MARK Neeld says he is “ready to go” and accepts all that comes with being a senior AFL coach.
Neeld, who has coached at country, elite junior and AFL level since 1997, says he is prepared for the challenges that will inevitably come with being in the top job.
“My apprenticeship - and it’s probably one of the longest apprenticeships in the world - has taken me 15 years to get here,” he said.
“[That’s] coaching football at different levels, as well as having an education career.
“I’ve done as much as I possibly can to be ready right now.”
Neeld said if he didn’t believe he could handle being a senior AFL coach, he wouldn’t have put himself through the process.
“If I’d not have deemed myself ready, I wouldn’t have gone through what I’ve gone through over the last four to six weeks,” he said.
“I look at the experiences that I’ve had across the last four years, in particular being an AFL coach at work … it’s going to be tough, and it’s going to be difficult.
“I’m not so sure how exactly it’s going to go, because I haven’t been an AFL senior coach yet, but I’m going to find out pretty soon.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be OK.”
But Neeld is not backing away from the fact that the Demons have plenty of hard work to undertake.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do. I appreciate that and understand that. I’m a footy coach first and foremost,” he said.
“My role at the Melbourne Football Club started last night (Friday) at 6 pm, and I can’t wait to roll my sleeves up and get the hard work started.
“The past three weeks have been an interesting time in my life, but I’m sitting here as the head coach of the Melbourne footy club and that’s where my focus is.”
In terms of game style, Neeld said his team would not be in any doubt about how he wants them to play.
“I know the way that the boys are going to play and we’re going to educate them in that way,” he said.
“That’s going to be our No.1 challenge, and we’re going to stick to that.
“The experiences you have as a coach, compared to that as a player, are vastly different.”
