can be different. Can real culture change be offered?

[What 18,810]

why should we have to pay out Neeld, hes not doing the job asked of him, in fact he is a damn embarrassment to the title of 'senior coach'

Should be sacked without pay

[Sir Why You Little 37,053]

why should we have to pay out Neeld, hes not doing the job asked of him, in fact he is a damn embarrassment to the title of 'senior coach'

Should be sacked without pay

Maybe Garry Lyon can pay out the balance as it was his "early" call.

[General 35]

Maybe if he is sacked we can all start thinking of September action!

Give me spell.

He's in charge and he'll answer to that at seasons end, but I think you'll find that others around the place are also culpable and shouldn't be let off so easy. They're in it together and just maybe at some stage they'll learn to fight back, and if they do, perhaps the thrashing a will be a thing of the past. A new coach now will probably just ruin someone's career.

Rather than looking for a scapegoat perhaps we can talk about who we have got around to support players like Viney, ,Toumpas and Hogan, we need some fight on the field.

Go Dees

[nutbean 8,838]

Surely the board have been working on a transition plan since round 1, on the posibility this situation eventuated.

Transition plan ?

Have a look at the transition plans that have been in place to date at other clubs - Roos/Longmire, Malthouse/Buckley - two successful clubs where the assistants were taking over after longish reigns with the clubs in good health. Sheedy/Cameron - Sheedy was always hired as a spuiker for the GWS and Cameron is coaching in all but name.

On the other hand, it is hard to have a transition plan when you have no idea how the team will fare at round one with your coach having two years of a contract to go. So the transition plan in these circumstances will be the board sitting around the table - finding out confidentiailly and not too confidentially who is available and when they are available and then when the bullet does come telling one of the assistant that he is it for the time being. I havent heard of a transition plan for any club that has gone to dogs other than firing the coach and getting a new one.

[Deestar3 167]

NO........get a grip........stop being as " Jackson " said .... Reactive. Stop trying to always blame the coach or whoever.....the year has gone ......we have in a good CEO ......let's see what unfolds...

[jackaub 1,402]

Sacking the coach at this stage will make Zero difference. Just makes it harder for all at the club and the long suffering supporters

lets get it in context:

nothing is good at this club now it needs 1) A fresh analysis from the outside

2) a simple strategy and plan to move forward

3) a series of tough decisions

4) Support

[nutbean 8,838]

why should we have to pay out Neeld, hes not doing the job asked of him, in fact he is a damn embarrassment to the title of 'senior coach'

Should be sacked without pay

ummm..that why he has little thing called a contract ?

[jazza 1,323]

We can't stay like this - supporters and sponsors will depart, which would be terminal for the club. Delaying any changes has to have in mind the increasing likelihood of those departures.

If we spend to get change and there is no change, supporters and sponsors will still depart, and presumably we will go broke.

Two questions occur to me:

firstly, not whether change will push us into heavy debt - it is certain to - but whether we can actually service that level of debt until we trade our way back into the clear. Bad decisions have clearly undone all that Jimmy did. Is it time to call it quits - or do we invest in faith? What could persuade supporters and sponsors to stay on board - what would it take?

Secondly, whether or not we can get a clear run at making change without having the old boys' claws all over the levers. Somehow the old boys' club is central to the mess - it has to be (it keeps coming up) - and it has somehow stifled the players. So my second question: can Jackson get the old boys back into the glass cases quickly enough, so that real change can be made in time? And, in line with that, how possible is it to arrange that Connolly will not be back? I am convinced that freeing the present generation of the club from the clubby grip of the past is the key to real change. The blazers were Schwab's slow drip, anaesthetising the players, and that whole drivel needs to be swept aside. We need a Satis House fire, to clear the air, and get the past off our shoulders. Then see whether in fresh air anything can be different. Can real culture change be offered?

he was employed to bring a 3 year base level of fitness to the club good decision

the previous admin left the club with horrible problems re last 6 games of 2011

the mid list is terrible and a product of 2011

recruits from other clubs this year were to bulk up the list fair decision

this was to let the development of juniors to be done in the reserves until thier bodies are big enough to senoir players, this was identified as a problem pre 2012, young players thrown to the wolves before thier ready good decision

sacking yhe coach just sends the club into a tailspin and opens the door for another ex demon to make an average decision.

[machine11 142]

It is hard to make a call on the coach as yet! This was what Peter Jackson said and my guess is the structures in the clubs football department are so poor that perhaps no coach can really operate effectively. Is that the coaches fault or the CEO and board.

I feel the first person who must go should be McLardy - he is incharge, has no idea about how a football club is supposed to run - has and probably will continue to be asleep on the job. One has to ask why the board never acted on the independent review that was conducted on the football department.

[jackaub 1,402]

The board seem to be incompetent fools who are captured by a group of good old boys from the past

Time for a new board

No body should be re appointed to the future coaching panel who are currently there including Todd Viney and Chris Connolly

[old dee 23,801]

He won't but he should, he is obviously out of his depth and he may even resign but I doubt it.

We have made an unbelievable mistake and I don't think the Board/Club have a clue what to do about it. After the way Bailey was dismissed they will be ultra cautious and won't want to seem panicked but we are sliding in to oblivion and need to do something before it's too late.

I'm one of many on here, and not on here, that will probably look at each game and decide if we want to go again; I have made arrangements to go next week and will fulfil my obligation but I certainly wish I wasn't.

It used to be fun and a great day going to the football but it certainly isn't anymore there is just no joy there now, even in the dark days of the 70's it was better than this.

I agree Robbie at least in the seventies we thought we had a chance against half the competition and we had a few good players to watch. Mentally I gave up two weeks ago and Physically yesterday was it.

There are way better ways to spend your weekends.

[jackaub 1,402]

There is something very wrong with the way the club is being run and the Board ultimately must take reponsibility

[Sir Why You Little 37,053]

There is something very wrong with the way the club is being run and the Board ultimately must take reponsibility

This was Jimmy's Board & now that Jimmy is gone they are leaderless.

Time to go.

[old dee 23,801]

NO........get a grip........stop being as " Jackson " said .... Reactive. Stop trying to always blame the coach or whoever.....the year has gone ......we have in a good CEO ......let's see what unfolds...

You mean we have a choice?

[Dee Fan 3,247]

he was employed to bring a 3 year base level of fitness to the club good decision

the previous admin left the club with horrible problems re last 6 games of 2011

the mid list is terrible and a product of 2011

recruits from other clubs this year were to bulk up the list fair decision

this was to let the development of juniors to be done in the reserves until thier bodies are big enough to senoir players, this was identified as a problem pre 2012, young players thrown to the wolves before thier ready good decision

sacking yhe coach just sends the club into a tailspin and opens the door for another ex demon to make an average decision.

That worked out well, didn't it? The juniors will get the opportunity to learn from them first hand at Casey.

Neeld has had two of his three preseasons now and we are still not fit; you can't tell me that players can't get themselves fit in that time considering they are playing matches each week as well.

What about skill, doesn't that mean much to Neeld, our skill level is appalling.

[DEMONRON 1]

Like many supporters I stayed to the end of the Essendon & Sun's game, I was shattered but did not want to abuse, etc the players, as the Coach must take the can. I saw the first game Neeld coached & said during the game, what on earth is this game plan ? Hit the boundary line & drive the ball deep into the pockets ?????. Rubbish. This pathetic game plan has gone on for too long, a new coach is needed. Just get the players back to basics ala Daniher & Northey, have the players play with passion & pride. Roll on 2014 under Paul Roos.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

It is hard to make a call on the coach as yet! This was what Peter Jackson said and my guess is the structures in the clubs football department are so poor that perhaps no coach can really operate effectively. Is that the coaches fault or the CEO and board.

I feel the first person who must go should be McLardy - he is incharge, has no idea about how a football club is supposed to run - has and probably will continue to be asleep on the job. One has to ask why the board never acted on the independent review that was conducted on the football department.

Who exactly makes the call on sacking the President? The Board?

[Still Waiting 94]

Roos will never even consider coaching Melbourne. Our new coach will be either Williams or Craig. An outsider could be Alan Richardson but he is 3rd choice. This will pan out within a week I am lead to believe. Neeld cannot coach and has never held currency in the eyes of the players. There are a few so called experienced players who need to be let go, due to their influence (negative) over many of the younger players. They will be played mostly at Casey until 2014. Change is what we need and Jackson is just the man to get this all started. Captaincy needs to change too! This could happenn straitaway.

[jazza 1,323]

That worked out well, didn't it? The juniors will get the opportunity to learn from them first hand at Casey.

Neeld has had two of his three preseasons now and we are still not fit; you can't tell me that players can't get themselves fit in that time considering they are playing matches each week as well.

What about skill, doesn't that mean much to Neeld, our skill level is appalling.

yes its working out well,jw is proof that some boys are not ready for senior footy, it was decided to retain younger players for the long term by giving them a year of learning and building up thier bodies at reserve level, not exposing them at senoir level when we cant support them with senior level players at this time, both gc and gws have said this was thier problem also. our fd is changing that very thing that got us into this mess.

the players are FIT, its a mess in the senoir part of the list is pitiful. one of our best players took his eye of the contest twice yesterday. im sure the fd saw it .

remember the fd is putting building blocks in place that will hopefully get us somewhere in the future

if you have a complaint , go and look at the last 6 weeks of 2011 this is the most disgraceful time in our history of administration.

the decisions and on field stuff happening now are results of this,

THATS why should stick this out

[P-man 13,366]

he was employed to bring a 3 year base level of fitness to the club good decision

the previous admin left the club with horrible problems re last 6 games of 2011

the mid list is terrible and a product of 2011

recruits from other clubs this year were to bulk up the list fair decision

this was to let the development of juniors to be done in the reserves until thier bodies are big enough to senoir players, this was identified as a problem pre 2012, young players thrown to the wolves before thier ready good decision

sacking yhe coach just sends the club into a tailspin and opens the door for another ex demon to make an average decision.

Staggered that even now, even after watching what their club has become, some are freeing Neeld from blame for this disaster. I watched every game in 2011 and compared to the football being produced now, it seems like a freakin golden era. What Neeld did was walk in the door with Collingwood arrogance tucked into his back pocket, immediately put senior players offside including a widely respected figure around the club in Rivers, push all the games experience out the door and plug it with plodders who simply would not get a run at any other AFL club. Bailey may have got the balance wrong in choosing to stockpile high draft picks (although it now seems far more likely that Bailey was purely working under a directive), but Neeld has COMPLETELY gotten the balance wrong.in his attempt to rebuild a club and its culture by dismantling it entirely and starting from scratch. It has backfired in the worst possible fashion and for that he is very much responsible and accountable, as are those who put him in this position.

Which brings me to your last line - hesitant to make a change because we are fearful that another wrong decision will be made? Garbage reasoning. Besides which, Peter Jackson isn't an ex demon last time I checked.

Yes it seems like God just plain hates us. The timing of this could not possibly be worse with the club now being $1.5M in debt and expansions clubs taking all the top end talent. But it's at a critical stage with this playing group. The talent we do have will almost certainly walk at the end of their contracts unless change happens soon. Jackson himself said the football must be rectified and everything else flows from that. As things currently stand, I don't believe it can be rectified until there are new people in charge of it.

[Pates 9,660]

Surely even if we go the mid-season dismissal (I'm not a fan) we will wait until after the horror next 4 games - Richmond, Freo at Subi, Hawthorn and Collingwood.

After that the marginally more reachable Bulldogs and Saints would give a new or stand-in coach a chance to look competitive and to refresh morale.

I believe I get top points for ruthless thinking, there!

That was my thinking as well, that way the interim coach also has the two weeks because of the bye to prepare both himself and the players mentally.