...and there's the problem. If he doesn't know what to do then get someone who does.

NOBODY knows how to fix it, but there will ALWAYS be those who say they do. They don't. They're guessing and postulating. Somebody in charge however will employ general good management and get lucky with timing as the MFC ship begins to right itself, who knows when, and then be attributed as the reason for the improvement. For all of the supporters and the media who imagine everyone at the club is doing everything wrong, they need to grow up and see how ridiculous this vulture like frenzy for sackings and dumpings and change for its own sake is. Exactly how much influence do people think Don McLardy has over our current on field performance? Pretty close to f***-all I'd say. Perspective is needed far more desperately than the blood mania the modern media drive.

So Unleash, Neeld goes, the Board goes and we become a rudderless ship. You may think that we are that now but we are far from it. How does the Club function without a Board. Unless a group of people put their hands up now to takeover from the current Board it is not going to happen. It shouldn't happen and the AFL certainly would not let it happen. We are all frustrated and disappointed and whatever other emotion you can think of but to have Neeld go, a stand in coach come in, a new CEO and no Board - give me a break. This is a multi million dollar business and you may not like the current Board but they are the best we have at the moment. Change needs to be a considered process and not one directed and commandeered by a rabid media and some Club supporters.

Thanks for highlighting my point longsuffering

This thread is procative - I understand that. But it seems to be acceptable on this forum to call for a coaches head with no REAL replacement identified, and it seems acceptable to run the place via popular opinion through the media.... I want to hold the people in charge responsible for turning this club in to a circus.

McLardy calls us the cheap seats - Don I've got news for you - do your job properly or we will vote your ass out.

Please don't talk to me like I am stupid - I understand how the board runs the show, I understand you need good people in management. if you read other threads you should get an ideo of my position.

All i want to acheive from this thread is accountability - someone hired Neeld surely those responsible need to held accountable for not doing their jobs properly?

Thanks for highlighting my point longsuffering This thread is procative - I understand that. But it seems to be acceptable on this forum to call for a coaches head with no REAL replacement identified, and it seems acceptable to run the place via popular opinion through the media.... I want to hold the people in charge responsible for turning this club in to a circus. McLardy calls us the cheap seats - Don I've got news for you - do your job properly or we will vote your ass out. Please don't talk to me like I am stupid - I understand how the board runs the show, I understand you need good people in management. if you read other threads you should get an ideo of my position. All i want to acheive from this thread is accountability - someone hired Neeld surely those responsible need to held accountable for not doing their jobs properly?

You're assuming that hiring Neeld was a mistake, but it just ISN'T that black and white. Just consider that it may NOT be Mark Neeld that is to blame, because as much as you are so sure it is, you actually don't know.

NOBODY knows how to fix it, but there will ALWAYS be those who say they do. They don't. They're guessing and postulating. Somebody in charge however will employ general good management and get lucky with timing as the MFC ship begins to right itself, who knows when, and then be attributed as the reason for the improvement. For all of the supporters and the media who imagine everyone at the club is doing everything wrong, they need to grow up and see how ridiculous this vulture like frenzy for sackings and dumpings and change for its own sake is. Exactly how much influence do people think Don McLardy has over our current on field performance? Pretty close to f***-all I'd say. Perspective is needed far more desperately than the blood mania the modern media drive.

An enormous influence in that he and his board set the direction of the club and chose to hire Neeld, extend Bailey's and Schwab's contracts for a start.

If nobody knows how to fix it, well last person out please turn off the lights. I don't believe anyone has all the answers but we need someone with the energy and respect in the football and wider community to start the process. I hope Jackson can start that process but he will need a very experienced FD boss in place and a President with the drive to make things happen. The coach needs clean air to go about his business, unfortunately for Neeld he walked into a basket case and was ill equipped to fix it.

You're assuming that hiring Neeld was a mistake, but it just ISN'T that black and white. Just consider that it may NOT be Mark Neeld that is to blame, because as much as you are so sure it is, you actually don't know.

I don't think Neeld is the sole problem but his approach to sorting out what was already a problem has effectively made it worse. An experienced coach may have had half a chance but it was always going to be difficult with the board and administration and bad blood in the club.

You're assuming that hiring Neeld was a mistake, but it just ISN'T that black and white. Just consider that it may NOT be Mark Neeld that is to blame, because as much as you are so sure it is, you actually don't know.

The process of hiring a new coach was flawed.

The resultant coach has been a terrible failure.

This is just one of the many balls ups overseen and implemented by Schwab and this Board.

I spoke with Don at the Richmond game during a quiet time

He was very communicative he understands exactly where the club is at and does understand supporters emotions

He like many doesn't seem to know what to do to fix it but he believes sacking people Carte blanch will achieve nothing

Any way it made me undersatnd how difficult it must be for the executive for whats its worth

So Don said to you that he doesn't know what to do to fix it...Can he please leave today so we can put a sharp President in the chair, we play home games at a 100,000 seat stadium.

We share the name of the city Don.

This club should be rolling in it.

Get the right people who can run a large business. That's what the MFC must become quickly. A business, not a sunday toy.

Want to throw this out there now for you Demonlanders - we all know Neelds papers are stamped

When the board fire Neeld they should also step down. It was their decision to hire Neeld and implement the direction of the club, they put us in this position we are in now.

They've given Neeld 18 months to instal a plan they approved and have folded to pressure - failure on multiple levels to support the club publicly and in times of need and have mismanaged every even that has happened a this club in their tenure.

This is the final straw for me - They will make this club suffer financially further with their mismanagement and paying out Neeld, if this club ever wants to be successful the first step is not sacking the coach - the first step is installing competent management

This club is a joke and wreaks of softness

Further financial difficulties will occur because of loss of memberships both current and any once prospective new ones whom will now turn to other clubs for a better less stressful experience. ALL connected to bad Board decisions..

Most of the board an co. will go. This has very possibly been the worst managed club in the history of the AFL/VFL. Now Fitzroy did go under but they just couldn't continue with their supporter base and debts. We finally got our club out of the s*it and somehow our Administration team pulls us right back down. I want to see a board and administration who aren't just focused on their own personal gains and rather that care about the football club. For too long we've had segmented leadership and backstabbing all for what? These peoples egos have brought this club to its knees and its absolute crap. If I had the experience and know how I would go for it but really I wouldn't know what it takes but surely there are people out their that will know how to properly run a business/football club.

Who on the Board are there for personal gain. I know two Board members and they are not there for personal or financial gain and certainly both would say they would definitely not "gained" anything by being a MFC Board Member. Both are there because they like many Demon supporters actually believe that being a supporter means assisting the Club by any means that they have. That may mean by volunteering handing our scarves, organising Club members interstate or imparting valuable business skills they may have. The position of a football Club Board is an honorary position with no financial remuneration. Would you put yourself in their position.

The Club has faced many challenges over the last ten years or more. More so than probably any other club. Some of those have been by our own making, some not. Some of those challenges have been exacerbated by the AFL's decision to bring in the two expansion Clubs at a time when the lower Clubs were struggling to improve. It was always going to make the Club's job all the more harder.

There have been poor decisions made by the Club over the last decade, by previous CEO's, Boards and Football Departments. The current Board's decision to continue CS tenure was flawed. The current Board will and should face the same scrutiny but there is a time when that should happen and that is at the end of the year. In the current state of the Club it would be too destabilizing for the Board to stand down and anyone with any business skills would understand that concept. (I would doubt that half of the current Board will want to restand given the tirade of abuse it receives from supporters.)

We now have a functioning and experienced interim CEO who has no previous connection to the Club and who is now privy to all that is wrong and right with Club. Let him make the recommendations that are required. Don't pre-empt what is going to be I believe the most important course of action ever to be taken by the Club. The result of the next six months of this Club's life could mean my children and grandchildren will or will not have a Club to support.

So Don said to you that he doesn't know what to do to fix it...Can he please leave today so we can put a sharp President in the chair, we play home games at a 100,000 seat stadium.

We share the name of the city Don.

This club should be rolling in it.

Get the right people who can run a large business. That's what the MFC must become quickly. A business, not a sunday toy.

It will always be difficult for an incompetent executive... If it is too difficult for Don , then what the hell is he doing there ?? Resignation is required.. Please tender it today sir !!

Now hang tight just a moment. Without pointing the finger at individual posters here who have changed their tone now, it's common knowledge we all felt a coach with a harder edge was necessary. Mark neeld came with not only glowing endorsement from mick malthouse and several senior collingwood players and staffers.

The board then put an invitation to Neil Craig to join under the role of general manager of sports performance.. Neil Craig had offers from Brisbane, collingwood and Richmond, yet picked the role with Melbourne as the most succinct, but also the greatest challenge. We then poached Dave mission as manager of elite performance. Add to that the array of experience assistant coaches and line/development coaches, its disappointing to sit here and read quotes from posters that the board is responsible for the current uncompetitive situation which the club finds itself in.

There isn't a supporter who could currently say they are happy we are 1-8 with a average losing margin of 75 points and a grand total of 6 quarters won from 36. There isn't a supporter that would say they are happy with every article about the club containing words "pathetic, rabble and irrelevant". Don't sit here and think that players don't care, that coaches don't care, that anyone involved with the club on game day doesn't care that we are so uncompetitive at this point. Do many posters here understand the hours players put in just to make it on a list? It is a fallacy to think they would do that, just to get on a list and be content with 90 point thrashings. For all WYLs rantings its only because he is frustrated with where we are at, GNF for all his doomsday talk it is equally because he is frustrated with where we are at. Rhino, jaded, young dee, old dee; the list goes on. We are all frustrated that we aren't in the top 4, that we have been smashed on and off field this year, but we must hang in together. This club has had too many splintering factions over the past decades. We can't let

Supporters and members leave the club or not go go to games in protest.

I apologise for this post getting emotional, I'm as frustrated as the rest of you guys.

Who on the Board are there for personal gain. I know two Board members and they are not there for personal or financial gain and certainly both would say they would definitely not "gained" anything by being a MFC Board Member. Both are there because they like many Demon supporters actually believe that being a supporter means assisting the Club by any means that they have. That may mean by volunteering handing our scarves, organising Club members interstate or imparting valuable business skills they may have. The position of a football Club Board is an honorary position with no financial remuneration. Would you put yourself in their position.

The Club has faced many challenges over the last ten years or more. More so than probably any other club. Some of those have been by our own making, some not. Some of those challenges have been exacerbated by the AFL's decision to bring in the two expansion Clubs at a time when the lower Clubs were struggling to improve. It was always going to make the Club's job all the more harder.

There have been poor decisions made by the Club over the last decade, by previous CEO's, Boards and Football Departments. The current Board's decision to continue CS tenure was flawed. The current Board will and should face the same scrutiny but there is a time when that should happen and that is at the end of the year. In the current state of the Club it would be too destabilizing for the Board to stand down and anyone with any business skills would understand that concept. (I would doubt that half of the current Board will want to restand given the tirade of abuse it receives from supporters.)

We now have a functioning and experienced interim CEO who has no previous connection to the Club and who is now privy to all that is wrong and right with Club. Let him make the recommendations that are required. Don't pre-empt what is going to be I believe the most important course of action ever to be taken by the Club. The result of the next six months of this Club's life could mean my children and grandchildren will or will not have a Club to support.

Not now, many have preached restraint on this board from the 2011 Geelong debacle on and the club has not gone and made big changes, steady as you go, Bailey in 2011 and Schwab in 2013. Well that hasn't added to any stability so lets move now in steady but quick steps and make the changes over the next month and get on with it. Keeping the status quo is now way to destabilising to continue down that path.

Too much fiddling while Rome is burning, get on with it.

You're assuming that hiring Neeld was a mistake, but it just ISN'T that black and white. Just consider that it may NOT be Mark Neeld that is to blame, because as much as you are so sure it is, you actually don't know.

I think you miss my point Webber

I am not assuming anyting about Neeld - I am commenting on the FACT that this board hired Neeld, Craig & Dave mission to turn this club around and in 18 months one if not all will be fired

How is that good management from the top?

Who is responsible for this rubbish?

Further financial difficulties will occur because of loss of memberships both current and any once prospective new ones whom will now turn to other clubs for a better less stressful experience. ALL connected to bad Board decisions..

Agreed Soxy - The continued short sightedness of the Board will continue to hurt the club... someone is surely accountable? Why is Neeld the only one accountable??

This is a big 'What if'... But what if the club actually started winning games in 2014 like the Power with Neeld? What gaurentee is there that a new coach will get results??

Again I point to poor management who make short sighted decisions

The only error I feel I am making in this thread is Neeld hasn't been sacked - But from all reliable reports he will be..... If I am wrong I am willing to take back everything I have said

I am pretty positive though this board will move Neeld on and again highlight their own poor performance

Not now, many have preached restraint on this board from the 2011 Geelong debacle on and the club has not gone and made big changes, steady as you go, Bailey in 2011 and Schwab in 2013. Well that hasn't added to any stability so lets move now in steady but quick steps and make the changes over the next month and get on with it. Keeping the status quo is now way to destabilising to continue down that path.

Too much fiddling while Rome is burning, get on with it.

But what would it achieve by the Board imploding now. Suddenly the boys are not going to win games because the Board has disbanded. I am in agreement that change has to happen but it must happen at the most appropriate time which with the Board must be at the end of the season. Peter Jackson was right about having "clear air". Without media interference choices and decisions should be made. We are all too emotional at the moment after Sunday's debacle, the media's pumping up of a player walk out - decisions can't be made under these circumstances. As supporters we have to get through whatever happens in the next couple of weeks. Personally I will wait for PJ's recommendations. I will be at the GM and if his recommendations are not adhered to I will be asking questions like all Club members should.

Now hang tight just a moment. Without pointing the finger at individual posters here who have changed their tone now, it's common knowledge we all felt a coach with a harder edge was necessary. Mark neeld came with not only glowing endorsement from mick malthouse and several senior collingwood players and staffers.

The board then put an invitation to Neil Craig to join under the role of general manager of sports performance.. Neil Craig had offers from Brisbane, collingwood and Richmond, yet picked the role with Melbourne as the most succinct, but also the greatest challenge. We then poached Dave mission as manager of elite performance. Add to that the array of experience assistant coaches and line/development coaches, its disappointing to sit here and read quotes from posters that the board is responsible for the current uncompetitive situation which the club finds itself in.

There isn't a supporter who could currently say they are happy we are 1-8 with a average losing margin of 75 points and a grand total of 6 quarters won from 36. There isn't a supporter that would say they are happy with every article about the club containing words "pathetic, rabble and irrelevant". Don't sit here and think that players don't care, that coaches don't care, that anyone involved with the club on game day doesn't care that we are so uncompetitive at this point. Do many posters here understand the hours players put in just to make it on a list? It is a fallacy to think they would do that, just to get on a list and be content with 90 point thrashings. For all WYLs rantings its only because he is frustrated with where we are at, GNF for all his doomsday talk it is equally because he is frustrated with where we are at. Rhino, jaded, young dee, old dee; the list goes on. We are all frustrated that we aren't in the top 4, that we have been smashed on and off field this year, but we must hang in together. This club has had too many splintering factions over the past decades. We can't let

Supporters and members leave the club or not go go to games in protest.

I apologise for this post getting emotional, I'm as frustrated as the rest of you guys.

Thanks for the contribution GD - i really did enjoy your contribuiton

I think like you - but as I've posted above I feel the board will make the short sighted decision to move Neeld on. I am making assumptions but at this stage I feel it is a safe assumption.

The fact is that the board has given this new coaching group 18 months when they were promised 3 years - i hope that highlights my point to this thread

But what would it achieve by the Board imploding now. Suddenly the boys are not going to win games because the Board has disbanded. I am in agreement that change has to happen but it must happen at the most appropriate time which with the Board must be at the end of the season. Peter Jackson was right about having "clear air". Without media interference choices and decisions should be made. We are all too emotional at the moment after Sunday's debacle, the media's pumping up of a player walk out - decisions can't be made under these circumstances. As supporters we have to get through whatever happens in the next couple of weeks. Personally I will wait for PJ's recommendations. I will be at the GM and if his recommendations are not adhered to I will be asking questions like all Club members should.

It's not about imploding, they are now a lame duck board and we also have a lame duck coach. I trust Jackson will make the right moves and in quick sequence.

Just to add I am not promoting an instant kill of the board

Someone should be held accountable for their poor decision making - it starts at the top and for the past 3 years I am yet to see any strong leadership or direction

18 months they've given the new coaching group - Where is the leadership and vision?

It's all very well to say the Board should resign. But someone has to replace them for that to occur. The appropriate process is for others to nominate for positions on the Board, either as individuals or as a new ticket. Then members can decide who they would wish to elect to do the job.

So, if you're not a club member (i) stop complaining until (ii) you become a paid up member so you can have your say whenever the next elections are held.

And Peter Jackson is accountable to the Board, not the other way around. Some posters on here seem to think it's his job to fix the Board. Sure, he can make recommendations to the Board as to how it should operate, but it's not his role to change the personnel on the Board. That's the members' role.

Who on the Board are there for personal gain. I know two Board members and they are not there for personal or financial gain and certainly both would say they would definitely not "gained" anything by being a MFC Board Member. Both are there because they like many Demon supporters actually believe that being a supporter means assisting the Club by any means that they have. That may mean by volunteering handing our scarves, organising Club members interstate or imparting valuable business skills they may have. The position of a football Club Board is an honorary position with no financial remuneration. Would you put yourself in their position.

The Club has faced many challenges over the last ten years or more. More so than probably any other club. Some of those have been by our own making, some not. Some of those challenges have been exacerbated by the AFL's decision to bring in the two expansion Clubs at a time when the lower Clubs were struggling to improve. It was always going to make the Club's job all the more harder.

There have been poor decisions made by the Club over the last decade, by previous CEO's, Boards and Football Departments. The current Board's decision to continue CS tenure was flawed. The current Board will and should face the same scrutiny but there is a time when that should happen and that is at the end of the year. In the current state of the Club it would be too destabilizing for the Board to stand down and anyone with any business skills would understand that concept. (I would doubt that half of the current Board will want to restand given the tirade of abuse it receives from supporters.)

We now have a functioning and experienced interim CEO who has no previous connection to the Club and who is now privy to all that is wrong and right with Club. Let him make the recommendations that are required. Don't pre-empt what is going to be I believe the most important course of action ever to be taken by the Club. The result of the next six months of this Club's life could mean my children and grandchildren will or will not have a Club to support.

I would expect half the current Board to "stand down" not because of the "tirade of abuse it receives from supporters" but because of their inability to competently run an AFL Senior football club.. It may be a hard job but it takes good hard business people to run it and it appears to me the current Board is soft and clueless and needs a very big shake up !! Whether they receive remuneration or not is totally irrelevant. They are either capable of running a business as large as an AFL Football Club or they are not.... end of story..! It is not a Sunday afternoon under 14 Junior footy club with water Boys/Girls, oranges at half time and dad's and mums doing the boundary and goal umpiring.. This is a once great senior AFL Football Club (the oldest in the League) with thousands of paid up financial Members and it is collapsing around us because of SOME questionable Leaders. By the way your "children and grandchildren will or will not have a Club to support" is a little dramatic.. Children always find a Club to support and many times NOT necessarily that which their parents/grandparents have prompted them to follow. I have three children who support different AFL teams and a Partner supporting the "filth".If anything right now they are much happier and put up with less stress than I do, thankfully.

Just to add I am not promoting an instant kill of the board

Someone should be held accountable for their poor decision making - it starts at the top and for the past 3 years I am yet to see any strong leadership or direction

18 months they've given the new coaching group - Where is the leadership and vision?

Where is Don McLardy? In these very troubled times, his silence is deafening.

It's not about imploding, they are now a lame duck board and we also have a lame duck coach. I trust Jackson will make the right moves and in quick sequence.

So....What if Jackson says Neeld is the right man for the job.....I suppose DL's will want him to get the sack......???

I was glad to see this thread as I have been feeling for quite a while that the board has got off very lightly in all this. I have been pretty disgusted in the last couple of weeks in particular to see the way that they have gone to ground. Mark Neeld is being hung out to dry, there is absolutely no one from the club being seen in the media saying anything and they are running riot saying whatever they want about us.

In my opinion this board has been shown to be completely incompetent and they must go. The final straw for me was Peter Jackson’s first words as to what the problems at our club are. He stated that there are too many people in the football department answering directly to the CEO and that this was a huge structural problem, this is on the back of the president and board telling us for years that the CEO’s interference in the football department was not a problem and it was all a media beat up.

There are far bigger problems at our club than just the coach and its time to sort them out once and for all. People are going on about Neeld and how we can't continue to let this go on, well I'd say the same thing about the rest of the club as well. Enough is enough.

I don't disagree entirely with the OP, but we can't have a board spill mid year. The concerning thing for me is in past years at various clubs (including ours) when there has been a terrible board there has been someone leading the way with a new ticket to get in the club. This year there is no one. Is there really no one out there that's an influential Dees fan/member/past great that who wants to lead us out of these trying times?

Perhaps we have to put up with the guys we have and trust that Peter Jackson will be able to show them how a real football club is run.

So....What if Jackson says Neeld is the right man for the job.....I suppose DL's will want him to get the sack......???

I think he will be making the decisions and the board will be a rubber stamp. I certainly hope they stay as well out of the process as is possible as they have proven themselves incompetent to make any decision that will see the club move forward.

I don't disagree entirely with the OP, but we can't have a board spill mid year. The concerning thing for me is in past years at various clubs (including ours) when there has been a terrible board there has been someone leading the way with a new ticket to get in the club. This year there is no one. Is there really no one out there that's an influential Dees fan/member/past great that who wants to lead us out of these trying times?

Perhaps we have to put up with the guys we have and trust that Peter Jackson will be able to show them how a real football club is run.

I've heard rumblings of a ticket being put together for a challenge at the end of the season. I don't know any more than that, but it seems that its underway.