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I laugh at the idea that this is knee jerk. I've never seen a knee take 11 weeks to jerk, you must have the slowest reflexes ever.

Neeld won't be happy - let's not try and convince ourselves that this is a win win for everyone. It might be a weight off stress wise, but he's now unemployed, and, and the thought that he's failed in his one shot at success at the highest level will burn. I really do feel for him, but that's not to say I don't think it's the right decision.

Karma is a [censored]. So is having a sook, not putting in any real effort, fleeing to any team that would take you, telling any interviewer a bunch of bs rather than what he really thought of Neeld, then having a crack from the Internet when the bloke gets sacked. Brent Moloney Is a little [censored]

Kinda sad...but needs to happen. We cant go on being so bad..and Mark has to take some responsibility but not all. Thanks for trying Mark.

I am furious. We are an unprofessional bunch of mugs. But it's worse than that. Our club sells fraudulent hope, and ruins the careers of perfectly good and competent people, whether they be players or coaches. Make no mistake - Mark Neeld was told to come in and put a rocket up every single senior player. He was given unprecedented scope to do it his way and change the festering wound that is the MFC. Then, he cops it and has his career destroyed based on doing nothing more than executing his plan. Yes, it may have been a flawed execution, but he was given 3 years to do it because it was, and is, the hardest task in football. He didn't get the chance because everyone got spooked. Make no mistake - Bailey was told to lose. Then, when it suited, the administration turfed him too for not winning enough. When I think of all the money donated, all the functions where bulltish was spouted out of the mouths of these people. All the suspicions about disharmony, lack of professionalism were dismissed.... yet, it was almost all true. I get that almost all those involved in the above issues are going, going and gone from the club. But the lack of spine and the level of incompetence and dishonesty is literally breathtaking. Rant over.

Dismissing an incumbent coach is never easy. But MFC should be congratulated for the manner in which they have handled today thus far. It would seem lessons should have and might have been learned after the slipshod, ungracious and unprofessional exiting of Bailey.

You have got to be kidding. He is a grown man and is meant to be professional. I don't care what personal issues they had, keep this crap to yourself and don't be a tossbag. I am far from Neeld's biggest fan, but he is still a human being with kids and a wife and he went in and did what he thought was best, regardless of whether it was or wasn't. Brent Moloney behaving like a petulant child right now somehow vindicates Neeld's position, which is probably the opposite of what Moloney was trying to achieve. Not too smart is Brent.

David Neitz should be there - record games, record games as captain, record goals. How could Garry Lyon possibly be there ahead of him? Russell Robertson played more games and kicked more goals than G.Lyon.

blubbering incompetent asks "blah blah Roos , Williams blah blah" PJ - fixes him " You don't really expect me to answer that, do you? " excellent

Neeld speaking well - the whole thing is much more professional than the Bailey disaster. God I wish we'd had PJ a few years ago...

I just hope the club manages to land Junior McDonald as a senior assistant coach asap. Don't want any required players getting restless again.

Glad he is gone. He should have just kept his trap shut.

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

A sensational interview. Neeld has class. He could have dumped on the club. He didn't.

Wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard this over the past few years...I think it could be re-worded "the AFL is sick of putting up with our crap".

Just turned it off. Robbo is an illiterate.

We lost a lazy, self centred, petulant player who thought that team was spelt te(i)am. The fact that you are so enamoured with him probably says more about you than it does about Neeld. Neeld at least tried and failed... Moloney didn't try and failed - he took exception to the fact that Neeld wanted him to work.

Funny if Neeld was to wind up as an assistant at the Lions... then Beamer might learn a bit about karma.

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 PJ said in the press conference, if we'd told him on Friday night, without time to call a press conference, it would have been all over the media over the weekend. It would have leaked; everything does, these days. Neeld would have copped media flak all weekend; people at his house, invading his space, etc. The decision was made on Friday so that this morning we could spring into action without having to wade through throngs of media, without having the papers pre-empt anything.

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."

PJ is also, clearly, a serious heavy hitter and won't take sh*t from any pissant journo - great to see how a professional CEO operates

I'll give him kudos for being stoic and reasoned. Hes not a bad bloke, just not the coach for us. And we move on.. Good luck Neeld like Bailey, Danners id happily buy you a beer

We have hit the bullseye and the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate.

Surely before convening it is a matter of Jackson calling Clarkson and Roos, then getting rebuffed, and then calling Williams and if rebuffed again, then we can convene a panel...

Garry Lyon

Betting or football?

I despise this betting garbage in football! I wish it was banned.

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

I picked Craig to be intrim over Viney, but didn't think Neeld would get axed so soon. Would have been good to see what he could have done against St Kilda and the Bulldogs but such is life and most people would say he had all season. Ultimately Neeld did what any coach would had to have done: get rid of our dead weight and try to fix the culture. The undoing of his career however was he was too heavy handed when restructuring the list and caused some significant holes in the midfield. I liked his plan of drafting in premership, leaders and experienced players from other clubs for next to nothing to combat our young and inexperienced list and to bring promote a better work ethic culture. However, he grossly underestimated the importance of a midfield, ironic considering he was a midfield coach, and clearly overestimated the fitness and skills of our list. Whoever is going to be appointed next cannot fix this list overnight. The biggest factor of us losing games is our skills and fitness. Simply we dont have the fitness to provide second efforts or chase other clubs who can, and when we do have the ball, its our lack of skill which turns it over - just look at other clubs conversions from our turnovers. Neeld clearly had to create a game plan around this fitness, such as zoning, which was a failure, and unfortunately made some very questionable choices re choosing certain players. Craig will have a free pass for the rest of the season and can focus on getting game experience into the younger kids rather than focusing on trying to save his job like Neeld which is a positive. I'd like to see Couch and Gawn play a few games for example. Thanks for all the hard work you put in Mark and best of luck.

I hope Mark goes on a good holiday. It's been tough on him. I feel sorry for him, but he was just not experienced enough to do the job. Good luck Mark. The MFC must stay tough. More staff and players will go.

Your class is showing.

what journo asked: "what's the reaction of the indigenous group?" --- sewer rat

I can't believe anyone can seriously complain about this decision. We are a complete joke on and off the field and have gone backwards at a frightening rate since Neeld started. This had to happen and it had happen before there was any further damage. We have two winnable games coming up. The timing is right. We could have sacked him at year's end and still been without a coach for a time period. This allows us to hunt for a new coach without added complications and without doing so behind the current coach's back. It will ensure we can hit the ground running from day one of off season, especially in terms of list management.

Lots of talk on 3aw about Choco Williams coaching us. Apparently according to Dwayne Russell, even when coaching at port, he wanted to return to the heart of football and coach a team. The positives about Choco is that he wouldn't give a toss about political correctness, he wears his heart on his sleeve, is cunning, street smart, hard as nails yet has the delicate touch that can infiltrate a players psyche. He gets the most out of his players, is a mans man and makes his team play above their weight. He thinks in abstract, yet can be wild. But most of all, he is a master motivator and is desperate to prove the football world wrong, who have already written him off and selected untried rookies over him. He led pa to be the greatest home and away team for about 4 years running, bringing in one flag. I don't know if the silver spooners would like him tho. All in all, if we don't land lethal or Roos, I would be delighted to follow choco for the next 5-10 years. Happy happy joy joy, the new sun is rising! Ps, we are going to come out and smash the saints. The shackles have been released and now our spirits can fly once again. I am so happy. Carn the mighty demons, rip em apart, kill em all!!!!!!

Tonatopia = Brent Moloney?

Why not let the media choose our next coach.... They seem to be running every other part of our club...

This bloke spat the chips because he didn't get captain and now we know why.. the bloke is a deadest disgrace and a child the way he carried on. didn't take it on the chin and work harder but sooked all last year. and to even him display that pic after the bloke has just lost his job plus the stress and pressure his family have had to go through then no he can go f**** himself for all I care.

My empathy is generic and indiscriminate, Robbie. My loyalty also lies with the club and I too agree that we're better off without him; that doesn't mean I can't also feel bad for a guy who now faces an unclear future and the feeling of failure that must accompany this. I am able to separate club from person, that is all.

Even if you agree with Moloney it's poor taste and extremely immature.

Just shows why he had no place in the leadership group.

Is that fair dinkum? If so, wow. I am totally blown away by that. Regardless of what took place, that's a pretty low act. I don't recall Neeld writing "I told you so" on his Twitter account when you were made sub because of woeful performance a couple of weeks ago Beamer.

My source from the inner sanctums of MFC (who did also mention to me 5 days ago, that Neeld was to be sacked within 7days) says that the current board wants to go "hell for leather" for Paul Roos.

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.

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

Peter Jackson, a class act. Feel a little sorry for Neeld but he clearly wasn't up to it.

Needed approval for the funding to pay him out. Neeld was finished at MFC. And games against 2 struggling clubs could not have rewritten the train wreck that has occurred during his time.

Sad for him personally, but needed to happen. Clean out continues.

Why sack him? Didn't we have a good weekend?