MARK Neeld’s appointment as senior coach of Melbourne Football Club is significant, aside from the obvious.

Despite wavering success in the past 30 years - the club has made two grand finals and played off in 12 finals series - Melbourne has averaged 136.2 matches from its five key men since 1981.

Those five key men - Ron Barassi, John Northey, Neil Balme, Neale Daniher and Dean Bailey - oversaw 681 of 708 matches played by Melbourne from 1981-2011.

The remaining 27 matches were guided by interim coaches Greg Hutchison (13 matches in 1997), Mark Riley (nine in 2007) and Todd Viney (five in 2011).

Notwithstanding the varying success of Barassi, Northey, Balme, Daniher and Bailey, the quintet was at the helm long enough to secure positions in the top 10 for the most games coached at Melbourne.

If history is anything to judge, Neeld will be given every opportunity to make his mark.

And already the Melbourne hierarchy has given him at least 66 matches, after Neeld signed on for three seasons, taking him until at least the end of 2014.

Although untried as a senior AFL coach and with arguably the lowest profile of the AFL coaches currently in office - he has also played the fewest AFL matches - Neeld has done everything in his power to earn an opportunity to guide an AFL club.

He more than deserves his time in the sun.

Since finishing as an AFL player in 1996, he has coached every year at some level since. This is the longest apprenticeship of any AFL coach now in power - in terms of the time since they retired as a player until they were appointed.

The only other AFL coach to have served a longer coaching apprenticeship than Neeld - from the time he retired as an AFL player until his first AFL senior coaching appointment - is Ross Lyon. (For the record, Lyon retired at the end of 1995 and became St Kilda coach in 1997)

Until the 40-year-old was appointed Melbourne coach, Neeld was regarded among the AFL fraternity as one of the best senior coaches in waiting.

Some would argue he was at the top of the tree in terms of assistants.

There was no doubting what three-time and reigning premiership coach Mick Malthouse thought of Neeld.

Earlier in the year, Malthouse lauded Neeld as “certainly” ready to guide his own AFL team. 

Although the great Nathan Buckley might be taking over from Malthouse at the season’s end, it was Neeld who Malthouse enlisted as his senior assistant coach/right-hand man.

After playing 74 AFL matches and kicking 36 AFL goals from 1990-96 with Geelong and Richmond - he kicked five goals in two finals matches in 1991 - Neeld moved into coaching.

From 1997-2007, he coached in his own right, leading VCFL and TAC Cup teams: Old Geelong, Ocean Grove, St Josephs and Western Jets.

And he made his mark.

From 2000-03, Neeld remarkably coached Bellarine Peninsula club Ocean Grove to four consecutive premierships in four seasons.

After a stint in the TAC Cup, Neeld joined Collingwood in 2008, where he quickly earned a reputation as a highly respected assistant coach.

His character, ability to think clearly and communicate strongly, plus his sharp analysis of the game all stood out to those around him.

Neeld quickly shaped a miserly Collingwood defence and then oversaw a stunning Magpie midfield.

Last year, he was pivotal in Collingwood’s premiership success, having helped shape two thirds of the ground.

He built up such a reputation among coaching that it’s understood Adelaide was on the cusp of appointing him as its senior coach.

It’s also believed Neeld was right in the mix for the vacant Western Bulldogs job.  
Not bad for a low profile figure.

We now wait - and look forward - to Neeld making his mark on the competition’s oldest football club.