On 17/06/2013 at 01:01, PD72 said:

As an Bomber supporter he was the one who made the tough decision on Sheeds after 27 yrs. You should feel confident with him in charge and l think all the FD will be gone as well.

Well, most of them...

Wash-up from the press conference:

• Josh Mahoney to become Acting Director of Football Operations, with a permanent appointment to be made at the end of the year. Mahoney might put his hand up for that spot.
• Craig to be caretaker coach.
• More changes at Board level to come - both Spargo and PJ said this
• The decision to sack Neeld was made on Friday but he was only told at 8am this morning.
• PJ was very hesitant to link the AFL meeting to what is taking place. Suffice to say, the AFL wants to see some changes. The AFL also wants to see PJ stay here, and they want to know who any potential new Board members are before the come on.
• The entire playing group was present at the press conference

Neil Craig addressing the team:

"Boys i've got some good news and some good news… The good news is that Mark Neeld has been sacked… And the good news is that we will have a new game plan"

I like many have been 50/50 stay or go. But in reality the MFC have destroyed another career regardless if he or Bailey where initially the correct choices they were both treated very poorly. We now move on again but I must say I'm impressed with the CEO he is class. No more Gary Lyon please and IMO our biggest issue was Cameron Schwab the club now has a pretty fresh slate with some quality people and players but improvement on and off the field must start now

I like many have been 50/50 stay or go. But in reality the MFC have destroyed another career regardless if he or Bailey where initially the correct choices they were both treated very poorly. We now move on again but I must say I'm impressed with the CEO he is class. No more Gary Lyon please and IMO our biggest issue was Cameron Schwab the club now has a pretty fresh slate with some quality people and players but improvement on and off the field must start now

I like many have been 50/50 stay or go. But in reality the MFC have destroyed another career regardless if he or Bailey where initially the correct choices they were both treated very poorly. We now move on again but I must say I'm impressed with the CEO he is class. No more Gary Lyon please and IMO our biggest issue was Cameron Schwab the club now has a pretty fresh slate with some quality people and players but improvement on and off the field must start now

The Question is ?

Did the Playing Group get the message ???

Wont it be interesting to see their reaction in the next game they play .

Now they have "no excuse" with Neeld, gone to at least not be Competitive from here on in!!

Good luck to Graig I believe his going to need buckets of it !!!!

  On 17/06/2013 at 01:06, PD72 said:

Wasn't Neeld also offered the job at the Crows as well?.

Didn't even make their shortlist from what I hear.

  On 17/06/2013 at 00:51, hardtack said:

Seriously? Do you really think that telling a coach he is safe for the time being after the round before the bye and then telling him he is no longer required before the next game has been played, is handling this graciously? I agree that he was gone one way or another... but I beg to differ when it comes to your assessment of how the club has handled this.

The Board voted on the decision on Friday. They did not leak it. Neeld was told Monday morning.

It's not a nice process but if you can't work through the steps properly and understand how appalling the Bailey situation was then I can't help you.

  On 17/06/2013 at 00:51, hardtack said:

Seriously? Do you really think that telling a coach he is safe for the time being after the round before the bye and then telling him he is no longer required before the next game has been played, is handling this graciously? I agree that he was gone one way or another... but I beg to differ when it comes to your assessment of how the club has handled this.

Get real. There is no other way. Its brutal but tell me a better way??

I am just please the Board kept this quiet over the weekend. That would have been very poor.

At least Magner will get a game this week,Neil Craig loves him.

No more games for Rodan,Bail,Nicho,Gillies,

Sad.

All the best, Neeldy.

Oh, and B-H?

I don't want any flowers.

Interesting observation from Wingman over on 'Ology:

"Jackson also said he did not previously tell AFL or Demetriou about his decision to sack Neeld. Hence no leaks to C Wilson or anyone else."

  On 17/06/2013 at 00:57, soxy@live.com.au said:

I could handle losing my job if I had been so incompetent and was being paid a very large sum to walk out the back door... Plenty of other job prospects out there , even for Mark Neeld.. He doesn't seem too perturbed at the press conference.. Quite happy , actually.. He is quite happy obviously to see his bank account swell without any personal Contribution.. ...... Like winning a big share of Tattslotto (First Division)

What do you want him to do, he showed class.....more than can be said for others..

Fasten your seatbelts, away we go.
I won't say it's knee jerk. This was going to happen one way or the other and had to happen. While Neeldy wasn't around during 186, it felt that he was carrying out Schwab's mandate and this may have led him to be branded CS's man. That would have been anathema for the playing group. On top of that, his results have been worrying to say the least.

As I have said before, I'm disappointed whenever a coach is sacked. I'm disappointed for them as I never like to see someone lose a job but I'm disappointed as it is the club basically saying that it has failed. There is no joy in this for anyone.

Mark said he would have done nothing different if he had his time again but can he really believe that? Going from his 'not on your life' press conference against Brisbane to his more reasonable 'it's the young boys leading the way' conference against Collingwood, he had learnt a little bit about not shooting from the hip too much. He seemed to learn that you need to build a bond with players much, much too late. He appeared to improve in this area but the well was poisoned by his performance in the early days.

I'm glad that PJ announced that this was probably needed by MN as much as the club. The scrutiny and the humiliation that must have come with this must have been unbearable. After 148, I was genuinely concerned for him. You could just tell that he thought he was going to be a good coach but that result threw all his confidence and belief back in his face. Warranted or not, that would be shattering.

Thanks Mark. You are a member of the MFC family now. All the best with what's to come. It didn't work out here but life was never meant to be easy.

  On 17/06/2013 at 01:13, Rhino Richards said:

The Board voted on the decision on Friday. They did not leak it. Neeld was told Monday morning.

It's not a nice process but if you can't work through the steps properly and understand how appalling the Bailey situation was then I can't help you.

I was out of the country when the Bailey sacking occurred and did not know about it until I returned. As for this sacking, I still cannot see that telling someone they are safe for the present on the Monday, and then voting to sack him on the Friday is a particularly good way of doing things.

  On 17/06/2013 at 01:02, Nasher said:

Your class is showing.

Thank you .. I like to call it as I see it... You call it as YOU see it.. Free Speech..I am hoping the "soft" approach of the past ceases .. Please try not to keep it going.. !! Toughen up.. !! and we will start to become more successful.. !! Like the top Clubs.. Your comment is typical over a statement made by a member with obviously a more realistic and tougher attitude than yours... !!! This Club HAS to become more ruthless with it's attitude towards mediocrity... It is supposed to be part of a professional Organization.. Let it start acting like it is... !!!

  On 17/06/2013 at 01:15, Jack7 said:

At least Magner will get a game this week,Neil Craig loves him.

No more games for Rodan,Bail,Nicho,Gillies,

Craig had input into getting Rodan to the club, sorry

  On 17/06/2013 at 01:02, frankie_d said:

blubbering incompetent asks "blah blah Roos , Williams blah blah"

PJ - fixes him " You don't really expect me to answer that, do you? "

excellent

A terribly insensitive question.

  On 17/06/2013 at 01:13, Hazyshadeofgrinter said:

Didn't even make their shortlist from what I hear.

Cheers.

Poor Neeld, he got handed a bloody great mess. But that's football.
Change is happening (again) at MFC, let this be for the last time.

  On 17/06/2013 at 01:13, Hazyshadeofgrinter said:

Didn't even make their shortlist from what I hear.

I heard he still told someone at the club "look if you dont appoint me now, Im accepting Adelaide this afternoon". Mick Malthouse was at his shoulder, he was at Pies training.

And no he hadnt made the short list.

But its just what I heard...

  On 17/06/2013 at 01:14, jnrmac said:

Get real. There is no other way. Its brutal but tell me a better way??

I am just please the Board kept this quiet over the weekend. That would have been very poor.

Perhaps not to give him the impression he was safe on Monday and vote to sack him on the Friday? I know it's brutal, but people tend to forget that we are dealing with real people and real emotions.

  On 17/06/2013 at 01:19, soxy@live.com.au said:

Thank you .. I like to call it as I see it... You call it as YOU see it.. Free Speech..I am hoping the "soft" approach of the past ceases .. Please try not to keep it going.. !! Toughen up.. !! and we will start to become more successful.. !! Like the top Clubs.. Your comment is typical over a statement made by a member with obviously a more realistic and tougher attitude than yours... !!! This Club HAS to become more ruthless with it's attitude towards mediocrity... It is supposed to be part of a professional Organization.. Let it start acting like it is... !!!

Inspired by Arnold's visit last week were we?......sit behind a keyboard and take pot shots at people, seems rather soft wouldn't you say?