Grand New Flag

Despite my strong opinion that Neeld must be sacked ASAP, I do feel sorry for him. He did not start the rot. He has given his all, and the decisions he has made have been what he thinks is best for the club. He will be bitterly disappointed. However, he simply was the wrong man for the job, he was a poor choice. He does not have the personal management or motivational skills required I am disappointed that this story appears to have leaked. This is unprofessional. How the board managers this will be a big test for them. It is important that his dismissal is done with the highest level of compassion and professionalism. They appear to be off to a bad start.

Thanks Jazza, I am not offended by anyone. I just love my club and I can see the end of it, I will do anything to attempt to get this club off the path that I see leads to extinction. I feel very strongly that we are making death tempting mistakes holding Neeld, I cant see any blue sky with Neeld, I only see further disaster. I hope I am wrong, but I have a history of reading these sort of things correctly. Obviously all are free to agree or disagree. Go Dees, I will be at the game, nothing would make me happier than a truly competitive performance............. but I cant see this happening. When I say competitive I mean a less than 5 goal loss. Saying a 12 goals loss is a pass mark is disgraceful and makes me want to puke. That such talk comes from within the club, from within the coaching group simply further confirms to me that Neeld must go.

What? You mean the reports from the media department of our club. What else are they going to say. These reports mean nothing, they are propaganda.

Mate I wish I agreed with any part of this but my views are polar opposites.

I don't want to be rude, but if you truly at the bottom of your heart believe we have not gone backwards, the club is not in danger of going under, and that Neeld is not significantly responsible, you have fallen for spin or you have blind faith. Again tell me why he should be kept? Tell me what he has succeeded at? He is after all the statistical worst coach in the history of the game. There needs to be a compelling reason to keep him.

You can't be for real. The culture is terrible, it is toxic, no player wants in, many in the team want out. Our players are not playing for each other, they are not playing for the club, its supporters, or the gurnsey. The culture is worse now than at any time in 30 years I have supported the club. I can't believe that anyone can fall for "I have fixed up the culture" spin. Just look at the way they are playing and act. I saw head down after 2 goals and 10 minutes last week. FFS! Can't you see the disaster, can't you see the culture is worse than ever? Again I challenge you to tell us why the statistical worst coach in the history of the game (yes this is true), who has taken us backwards in the most dramatic of ways to a point the very existence of the club is in question should keep his job. Come I want to here your case.

? None of the things you listed are improvements or things that Neeld has done well at. You have taken a long imaginative bow desperately trying to come up with anything he has achieved. The writing is on the wall for all to see, every part of our on-field performance, every statistic including fitness has gone backwards since Neeld arrived. Further and importantly the culture is worse than it has ever been. Neeld has completely failed to improve the culture, in fact he now resides over the worst culture this club has ever had. It is so toxic our better players want out. Hell we are among the worst teams in the history of the comp. Yet you guys somehow continue your blind faith. Blind faith that will take us to extinction. This is not scare tactics...... this is reality. Wake up!

Talk about clutching at straws!

What are you suggesting? I used Hobart Devils as only an example. The facts are that the AFL will look to merge, relocate or dissolve us if we remain uncompetitive and become insolvent. This is the terrifying reality. Jackson has said himself that we could be back to $5 Million in debt by the end of next season if performances don't improve. This would place us close to insolvent. I ask you please tell me just one part of the coaching role that you think Neeld has done well? What KPI has he had success with? Please put forward a case on why he should remain as coach rather than just nit picking my comments.

Mate, I may have called BS when I read it, but I have never made personal or slanderous comments about other posters. Further I have not made up quotes from other posters, what you have said above is not only untrue, it is insulting. I only want our club to survive and than thrive forward. I feel extremely strongly about the direction and dire situation we are in. Yes, I do see the sky falling in. We can't pretend we are not in the position we are in. We can't pretend that losing Syliva, Watts and Frawley plus others would be good for our club. This walkout would be a potential fatal wound.

Guys, we do not have 5 years to become competitive. We will be the Hobart Devils in time for the next broadcasting contract. We have 2 years max to become competitive and remain solvent. I dispute that the rebuild started last October............ that is straight out BS, I dispute that Bailey was just a continuation of Danihar but I accept we needed a new coach with which could install a more accountable game plan. The problem is we chose the wrong coach. We got our choice very, very wrong. As a result we must reconsider where we are at. A good coach can change the culture and develop a new more accountable game plan (which has been an out and out failure) while maintaining confidence, self belief, without have mass discontent from players, without having player walkouts. I will add I have never seen a more unaccountable game plan or worse culture than currently resides under Neeld. We are not a club that has the luxury of being able to simply start again. We are on the ropes. If we could go back to 9 wins we could be saved, we cannot be saved when we have an average losing margin of 75 points and half the team want out. We must abandon the pursuit of a Premiership for the time being and put all effort into our survival. I think few here realise the dire position we are in.

David King is stating the bleeding obvious. The hiring of Neeld as I have said since round 5, last year is the single biggest error this club has made since the dismissal of Norm Smith. The evidence for this is overwhelming. He continues to do untold damage, he may not have started the rot but he has brought this club to its knees. On Monday our board meets, it is my view that the board have no choice but to dismiss Neeld. It is true we are now in a no win situation. Due to our quickly deteriorating financial position which is a direct result of our appalling on-field performances since Neeld became coach, the cost of dismissing him will be a parting, painful, sting and final insult. It will put Melbourne deep into the red. However, let me make this very clear, the cost of maintaining him will be 10 fold that of paying out his contract. In just 18 months under Neeld our club has gone from an exciting up and coming team, a club with no debt, a club with an expanding supporter base and genuine belief in future success, a club on the up. It is now a club that is the embarrassment of the league, a team that is measured against the worst teams in AFL/VFL history, a team that plays without spirit, confidence or self belief, a club battling to stay solvent with rapidly increasing debt, a club that is battling for its very survival. Neeld must be dismissed ASAP so as we can start to heal, so a new coach with a modern game plan that suits the strengths and weakness of our list, who can install self belief and confidence can be appointed. At this point just about any stand in coach that can motivate and create confidence would be a massive improvement. Failure to remove Neeld will result in the loss of a significant number of quality players come season end and this could be a nail in the coffin of our once great club. Changing coaches now may not save us but at least it gives us some hope, some chance of holding oour players, some chance of survival. I simply cannot understand those on hear who come out in support of Neeld....... it is too illogical for me....... I don't get it. Are these people actually watching what is going on both on and off the field? I am sure the board are aware of their fiduciary duties to the club and its members. I cannot see how they have any choice but to dismiss Neeld. I hope that this tread can die with the imminent dismissal of Neeld and that we can once again start to look forward rather than back on what has been an complete and absolute disaster, I again call on the board to uphold its fiduciary duty and dismiss Neeld. Not doing so could well be considered in a court as negligent.

One statistic in isolation means nothing.

I think there is a good possibility we could end up last.

He had a shocker, but he is normally much better than that. Lets see if he bounces back this week. I think he will.

I voted yes, but many here will not. What is of greatest concern is that my friends who are for a better word "sunny day Melbourne supporters" have completely left the building. Don't bag these supporters, every club has them, every club needs them. My mate who until last year still turned up to two or three games a year and when we were good turned up to 10 - 15 games will no longer go and watch Melbourne. He actually asked me to attend a non Melbourne game with him. He refuses to watch us, as he is sick of turning up to non competitive games. This hurts.

Thanks Jazza you make some good points, However, changing culture and building confidence and self belief should not be mutually exclusive. A good coach can do both at the same time. We must get a coach that can do both tasks at the same time.

I know I am repeating myself, but I think people have missed the point. The primary responsibility of any coach is to get the most out of his players. Neeld does not have the personal or management skills required to do this, Neeld does not have the motivational stills, he cannot install confidence, he cannot get the players to play for the gurnsey, the supporters, for themselves or for Neeld. Even if he was the best tactful coach in the world (which he is not) he would still be a failure as he does not have the fundamental personal skills required. The quicker we rid ourselves the quicker we can start re-building confidence and self belief. The quicker we can start healing. At this stage just about anyone would be better then Neeld. Regardless a new coach must concentrate on confidence and self belief. Neeld must be replaced by a motivational coach. There is simply no upside leaving him til season's end. Enough is enough!

It is easy to look at our performance and then say we have no strengths, however this is not the case. For example we have a relatively strong backline and forwardline. To help take advantage of our strong forwards of Clark, Dawes, Howe even Watts and coming next season Hogan we need fast ball movement. We need to get the ball into our forward line before the opposition has had the opportunity to flood back. You don't get this by going around the boundary, kicking down the line. You get this by players being encouraged to take on the game, make the play from half back, play aggressively out of defence and move the ball quickly into the forward 50. Our talented forwards are simply wasted with slow predictable ball movement, out strength is not being taken advantage of. Similarly we have a relatively strong backline, but again out game plan fails to exploit our strength. Instead of our defenders playing man on man which you would be confident of holding their own, they play some sort of zone defence. The zone is so poor, the mid-field turnovers so great, that the zone has no hope of being implemented in time meaning opposition players just run into and through our defence like it is match practice with scarecrows as defenders. With so many mid-field turn overs surely we are better off going man on man with an extra player back. I am sick of the ease in which opposition breakthrough our defence.

I don't believe the game plan matches the strength and weaknesses of our list. As just one example: I think we all agree that our biggest deficiency is our midfield, and thus clearance work. Certainly we have a lot of trouble getting our hands on the ball. The game plan we are currently playing, call it "Collingwood 2010" is well known and superseded. It relies on a dominant midfield as the ball is kicked out of defence, down the line, towards what should be a 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 situation in Melbourne's favour. However, we are not achieving the advantage as the opposition know exactly where we are going to kick it. The game plan theory is that if things don't turn out to plan, you get a contested situation and at least the ball should be able to be taken over the boundary between half back and the wing. If we had a dominant midfield and were winning the clearances this would be a good thing, however with a very weak midfield this is a loss as the chances of winning the clearance are heavily backed with the opposition. We should not be using this game plan. Not only is it old, and out-dated, to such an extent all teams know how to play against it and defeat it, it DOES NOT MATCH THE STREAGHTH AND WEAKNESSESS OF OUR LIST. To the contrary it further exposes our weak midfield. No wonder we are being smashed, no wonder we have no confidence. I could go on and on and talk about other examples that our game plan does not match our teams strengths. What I will say is that a good coach does not simply copy an old Premiership Game Plan which everyone has studies and understands. They create their own game plan that matches the strengths and weakness of their players and gets the opposition guessing. Unfortunately our last 2 coaches have only be interested in implementing something old rather than tailor make their own.

The game plan is a significant factor.

Add to that the 12 we go rid of in 2011 and Neeld is responsible for turning over 26 of 42 players. More than half the list. Make no mistake, these are Neelds hand picked troops. If he picked players that can't play, are not up to it, and most importantly don't try, then THIS IS HIS FAULT. He needs to be put out of his misery.

........................... and there are still people who think Mark Neeld should be allowed to coach out the season!! I dont get it!

No one can deny Watts has been appallingly managed since he came to the club. There has been a lack of mentoring to such an extent he has needed to go outside the club for a mentor (Multhouse), he has been used as a scape goat by Neeld, he has been publically humiliated on several occasions. As such his development and confidence has suffered. Add this disgusting behaviour towards him by Melbourne supporters and consistent losses. Who would be surprised if he wants to leave?

All arguments aside, it would be an unmitigated disaster for the club if Watts: our #1 draft pick, Watts: our poster boy, Watts: our great white hope, in the footsteps of former #1 draft pick Tom Scully, turned his back on the club. Regardless of your view of him as a player it would be a deliberating wound to the club.Despite talked up traded player(s), there would simply be no way to sugar coat it.