You would have to think that the 'highly conditional' contribution from the AFL might have had something to do with this decision coming sooner rather than later.

Craig is the best option we have (probably Rawlings) but the club if they were going to make this decision had to move (should have probably done it more quickly than now)

I think the sink has to be thrown at Roos, Lethal or similar sooner rather than later.

.... and here I was thinking that this would finally be a quiet week for the dees!

I spoke to Lee Mathews on my flight 2 weeks ago. He said he is no longer interested in coaching. He is enjoying his lifestyle and still lives in Brisbane.

This was much better than the way D Baileys exit was handled.

Finally we will have a professional club. Listening to Peter Jackson is a breath of fresh air.

I am a bit surprised that Craig was picked for the interim - I probably would have chosen Rawlings.

Craig is by far the most experienced, he is also the higest paid and most qualified, and quite frankly has a lot to prove.

I don't doubt that his position at the club is under review, and here is his chance to prove he is worth the paycheck and the title.

He doesn't need to win big, and in fact, I expect he won't, but much of what he does now will impact his future at our club.

Assistants are just that, Rawlings is not likely to become our senior coach, but he could be a good assistant, so why burn him?

The assistants will plead their own case to the new coach.

I somehow don't think Peter Jackson will have Garry's number on speed dial.

Regardless of your personal views about the AFL getting involved in running our Club, it is a refreshing feeling that I've got knowing change is here. No more boys club special treatment. I just hope when everything is sorted from a structural point of view that the players realise that while they are the most important part of the whole process, they don't get to dictate change via onfield statements.

Mixture of relief and sadness for me.

It could not continue waiting, waiting, waiting for something to click when it became apparent that Neeld could not produce that click. I am a bit surprised that Craig was picked for the interim - I probably would have chosen Rawlings. I just want one week in which we win a game, and the media is not reporting on "poor struggling Melbourne". I hope this is the beginning of change we have been waiting 7 years for.

I feel a deep sadness for Mark Neeld. Looking at all the factors leading up to his appointment and the culture of our club at present, it had "failure" written all over it (the Board, Schwab and Connolly, poor fitness etc...), even though I was a real fan of his initial appointment.

Totally disagree about major changes to our list. We need two quality midfielders and then delist dead wood like Dunn. Gillies, etc... but I see quality in defense and attack.

Yes the quality is certainly showing.. isn't it ?? You named only two players on your "deadwood" list.. You have left off a few haven't you ? naming only those two is probably a little harsh..

Yes the quality is certainly showing.. isn't it ?? You named only two players on your "deadwood" list.. You have left off a few haven't you ? naming only those two is probably a little harsh..

Why was I quoted in that soxy?

Craig is by far the most experienced, he is also the higest paid and most qualified, and quite frankly has a lot to prove.

I don't doubt that his position at the club is under review, and here is his chance to prove he is worth the paycheck and the title.

He doesn't need to win big, and in fact, I expect he won't, but much of what he does now will impact his future at our club.

Assistants are just that, Rawlings is not likely to become our senior coach, but he could be a good assistant, so why burn him?

The assistants will plead their own case to the new coach.

As you mentioned you would assume Craig would be highly paid so no need to give him a pay rise like a Rawlings if he took on the job in the short term. This will also clear up any issues around reporting lines as now Craig will report into Mahoney now? So it looks like a win win from that sense. It has been a lose lose overall though. F me, how much money has been lost on this last 2 years.

Good luck Mark, you at least gave it a shot. Hopefully learnt some things for next time. Enjoy the holiday and relax.

Dees for f's sake lets get the next one right, Jackson has a lot of pressure on how he sets up the FD moving forward and finding the right next coach. I also think we need a lot more experience in the assitant coaches level as well.

Whilst I agree that Knights had issues, I think that the first coach after Sheedy was a dead man walking.

True. He was on a hiding to nothing taking over from Sheeds. Problem was if you can remember it was down to Knights & Hardwick a Essendon man. They decided on Knights because he painted a bright future of our list and Hardwick was the opposite to that. I suppose Jackson and our board at time had no idea what they were doing because we had Sheeds for 27 yrs.

I hope Jackson has learned from that mistake because Melbourne cannot afford it any longer.

I also think having Craig as coach makes it easier to restructure the FD.

We know that Mahoney is the interim head of the FD and Craig is the interim coach - reporting to Mahoney.

I would like to know what Viney's position is within this change, and how Harrington and Taylor fit into all of this.

I guess that is another thread.

I feel sorry for Mark and his family. Football is a tough gig. Ask anyone involved, either employed or voluntary. There is not much appreciation.

Hopelessly out of his depth from day dot.

The committee who appointed him should never, ever be allowed within 5km of this football ever again.

Under his tenure many of my mates stopped coming to the footy.

Glad to see a new coach come in.

he walks away with one five wins from a season and a half of footy.

I also think having Craig as coach makes it easier to restructure the FD.

We know that Mahoney is the interim head of the FD and Craig is the interim coach - reporting to Mahoney.

I would like to know what Viney's position is within this change, and how Harrington and Taylor fit into all of this.

I guess that is another thread.

gee that is a hard question rpfc I am still getting my head around

- a new CEO

- a new President

-a new Coach

and the AFL showing us love.

on the 17th june.

he walks away with one five wins from a season and a half of footy.

I will stay with NSC one geniune win and we only got that because Essendon kicked themselves out of it.

I have never heard any player use Neeld as an excuse ??? many of them are below AFL standard.. The list will OBVIOUSLY change for 2014.... Drastically !! It won't "be interesting to see their reaction in the next game they play" They are simply not up to it !! Big changes to the culture and list for next year please !!

Okay for starters it has been posted here many times here that players within the group weren't happy wether this be true or a perception only it doesn't really matter. Remember players also came out in Full support of Neeld but only some not all unless I missed it.

To say many of them are below standard I think is a simplistic statement at best .

To me many have not been handled the right way nor given a real chance to get their act together , that being the case when players come in for criticism how that criticism is received is determined by how they have been treated. .

If they feel they had been mistreated or given less of a chance. That affects the way they play .

A coach is charged with the responsibility for the well being of the players, getting the players to bring out their best and providing a game plan to make them competitive .

Melbourne hasn't had the depth to cover injuries to key players for quite a while let alone afford to get rid of some players that we should have considered holding on to .

What ever the reason it all comes back to the coach and his decisions he makes on who should be in his team and who shouldn't .

This also includes the recruitment of players

I believe that the Melbourne Football club does have a future but it depends on the Calibre of the next coach that is appointed to lead these players into the future

Like everyone here I hope we get that Coach!!

We cannot have a repeat again of the Bailey and Neeld sagas I don't believe supporters will put up with it again.

To me this is it ,

The MFC must get this next appointment right ! !!

I spoke to Lee Mathews on my flight 2 weeks ago. He said he is no longer interested in coaching. He is enjoying his lifestyle and still lives in Brisbane.

I think Malthouse said similar things last year... *IF* the club thinks that he is an option... then as I said throw the sink at him. We have to be bold here, we have to get whoever we can.

Roos and Lethal both are 'not interested' until such time as an offer of a contract is put before them.... it's the size of the contract and the challenge that goes with it that will land a coach like this.

Why was I quoted in that soxy?

Sorry reply was meant for maldonboy38...

This part is also of interest from the press conference:

Jackson said he would take responsibility "as a matter of urgency" to convince the players of the merits of staying. "We need to convince them as a club this is a place they want to be for the next 10 years of their career."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/demons-finally-sack-neeld-20130617-2ocws.html#ixzz2WR5Rh9Yn

Yes the quality is certainly showing.. isn't it ?? You named only two players on your "deadwood" list.. You have left off a few haven't you ? naming only those two is probably a little harsh..

I am so sick of typing the same names in various threads I thought of the 1st two delistings and then just put in an etc...

True. He was on a hiding to nothing taking over from Sheeds. Problem was if you can remember it was down to Knights & Hardwick a Essendon man. They decided on Knights because he painted a bright future of our list and Hardwick was the opposite to that. I suppose Jackson and our board at time had no idea what they were doing because we had Sheeds for 27 yrs.

I hope Jackson has learned from that mistake because Melbourne cannot afford it any longer.

The thing is there isn't really any statistical proof that Knights is a worse coach than Hardwick. Hardwick ended up getting a job that suited him to bring kids through because that's all that was left after Wallace had left it in a heap. He also had the benefit of more time. He's been allowed to go 6 wins, 8 wins, 10 wins. That might not have cut it at the dons.

Knights on the other hand was right. The Essendon list did seem to have more talent and Knights made finals. He also got together a pretty reasonable core of a spine and set them on the right track and made Jobe Watson go from spud to the best captain in the league. He also struggled to get a fit list of players together, a struggle that has since led Essendon into more trouble. Oh and post leaving he's won a VFL flag.

Now I'd take Hardwick over Knights but I'm not convinced that Knights is half as bad as he's made out to be.

As you mentioned you would assume Craig would be highly paid so no need to give him a pay rise like a Rawlings if he took on the job in the short term. This will also clear up any issues around reporting lines as now Craig will report into Mahoney now? So it looks like a win win from that sense. It has been a lose lose overall though. F me, how much money has been lost on this last 2 years.

Good luck Mark, you at least gave it a shot. Hopefully learnt some things for next time. Enjoy the holiday and relax.

Dees for f's sake lets get the next one right, Jackson has a lot of pressure on how he sets up the FD moving forward and finding the right next coach. I also think we need a lot more experience in the assitant coaches level as well.

I agree

So what has he been doing during the Neeld debacle to a) Jutify his salary and b) justify his continuance

Surely he is a part of the problem either by not rocking the boat or just snoozing while the club imploded on field

I will be the first to say it - ''Sack Craig"' hhahhaahahhhahaha

he walks away with one five wins from a season and a half of footy.

I will stay with NSC one geniune win and we only got that because Essendon kicked themselves out of it.

Don't remind me Hurley & Ryder couldn't kick a goal that night.

Its sickens me that again, we have to make another knee jerk reaction which we have been doing for the past 10 years. As soon as someone comes in to clean up the place and things get a little tough, we back down from standing tall, defiant and strong. We go and sack the coach. It disgusts me how he has been treated by our club, supporters, media. I know a lot of passion exists at our club but this is painful. Why dont we just call ourselves the interim demons - because that's all we seem to do. Why cant we stick to a process and see it through. I have so much respect for Mark Neeld to have come in to a destructive and toxic environment and deal with the media intensity that has been in his face - unduly excessive and not everything has been in his control. - I cant support a club that continues to do this, I'm out for the rest of the year until the Board (especially PJ) can come out and speak up for our staff an back them in.

I don't see how this can be a knee jerk reaction. Since he came to the club we have constantly hit rock bottom week after week, when each week we all say it can't get any worse and yet some how it does. In any business wheter it be sport or the commerce, if the person leading you, sets you back 5 years, the solution is simple.. they must go. He has taken us back. this is not knee jerk.

Okay for starters it has been posted here many times here that players within the group weren't happy wether this be true or a perception only it doesn't really matter. Remember players also came out in Full support of Neeld but only some not all unless I missed it.

To say many of them are below standard I think is a simplistic statement at best .

To me many have not been handled the right way nor given a real chance to get their act together , that being the case when players come in for criticism how that criticism is received is determined by how they have been treated. .

If they feel they had been mistreated or given less of a chance. That affects the way they play .

A coach is charged with the responsibility for the well being of the players, getting the players to bring out their best and providing a game plan to make them competitive .

Melbourne hasn't had the depth to cover injuries to key players for quite a while let alone afford to get rid of some players that we should have considered holding on to .

What ever the reason it all comes back to the coach and his decisions he makes on who should be in his team and who shouldn't .

This also includes the recruitment of players

I believe that the Melbourne Football club does have a future but it depends on the Calibre of the next coach that is appointed to lead these players into the future

Like everyone here I hope we get that Coach!!

We cannot have a repeat again of the Bailey and Neeld sagas I don't believe supporters will put up with it again.

To me this is it ,

The MFC must get this next appointment right ! !!

I agree with a lot of what you say... I sincerely hope that some of the factors you have pointed out are contributing.. I will be happy to be wrong in my observations.. Would be good for the MFC. and for my future hopes for the Dees.

CARO cant Help herself

Listen to her Comments on Video

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/demons-finally-sack-neeld-20130617-2ocws.html#ixzz2WR5Rh9Yn

All seeing all Wise Caro Knows all !!

In transport parlance, it's evident that somewhere along the road, the ship ran off the rails.