SENIOR coach Mark Neeld speaks to melbournefc.com.au chief football writer Matt Burgan in the lead-up to round one in the second of a two part feature

MB: The lead-up to round one and the early part of 2012 was a remarkable time for the club, particularly for a first-year senior coach, following several much-publicised off-field incidents. How do you reflect on that period a year on?

MN: It was an interesting start. There was certainly a bit on, that’s for sure. The reflection that you do have is that you keep your expectations in sight, and understand where we want to get to and realise that it’s not going to happen overnight. We just have to keep chipping away and keep chipping away and then things change. We get to see those changes every day. Our training standards, the way the boys go about it and the conversations that we have about footy are chalk and cheese compared to this time last year. We get to see that progress every day, whereas others don’t. The way that the players are attacking training, rather than just getting through it, and the way they’ve complied with the game structure has significantly increased over the NAB Cup series. So you just have to keep things in perspective.

MB: As an extension, in your role, how have you found the media spotlight on the game?

MN: The people who work full time in the footy industry understand that the media has a part to play, and everyone has their part to play. I also have a great belief that mainstream footy people – and we as an industry – almost have a habit of treating people not to a level that they need to be treated. The sensationalism that goes with lots of things in our community – people can see through that now, and 95 per cent of football followers actually can understand where everyone sits. They get a little bit sick of the sensationalism that goes with it. I like reading good stories that have substance, really good content and you can understand. But the ones that tend to sensationalise – that’s their choice.

MB: And how do you handle the media scrutiny directed personally?

MN: You just put things into perspective. A lot of the stuff that’s said I don’t buy into or that everyone has to have an exclusive. I just tell [it as it is]. There are different opinions and that’s fine. Most people are just trying to do what they do.  

MB: The demands on players – on and off the field – have become a genuine discussion point in the AFL. What’s your take on it?  

MN: I think the commentary is getting to a tipping point. Last week, we sat through a pre-season review that went through every player. It was fascinating to sit through. It is always the case that the players who have got their off-field life sorted – they’re doing a little bit of study, they have their finances in shape, they have a steady partner and they find time to go on a holiday – more often than not perform well on the field. The people that are screaming out that they need more holidays or we need this or we need that – a lot of them can’t get themselves organised on a day to day basis.

MB: Who are some of the standouts in managing their demands at Melbourne and during your time in the AFL?

MN: In our case, we’ve got some great examples: [Jack] Grimes, [Nathan] Jones and [Jordie] McKenzie. Guys who are consistent performers on the field have everything in place off the field, because they’re able to get things organised. Having come from Collingwood, speaking to a Scott Pendlebury or a Luke Ball, it’s exactly the same. For some reason, there are certain types of personalities that are able to set up support networks around them and they can ‘dot their i’s and cross their t’s’ – not only in footy, but in their life. The ones who are helter skelter and want to do everything now aren’t able to take a deep breath and have a look at things. They’re the ones who struggle with everything. The demands simply mean that being an AFL footballer or if you work in the AFL – it’s a full-time job. The players are at AFL clubs, depending on the week, for 35 to 50 hours. That’s what it is. It’s a full-time job. So I think some people have unrealistic expectations about what players can achieve outside of their work hours. You can’t study full-time, but I’ve got a background in education and I understand how important study is. But it is OK to chip away at study. We are working full-time and it’s OK to chip away at professional development courses. It’s a matter of time management. The players’ association and the AFL do provide a number of very good courses. Our players and our industry are very well serviced. In fact, I’d go as far to say that it’s one of the best serviced industries for educating its employees going around. There will always be a few people who can’t grasp everything that goes on. That’s also life.

MB: How are you juggling the demands of being a senior coach with family?

MN: I don’t know if it’s a challenge, because everyone faces that. One of the buzz terminologies in the community is work/life balance. Players want it, coaches want it, accountants want it and lawyers want it. You’re just mindful of what you’re doing at the time. If you’re at work – work really hard. When you’re at home, throw yourself into that environment and get as much as you can. And you try not to get the two to cross over too much, because that’s where difficulties go. But overall, it’s pretty good.

MB: From a competition perspective, which coaches do you admire?

MN: Last week, I had the great experience to sit around the coaches meeting. There were 18 senior coaches sitting around a table. And you just listen to the comments that are made and you contribute when it’s your turn. There are some very well educated and experienced people who know a lot about the game. The way that they speak about it and the way that they go about it are absolutely outstanding. There are some certain examples of clubs that are probably a couple of years ahead of us, in terms of development. But if you have a look at what Hawthorn did, it wasn’t that long ago, when Alastair Clarkson took over, that they took some time to get going, but they did it in the correct manner. Damien Hardwick did something very similar with the Tigers. He’s now in his fourth season at Richmond. Those types of scenarios – it’s good to follow their progress. Brad Scott’s now in his fourth season at North Melbourne and he had them in the finals last year. Those progressions are the things you keep an eye on. But everyone is different. At St Kilda, Scott Watters has a different challenge to say, Damien Hardwick. [Collingwood coach] Nathan Buckley has a different challenge to what we’ve got. We might all have the same job title, but we’re actually doing a different role at our club, because of the cyclical nature of list management.

MB: On those occasions, when the 18 coaches get together, what’s it like?

MN: There is a bit of a bond between the coaches. That’s purely because it comes back to the old thing that people say – ‘we understand what you’re going through’. The reality is that people think they do, but actually don’t know, until they sit in the chair. So to have the opportunity to share experiences is really good. That’s why having Neil Craig here is really good. He’s been in the situation. He’s experienced the highs and the lows of AFL coaching. To be able to share that with people is great. The reality is that unless you sit in a particular role, you really don’t know.

MB: Looking at other players across the competition, who catches your eye?

MN: You’re always drawn to players that you know. Seeing how the Collingwood boys are progressing up the ranks – that always takes an interest. There are always some good stories of mature-age people. I really like the young boy, Nick Kommer, who made his debut for Essendon last week. I thought his effort was sensational. I went over [to Adelaide] and had a look and I thought ‘wow, this guy is 22 from Western Australia and not many people had heard of him before and he looks like a ready-made AFL player’. Those things stand out straight away. I thought ‘what a brilliant effort’.

MB: It’s not a surprise, but given the time and energy you have to expend in your position, you still get a genuine kick out of watching the game, don’t you?

MN: Oh yeah, it’s a great game. And there will be a whole heap of those mature-age recruits play this year. There are guys who just find a way and never say die. Hopefully, we’ve got a few of those at this club, like a Cam Pedersen, a Matt Jones, a Dean Terlich, a James Magner and a Tom Couch. 

MB: Ok, just away from the game for a moment, what are you listening to at the moment: any new music or have you returned to some favourites?

MN: I’ve got tickets to the Pink concert later in the year, so I’ve got the latest Pink CD going on. I also like the guy who’s got a hit out at the moment and sounds like Cat Stevens – Passenger. I thought it was Cat Stevens out with a new album, but I’m quite happy with Passenger. And the fella who won the UK X Factor in 2012, who has that song ‘Impossible’, James Arthur – he’s got a cracking voice. I think he’s got a great story. He won X Factor and did it the hard way. I really enjoy his voice. They’d be the three at the moment. But I’m really making sure I’m across the Pink lyrics before I go to her concert later in the year.

MB: What are you most looking forward to this year?

MN: I’m looking forward to the games starting. I’m looking forward to how much progress we can make in a season and driving the club really hard to show some realistic progression. Game day is great. Australian Rules footy is a sensational game. The AFL does a really good job in promoting its brand. Going to the footy and being involved in the contest is a great thing. We’ve got 22 matches coming up, and it’s like a rollercoaster. You get on, you hang on and you contribute where you can. There will be ups and downs, but it’s a great experience.

MB: What’s a headline you’d like to see for Melbourne in 2013?

MN: Mine would be a boring headline, but it’d be along the lines of ‘Demons showing progression’ or ‘Demons showing spirit’ or ‘Demons fighting to the bitter end’. That would be what we’d like to see. We’d like to see that consistently.

MB: How do you think you’ll feel when you wake up on Sunday morning, knowing that the first match of your second season as Melbourne coach is just hours away?

MN: It’s exciting. Game day is exciting. I’ll try and get as much sleep as I can on Saturday night. I’ll be really excited and what I want to do is make sure I don’t overload the players when I see them. They know what they need to do. It’ll just be a general reminder that I’ve got trust in them and confidence in them. And there will be a couple of other little things [I’ll mention]. I want to be really mindful that any nerves I might have – I don’t want to put them on the players. Driving to the MCG is exciting and then you get ready to go into battle.

MB: And just finally, what’s your one message for the red and blue faithful just a couple of days out from the season opener?

MN: We’re the third least experienced group going around and we want to show realistic progression. We want to be competitive for longer and this is what it’s all about. We’re building something here and we’re really excited. We’re building a competitive list and we’re mindful of how much experience we don’t have, but we’ve got a group that over time are going to be really good. It’s a very exciting place to be around.