i think if Craig it will be in partnership with aspiring intern. Ill wait before getting too carried away in either judgements.

I would also like to say I enjoyed your post and thought it was a pretty well thought out post....

My only comments would be

You mention no need to clean out the list - thats ok I kind of agree with that - but in your opinion if the players aren't at fault is is all the coaches fault they aren't executing on game day? Do you think the coaches match ups on game day are responsible for the MFC have little to no winners (in their contests on game day?)

And lastly I didn't hear you mention the experience of the team - For mine Jones and Garland have now played 100 games and are really showing something because they now have that AFL hardened experience behind them - do you think its fair our mids rely on blokes who've played less then 50 games to perfom week in and week out?

Do you think the experience level of the team is high enough that conistent week to week execution of a game plan is possible? And in your analysis of Craig - has he had a fair chance to implement real change in culture and game plan or would his focus be on getting the players up week to week?

Again I thought you posted a good argument - but as i've said all thread there are always another side of the story to consider............. Where you see Craig falling the team - I see the team failing Craig

Yeah some fair comment

It may be we need to clean some of the list only the coach knows if players are meting the requirements they have for the game and the team

If they dont and cant then decision is to let them go.

Experience is the key and I dont expect all players to be consistent. I expect the coach to know who is up and who needs to be rested, who would benefit from a success at a lower level versus defeat at a higher level. I have been saying for a long time it is about using the full squad not just the best 22, Its the coaches job to know who and when.

Craig may not have had sufficient time since Neeld but was part of that regime and should have had a greater knowledge of performance. He may be meeting the board requirements but I am not sure he is meeting mine and other supporters. at least he hasnt communicated that satisfactorily to me,

I said on other posts and repeat in context of your comment I think we need an improvement in our game day coaching . both in selection match ups etc and movements as game progresses. Flexibility in strategies during a game has been something we seemed to lack since the days of Neil Balme. I was pleased that Craig has atleast shown some of this game day flexibility but was mystified by his use of Watts at the Suns game and it seems similar against Freo. But again only the coach can know the reasons for those actions. But it doesnt really seem to have provided the success supporters like me want

The article on the AFL website about Neil Craig suggests to me that he either doesn't feel he is the man for the job or he doesn't want it, make of it what you will but i get the feeling more and more he won't be coaching us next year.

Neil Craig is a mentor within the MFC, i hope he stays in that job.

He is not the person for the Senior Coaching job in 2014 onwards...

Agree, I for one will not be inspired if Craig gets the gig. Craig is a decent bloke but not what this club needs.

Mongrel mongrel and more mongrel with talent thrown in. Please MFC inspire me in the off season for that's all I have to bloody well look forward to.

Happy to see Craig stay on with development if it suits all parties, but we need hope in 2014 and at the moment Craig is tainted with the recent recruiting and Neeld stuff up.

Agree - decent bloke but not good enough on game day for me ...

Closest thread I could find - Mick Malthouse not the messiah.

There are no messiahs. Fixing a broken team takes years - even if it is possible.

For me, there's no way of judging Craig, one way or another on current results. You only have to see Tom McDonald's game today to see how frustrated and down on confidence the players are. I would say they're pretty well all completely shot. If it's been a year from hell for supporters, I can only imagine what it must be like at ground zero, and even a walk-on-water coach wouldn't be able to do much about that in the short term.

I also think much of the current discussion undersells just how much work and time it takes to teach a whole team a way of playing, and of getting them to execute it day in day out in the heat of battle. The idea that Craig was going to come in and in a week or two undo two-odd years of trying to master Plan A is also, it seems to me, completely unrealistic.

craig has to go

in 10 matches we have been disgraced 4 times. In the other 6 we have done just OK. It's not enough improvement.

he has not managed to address in any way our continual propencity to 'switch off' for chunks of games and get blown away. That is all mental, that is all his domain.

I think Craigy realizes that it will take a miracle worker to turn this thing around and he is slowly backing away from the position.

craig has to go

in 10 matches we have been disgraced 4 times. In the other 6 we have done just OK. It's not enough improvement.

he has not managed to address in any way our continual propencity to 'switch off' for chunks of games and get blown away. That is all mental, that is all his domain.

We have one game to go bud, Craigy is just playing his roll.

I can't imagine anyone is too distressed we are still losing, we've been ordinary all year.

Let's all just look forward to getting next week out the road, receiving a PP and looking forward to draft day.

One positive for us at least is free agency, so if we can use it right and blend maturity with youth - then we can turn things around next year.

Have faith.

Even if Craig did coach the club next year, he said the talent on Adelaide's list when he took over was lacking at the Demons.

"The quality of players that were in that squad, (Mark) Ricciuto, (Simon) Goodwin, (Andrew) McLeod, (Tyson) Edwards, Benny Hart – there was a lot of quality in that squad," he said.

"We are a long way away as a total footy club."

Even if Craig did coach the club next year, he said the talent on Adelaide's list when he took over was lacking at the Demons.

"The quality of players that were in that squad, (Mark) Ricciuto, (Simon) Goodwin, (Andrew) McLeod, (Tyson) Edwards, Benny Hart there was a lot of quality in that squad," he said.

"We are a long way away as a total footy club."

Exactly we have no players of that calibre and Craig knows whoever takes on the job has to clean out and rebuild the list, we've been left with a disaster of a list after years of poor drafting.

It was interesting to hear his comments about development of players, or player development and some on here that have been harping on about it should listen carefully to what he has to say. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and we got plenty of sows and not much silk.

You have to develop the team.

BTW only a week left here and we are off once again, glad I missed the last half of the season.

Craig needs to go along with all of the assistants, a fresh start like the board. I think Rocket will be the coach next year and I think in someways he has already started reviewing things, whether that be players that might be required or a coaching team he can assemble.

He quit his role on AFL 360 supposedly to prepare for finals, I have never heard of that happening before and why is Bomber still on there? He has a lot more on his plate than Rocket.

My take is after listening to NC presser is that there will be a new coach, he made a point that he loves the development side of things and that is where he may help within the structure, I would have thought that the coaching panel would have asked the potential candidates abut Craig playing a role because he has another year to run on his contract. Lets face it with the honesty of Craig I don't think any coach would be looking over their shoulder with him there.

My take is after listening to NC presser is that there will be a new coach, he made a point that he loves the development side of things and that is where he may help within the structure, I would have thought that the coaching panel would have asked the potential candidates abut Craig playing a role because he has another year to run on his contract. Lets face it with the honesty of Craig I don't think any coach would be looking over their shoulder with him there.

Agreed. Whatever his shortcomings are, I think (from what I have seen) that Neil is a bloke with a boatload of integrity and fantastic values. I think people have a right to criticize his game plan and some of the selections he makes but he doesn't seem to be the type who would white ant a coach. If he were to stay at Melbourne, it would be for the right reasons.

Agreed. Whatever his shortcomings are, I think (from what I have seen) that Neil is a bloke with a boatload of integrity and fantastic values. I think people have a right to criticize his game plan and some of the selections he makes but he doesn't seem to be the type who would white ant a coach. If he were to stay at Melbourne, it would be for the right reasons.

and l hope he does stay

The article on the AFL website about Neil Craig suggests to me that he either doesn't feel he is the man for the job or he doesn't want it, make of it what you will but i get the feeling more and more he won't be coaching us next year.

I will give Craigy his due here. He could have given us some spin about 'development' and being 'patient'. He has laid it on the line and just come out and said the list isn't up to scratch. He has said that the players just come to play, not perform. He does this calmly and in a measured fashion but he does it. There are no overblown statements. And the best thing is... he isn't sheeting blame out to others. He isn't trying to spruik himself as the next coach of the MFC. I say without the slightest tinge of sarcasm: that really wins my respect.

I think though we need a new coach next year. I get the feeling Neil realizes that he isn't the man to lead the MFC to their next premiership. He realizes the only situation in which he would be coach next year is if he were to mentor a younger bloke for 2-3 years. Hence, why I believe he is beginning to be more tentative in his statements in regards to his future at the club. There is more honor in that than being in constant self protection mode. If MN had a failing (who am I kidding? He had lots of failings), it was that in the end he was coaching in self preservation mode. I think after the Gold Coast loss, the most honorable thing, and the best thing for him, would have been to step down.

A lot of talk on this site (not only on this thread) about what the MFC needs and what direction it should take........ I'll be honest I have no idea but I really enjoyed listening to this press confrence

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2013-08-24/round-22-neil-craig-media-conference (aplopgies I don't know how to link properly, its on the MFC website anyway)

Seriosly have a listen....... Some good insights in to the club and AFL footy

I am not trying to endorse Craig as the MFC's only option for coach in 2014 - but I do strongly believe that he would do some good work if given the chance.....

Yeah some fair comment

It may be we need to clean some of the list only the coach knows if players are meting the requirements they have for the game and the team

If they dont and cant then decision is to let them go.

Experience is the key and I dont expect all players to be consistent. I expect the coach to know who is up and who needs to be rested, who would benefit from a success at a lower level versus defeat at a higher level. I have been saying for a long time it is about using the full squad not just the best 22, Its the coaches job to know who and when.

Craig may not have had sufficient time since Neeld but was part of that regime and should have had a greater knowledge of performance. He may be meeting the board requirements but I am not sure he is meeting mine and other supporters. at least he hasnt communicated that satisfactorily to me,

I said on other posts and repeat in context of your comment I think we need an improvement in our game day coaching . both in selection match ups etc and movements as game progresses. Flexibility in strategies during a game has been something we seemed to lack since the days of Neil Balme. I was pleased that Craig has atleast shown some of this game day flexibility but was mystified by his use of Watts at the Suns game and it seems similar against Freo. But again only the coach can know the reasons for those actions. But it doesnt really seem to have provided the success supporters like me want

I can't argue with a lot of that dpositive... what you say does make a lot of sense......... I watched the game yesterday and wad disappointed with a lot of what I saw on the day.... A great start to the game, we can't finish good plays and then faded woefuly out of the game (which i found super frustrating)

But I listened to his media conference this morning as well and I am still not convinced he is a poor coach...... I still believe the playing group needs a lot more work before we can adequately judge the coach

I just think we need a whole new clean out with fresh voices. Players that have just come out of the game to act as assistants. Id love it if we could get Ling as a our midfield coach seeing as Lenny Hayes has just signed on for another year. Ling could really teach our midfield a thing or to.

Im not sure who Id even want to coach us yet but I just dont think Neil would be a fit for a whole season. Im not sure he would really want to do it.

i now think Craig does NOT want the top job nor as keen today to even mentor as he might have been prior to yesterdays debacle.

I sense he feels we really are a basketcase of a list, nowhere near afl standard and possibly a bridge too far to retain his interest and energy.

cant blame the guy. can't blame anyone for steering clear. We really are the greatest challenge in this game for a coach ....or anyone.

i now think Craig does NOT want the top job nor as keen today to even mentor as he might have been prior to yesterdays debacle.

I sense he feels we really are a basketcase of a list, nowhere near afl standard and possibly a bridge too far to retain his interest and energy.

cant blame the guy. can't blame anyone for steering clear. We really are the greatest challenge in this game for a coach ....or anyone.

The guy is nearing the community age for retirement. He should have his financial affairs in order. Why take on a job when there is more chance you will suffer a nervous breakdown than win a premiership?

i now think Craig does NOT want the top job nor as keen today to even mentor as he might have been prior to yesterdays debacle.

I sense he feels we really are a basketcase of a list, nowhere near afl standard and possibly a bridge too far to retain his interest and energy.

cant blame the guy. can't blame anyone for steering clear. We really are the greatest challenge in this game for a coach ....or anyone.

My take on it is after reading what he said yesterday is hes been rejected for the job.

My take is he is telling the AFL where the list is at, nothing more, nothing less.

i hope Craig stays with the MFC and heads up our new development academy