MFC board meeting - 12 PM

[Gorgoroth 12,352]

Chocco Williams is putting on a show on the boundary in the tigers game.........

[Demon Stalwart 255]

I have just spoken to the my most reliable source within the MFC, the tea lady who due to being forced to work overtime has decided it is time to speak out , she said its time all MFC club supporters knew the truth .

According to her Mark Neeld has been put on Notice for the Collingwood Game and any loss over 50 points or more will be totally, unacceptable . Should Neeld fail to produce a competitive game from his players he will be given his marching Orders

Neeld has Promised Mclardy that he will not let him down . Based on this Guarantee from Neeld, Mclardy has backed him in but in the process put his own tenure on the Line

The tea lady says Neeld believes his players can turn it around in fact he even believes that his players can beat Collingwood given the right set of circumstances, though he failed to outline what those circumstances were his enthusiasm for a set of circumstances carried the day.

The Melbourne Board has stated unequivocally that if Neeld can Beat Collingwood with the players he has that they will provide him with a more appropriate car fitting a man of his stature.

They will buy him a Real Car instead of Noddys to drive around in.

So we will all stay tuned in now to the next stage of this gripping Saga when Melbourne faces off against Collingwood

Don't be surprised if a major surprise is in order .

Neeld has also promised that he will Keehaul any Player who does not put in 200% this week in fact he is seriously making enquiries about transferring HMAS Cerebus to the our training ground even as we speak !!

Hes view is one wreck deserves another . It may even inspire his players he said.

[Real Demon 232]

It's a win win win.

MN knows he has to improve, has a chance and knows where the club and his contract stands.

The club has shown that this standard is not acceptable and wont be.

The players know the fate of their coach, time to back him and incentive to improve.

Personally, I think its a good move. Shame about the media hype and them trying to put a negative spin on it.

Also the ABC is a joke. How could you get it so wrong so early? I'd like to see how they came to their conclusion, particularly if Barrett (*shudders*) got it in the morning/last night.

Agree completely!

Scapegoating Neeld for all the clubs ills at present is craziness.

He has made some rookie mistakes no doubt, but what is happening on field is a reflection of the club as a whole................we are a circus, but a bloke who has been there 18 months shouldn't be the one incinerated.

[Soidee 1,496]

A caretaker is going to change the result?

Some of you are kidding yourselves that Peter Jackson is Superman and can and will do no wrong - and many of the same people are convinced that our plight is wholly the fault of Neeld and he were just 'gone' we would suddenly recapture a form we haven't seen for years and a consistency we haven't seen since Daniher.

Let's inject some reality into this shall we?

Agree in principle with your post, however does any reasonable thinking person believe Neeld will pull us out of the mire?

Hopefully PJ and the board will give everybody the hope we all are desperately wanting to cling onto.

[rpfc 27,637]

Agree in principle with your post, however does any reasonable thinking person believe Neeld will pull us out of the mire?

Hopefully PJ and the board will give everybody the hope we all are desperately wanting to cling onto.

I think we will have a caretaker coach this season, but I am not so deluded to think that our fortunes are tied to Neeld being gone.

If we are to get better under a new coach we are going to need a few extra players, a pre-season, some confidence, and Roos, Eade, or Williams on the door.

[Lordweaver 235]

Agreed, it's a nice little scare for all concerned a case of what could be if things don't change, over to neeldy and the players now to respond

It's a win win win.

MN knows he has to improve, has a chance and knows where the club and his contract stands.

The club has shown that this standard is not acceptable and wont be.

The players know the fate of their coach, time to back him and incentive to improve.

Personally, I think its a good move. Shame about the media hype and them trying to put a negative spin on it.

Also the ABC is a joke. How could you get it so wrong so early? I'd like to see how they came to their conclusion, particularly if Barrett (*shudders*) got it in the morning/last night.

[angrydee 842]

The rumours doing the rounds for the last month have been consistent - that the inept one will be sacked after the QB game.

It can still happen.

[daisycutter 28,684]

Media not happy Jan

Looks like we finally fixed that pesky leaker (hopefully)

[mauriesy 6,859]

Come on, a dozen journalists sitting outside the MFC boardroom for 5 hours only to go home empty handed counts as something doesn't it? I got cheap amusement from it anyway.

Agree. But it was very dramatic.

Live coverage of nothing.

Even a pic of an empty carpark after Neeld left.

Edited June 3, 2013 by maurie

[chookrat 3,794]

This is absolutely disgusting from the board. They have truly shown themselves to be spineless and indecisive. The club needed a statement today, and instead we get indecision. We needed them to come right out and say that Neeld was safe in his job and they have faith in the process. Instead they continue to sit on the fence and fuel the media parasites swarming the club. They could not have chosen a worse path to take out of this meeting. Bring on the AGM and let's get a board who are willing to stand up and speak for th eclub.

Im happy with todays outcome. The club shouldnt be forced to make assurances re the coaches future and is right to closely monitor the performance of the FD. The media can GAGF.

[beelzebub 22,324]

Media not happy Jan

Looks like we finally fixed that pesky leaker (hopefully)

The 600 K man

Oh...I dont think so....here she reports almost ( im guessing ) verbatim as to what transpired.

Still leaking like a sieve Id suggest

[chookrat 3,794]

Agree in principle with your post, however does any reasonable thinking person believe Neeld will pull us out of the mire?

Hopefully PJ and the board will give everybody the hope we all are desperately wanting to cling onto.

I consider myself a reasonable person and believe Mark Neeld can turn around our on field performances within his 3 yr contract.

[Binmans PA 26,492]

It's a win win win.

MN knows he has to improve, has a chance and knows where the club and his contract stands.

The club has shown that this standard is not acceptable and wont be.

The players know the fate of their coach, time to back him and incentive to improve.

Personally, I think its a good move. Shame about the media hype and them trying to put a negative spin on it.

Also the ABC is a joke. How could you get it so wrong so early? I'd like to see how they came to their conclusion, particularly if Barrett (*shudders*) got it in the morning/last night.

So Neeld didn't know improvement was required of him?

The players don't know the fate of their coach at all. They know he'll be coaching this week. After that, who knows?

[BrisbaneDemon 1,501]

I consider myself a reasonable person and believe Mark Neeld can turn around our on field performances within his 3 yr contract.

Really?...... in your heart of hearts thats what you believe? Gee whiz his track record isn't holding to much confidence for me anyways. I honestly don't care if Neeld stays and goes, all i want is a competitive football team to follow. I would love to walk into work without the boys saying "how about those mighty Dee's hey!. we have put up with this [censored] for too long. Mark get your act together or lets get someone in who can (thats all i really want, enough of this treading water for the past 8 years), try something different mix it up. You're hanging on by the skin of your teeth mate, make it count it must just save your job!.

The media antics where disgraceful today, as a human being i really did feel sorry for Mark's daughters, wife and mother. I wish Todd Viney ran through the lot of them, like the good old days!

Edited June 3, 2013 by BrisbaneDemon

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Come on, a dozen journalists sitting outside the MFC boardroom for 5 hours only to go home empty handed counts as something doesn't it? I got cheap amusement from it anyway.

I agree, I don't rate Neeld but I'm glad he is still in a job just so the media were wrong.

[nomed 107]

Might be time that the AFL got involved in terms of the totally out of control media "opinion" and "speculation".

What is being done is totally self serving posturing by so called journalists, nothing is based on fact.

The impact of this negative media coverage does not just impact the Dee's bottom line in terms of turning away fans and sponsors, the AFL spends money from "equalisation" supporting Melbourne, the positives from this are quickly lost if we are not earning dollars in our own right, so the AFL is also losing money.

What this is doing is damaging to not just the Melbourne football club, but the AFL brand as a whole, once the pack succeeds in destabilising and destroying Melbourne where will they turn their negative attentions next? If it bleeds it leads, bugger the truth, lets use our positions to assassinate the next "bunny" for our own aggrandisement!

Shame about the media hype and them trying to put a negative spin on it.

[Nasher 33,166]

The rumours doing the rounds for the last month have been consistent - that the inept one will be sacked after the QB game.

It can still happen.

If this is the case, I don't follow the logic. What can we learn from the QB game that we've not had the opportunity to learn already through the rest of this embarrassment of a season? It seems outrageous that we will ignore everything we've seen in two years of train wreck, and base everything on the outcome of one solitary match completely in isolation.

I think Neeld should go, but if it happens immediately after a QB drubbing I'll be seething. It will be a classic case of stumbling upon the right answer via a horribly malformed thought process.

[Maldonboy38 6,034]

I finally made up my mind about three weeks ago that Neeld was not a senior coach and I see nothing so far to change my point of view. But I am stoked to see the MFC responding like this. McLardy might not be the most passionate, visionary man but I love his stoic, straight bat style. And he replies first to us, the members and supporters, rather than the media. I really rate the respect involved in doing this when it would be easier to feed the ravenous media pack.

Peter Jackson to the end of 2014 - tick.

Mark Neeld given time and space to respond and improve rather than become the new Richmond, and sack everything is sight every time there is failure- tick.

The media pack speculation proven - again - to be "blindfold-dart-at-a-balloon" journalism. tick.

Solidarity and Unity conveyed - tick.

Promise of more changes to come - tick.

Well done MFC

Edited June 3, 2013 by Maldonboy38

[old dee 22,982]

If this is the case, I don't follow the logic. What can we learn from the QB game that we've not had the opportunity to learn already through the rest of this embarrassment of a season? It seems outrageous that we will ignore everything we've seen in two years of train wreck, and base everything on the outcome of one solitary match completely in isolation.

I think Neeld should go, but if it happens immediately after a QB drubbing I'll be seething.

Which future drubbing would you prefer Nasher?

[Nasher 33,166]

Which future drubbing would you prefer Nasher?

I thought the past ones might have raised a red flag or two, old dee.

[rjay 24,046]

Nothing will happen until the boss of the FD is appointed, that's no1 on Jacksons agenda. No inside info no rumours or anything just looking from the outside in I think this is what is going to happen.

[old dee 22,982]

I thought the past ones might have raised a red flag or two, old dee.

Yes I know Nasher I was just being a little clever / smart arse.

Forgive me.

[Tricky 337]

Agree. But it was very dramatic.

Live coverage of nothing.

Even a pic of an empty carpark after Neeld left.

"Rolling" live coverage of nothing - Gold!

"That wraps up our coverage of a dramatic day for the Demons - thanks for joining us."

LOL

[Mc dee 13]

First time long time. Have felt compelled to write my thoughts as I am stunned the amount of vitriol directed at neeld whilst the board seem to be getting off very lightly.

This board was given a free kick to begin with and started with no debt courtesy of stynes. Now losing millions a year. Crowds, membership and hope are well down. They have overseen a football department structure which has been openly canned by new CEO. Copped $500k fine for tanking. Lied to afl about dank. Gave former CEO 3 yr contract extension before sacking him 6 months later. Got us to the point where it is widely recognized that we need afl intervention so as not to implode. I could go on.

Meanwhile, neeld walked into a fractured playing group who hadn't been within a bulls roar of finals in 5 years because they didn't work hard enough. It is no secret we had a toxic culture and he went about trying to change it. He has been canned for alienating the leaders when he came in. These leaders had got us nowhere in the past 5 years and were the epitome of the lack of work ethic which got us to where we are in the first place. It is not like he walked into Geelong and proceeded to get all the leaders off side. Last year our so called senior footballers in green, davey, sylvia and moloney responded to being made accountable by dropping their bundle and spending time at Casey. I would think this is more of a reflection on the character of these players than it is of neeld. Moloney spends the off season urinating in nightclubs and then sooks for a year when he isn't made captain. Again, reflects more on moloney than it does neeld. Because of this neeld has copped flak for getting some noses out of joint after being given carte blanche to fix the culture at the club. Note that blokes like jones, Howe, grimes, dawes, clarke etc. who are actually prepared to work hard don't seem to have a problem with the neeld's regime. I think the development problems we have had can be attributed to the work ethic of the bulk of our players who are 26 and over. Few if any would get games at a decent club. In the absence of a decent senior group neeld was forced to throw two blokes into the captaincy who ideally wouldn't be captain yet. Again, says more about the quality of senior players we had at the club prior to neeld's arrival than it does about neeld.

The other thing neeld gets canned for is his 'moneyball' recruiting policy. This is absolute garbage, i think his recruiting has been excellent. Let's look at last year:

In

Hogan - pick 3, gun

Toumpas - pick 4, hasn't started well but has obvious talent

Viney - pick 26, gun

Dawes - pick 20, good acquisition

Barry - steak knives with hogan deal, going ok at Casey

Rodan - effectively traded for Morton (pick 88). Was excellent on the weekend and from all reports is a good influence on the group

Byrnes - free agent, has played a couple of good games

Kent - pick 48, forced his way into side, wait and see

M jones - pick 52, great pickup

Terlich - pick 68, great pickup

Gilles - awful

Pedersen - traded for gysberts who has spent 2 years in vfl

How can the above be deemed to be bad recruiting?

Neeld shouldn't have to deal with players not putting in. These problems go back further than neeld and are problems which grew under the board. I think neeld has gone about trying to fix things up the right way and I hope he stays to see out his rebuild with a competent board in place providing some stability instead of the current circus

[Jonesbag 487]

First time long time. Have felt compelled to write my thoughts as I am stunned the amount of vitriol directed at neeld whilst the board seem to be getting off very lightly.

This board was given a free kick to begin with and started with no debt courtesy of stynes. Now losing millions a year. Crowds, membership and hope are well down. They have overseen a football department structure which has been openly canned by new CEO. Copped $500k fine for tanking. Lied to afl about dank. Gave former CEO 3 yr contract extension before sacking him 6 months later. Got us to the point where it is widely recognized that we need afl intervention so as not to implode. I could go on.

Meanwhile, neeld walked into a fractured playing group who hadn't been within a bulls roar of finals in 5 years because they didn't work hard enough. It is no secret we had a toxic culture and he went about trying to change it. He has been canned for alienating the leaders when he came in. These leaders had got us nowhere in the past 5 years and were the epitome of the lack of work ethic which got us to where we are in the first place. It is not like he walked into Geelong and proceeded to get all the leaders off side. Last year our so called senior footballers in green, davey, sylvia and moloney responded to being made accountable by dropping their bundle and spending time at Casey. I would think this is more of a reflection on the character of these players than it is of neeld. Moloney spends the off season urinating in nightclubs and then sooks for a year when he isn't made captain. Again, reflects more on moloney than it does neeld. Because of this neeld has copped flak for getting some noses out of joint after being given carte blanche to fix the culture at the club. Note that blokes like jones, Howe, grimes, dawes, clarke etc. who are actually prepared to work hard don't seem to have a problem with the neeld's regime. I think the development problems we have had can be attributed to the work ethic of the bulk of our players who are 26 and over. Few if any would get games at a decent club. In the absence of a decent senior group neeld was forced to throw two blokes into the captaincy who ideally wouldn't be captain yet. Again, says more about the quality of senior players we had at the club prior to neeld's arrival than it does about neeld.

The other thing neeld gets canned for is his 'moneyball' recruiting policy. This is absolute garbage, i think his recruiting has been excellent. Let's look at last year:

In

Hogan - pick 3, gun

Toumpas - pick 4, hasn't started well but has obvious talent

Viney - pick 26, gun

Dawes - pick 20, good acquisition

Barry - steak knives with hogan deal, going ok at Casey

Rodan - effectively traded for Morton (pick 88). Was excellent on the weekend and from all reports is a good influence on the group

Byrnes - free agent, has played a couple of good games

Kent - pick 48, forced his way into side, wait and see

M jones - pick 52, great pickup

Terlich - pick 68, great pickup

Gilles - awful

Pedersen - traded for gysberts who has spent 2 years in vfl

How can the above be deemed to be bad recruiting?

Neeld shouldn't have to deal with players not putting in. These problems go back further than neeld and are problems which grew under the board. I think neeld has gone about trying to fix things up the right way and I hope he stays to see out his rebuild with a competent board in place providing some stability instead of the current circus

How dare you provide evidence on demonland