Find out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Saturday, September 17, 2011

Herald Sun

Neeld poised to coach Demons
By Mike Sheahan

COLLINGWOOD assistant coach Mark Neeld is a step away from the Melbourne senior coaching vacancy. The appointment is unconfirmed, but sources say the Demons are preparing to make an announcement. Neeld, 40, has been seen as a leading contender for the vacancies at Melbourne, Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs, creating an urgency for all three. The Demons are understood to have decided on Neeld earlier this week, hence their surprising lack of interest in former St Kilda coach Ross Lyon before his shock move to Fremantle last night. Melbourne's acting head of football Garry Lyon and chief executive Cameron Schwab remained tight-lipped today, while acting president Don McLardy could not be contacted. Lyon, at the MCG for Friday night's semi-final, confirmed the Demons are close to making their announcement.  "We are in the final throes of finalising the appointment, we would expect to announce something tomorrow,'' Lyon said.

Nervous wait for Scorpions coach
By Sam Landsberger

MELBOURNE development coach Brad Gotch faces a nervous wait to see if he will be rewarded with a new contract after the Casey Scorpions were bundled out of the VFL finals. The Scorpions' senior coach wants a new deal after guiding teams into the top four for six consecutive years. The dual premiership coach landed the 2003 flag at Williamstown, but parted company with the Seagulls after finals failure in 2009. In Gotch's two years at Casey, he has secured two top-four finishes, but is yet to win a final. Gotch, 49, who also steered the Sandringham Dragons to their only TAC Cup premiership in 1999, is keen to keep coaching, but Scorpions powerbrokers this week were mulling over whether to keep the former Fitzroy and St Kilda rover. Casey was smacked by Werribee last week, which is one win away from a grand final berth after finishing one off the bottom last year.

The Age

Neeld to coach Demons
By Jon Pierik and Caroline Wilson

COLLINGWOOD assistant Mark Neeld will today be named as the new coach of the Melbourne Football Club. Demons football director Garry Lyon last night would not confirm Neeld had the job but said a decision was imminent. ''It's finalised. We are finished. We are in the final throes of finalising an appointment. We expect to announce that some time [today],'' he said. Asked if the new coach would have a coaching director by his side, Lyon told The Saturday Age: ''We will get a team around him first before making a decision.''

The Australian

Pie deputy in frame for Dees
By The Australian

MELBOURNE is on the verge of appointing highly respected Collingwood assistant Mark Neeld as its senior coach. Demons officials are tight-lipped on media reports that Neeld has the job, but interim Melbourne football director Garry Lyon, at the MCG for last night's semi-final, confirmed the club was close to making an announcement. "We are in the final throes of finalising the appointment, we would expect to announce something tomorrow," Lyon said. This would be Neeld's first senior coaching appointment.