COLLINGWOOD'S senior assistant Mark Neeld would have awoken this morning to back page headlines indicating his boss, Magpies' premiership coach Mick Malthouse, thought he was ready to become a senior coach, backing him as a candidate for the Adelaide Crows coaching position.
In fact Malthouse went one step further saying Neeld — who turned 40 earlier this month — was more ready than the impressive North Melbourne coach Brad Scott was when he won the Kangaroos' top job in 2009 after three years working under Malthouse.
"In many respects," said Malthouse, "he's probably further advanced because he's coached his own team. Even though it was a local team, he's won four premierships in a row, which is pretty hard to do."
Malthouse does not hand out praise easily.
So who is Mark Neeld?
I spent 2009 observing Malthouse, Scott and Neeld at work while writing the book from Collingwood's inner sanctum Side by Side: A Season With Collingwood.
Nothing split Scott and Neeld as far as capacity, although Scott's profile as a former dual premiership player was naturally much higher.
Neeld's playing career saw him play 74 games (including three finals) with Richmond and Geelong from 1990-96. He kicked three goals in the Cats' two-point second semi-final loss against Hawthorn in 1991.
Most around the club thought them both prospective senior coaches. Watching Scott from afar as Kangaroos' coach has reinforced that thinking.
Neeld's greatest strength is his ability to build relationships with his players, understand and respect their different capacities and personalities and work hard with them to help them get better.
In that season, he was responsible for Collingwood's defence as the Magpies conceded just 1778 points, the third best for points against in the AFL, an improvement of 260 points on the previous season.
He developed a versatile set of players in the back six, all capable of stepping into a number of roles, improving along the way.
One of Neeld's favourite sayings was 'find a way' and in most cases his group did. Nick Maxwell became an All Australian defender and three of the top five placegetters in Collingwood's best and fairest were defenders: Maxwell, Heath Shaw and Harry O'Brien.
At the same time he was grooming Ben Reid for a defensive post in the VFL and restoring Simon Prestigiacomo's self-belief after he'd missed most of 2008 through injury.
The defence's respect for Neeld was total, the message two-way. They knew they had a coach who had a perspective that went beyond the football field.
Neeld was organised, kept the messages simple and — importantly — listened to the players. It is no surprise given his extensive educational and coaching background that he was confident in his methods and capable of creating a teaching environment.
He knew when to switch on and when to lighten the mood, an important characteristic for any coach.
Neeld began his working career as a primary school teacher with Ivanhoe Grammar before his career with Richmond and Geelong - playing under Malcolm Blight, John Northey and Robert Walls - had finished.
He kept educating himself at Deakin University, adding qualifications in health and physical education to his Bachelor of Arts and Education. He then became a secondary teacher at Geelong College moving to become head of health and physical education, a position he held for seven years. During that time he earned further qualifications to take up a welfare position within the school and also taught multi-media.
How he found the time is unknown, given he has three daughters (Lucy, Molly and Alice) with wife Sarah and was coaching at local level from the moment his AFL career ended. It's probably indicative of his personality, which does not waste time on unnecessary distractions and stays positive under pressure that he finds time for both football and family.
One only has to spend five minutes in the coach's box with him to get a sense of his ability to focus on what is in front of him.
Neeld began coaching Old Geelong in the VAFA in 1997, as soon as his AFL career ended, spending three seasons there before coaching his local team Ocean Grove to four successive premierships between 2000 and 2003. Local legend has it that in the 2003 Grand Final he threw the injured captain's No.14 jumper into the middle of the huddle at three quarter time and asked his players for a special effort to reflect the sacrifices their skipper - Damian Clark - had made for the club.
His team rallied, turning a nine-point deficit into a nine-point win against the previously undefeated Geelong Amateurs.
This had come after a season where Ocean Grove had lost four games in succession midway through the year prompting the playing-coach, Neeld, to call a meeting of players and ask them for one word to describe the person's biggest contribution to the group. When the word 'coach' was written next to Neeld's name he immediately decided to stop playing.
After a year spent coaching St Joseph's (he attended St Joseph's College) he became coach of the Western Jets in the TAC Cup in 2005. Among his charges during his three seasons at the Jets was a young Callan Ward.
Collingwood took notice of this young coach working his way through the system and approached him before the 2008 season to become defensive coach.
Neeld was smart enough to recognise immediately the opportunity he would have under Malthouse. He took the gig, respecting Malthouse's ability and living under the team/club motto 'know your role, play your role'.
But he was also confident in his own methods and saw it as part of his role to challenge the thinking of the senior coaches when appropriate.
The Neeld I observed in that environment was driven but he was also humble. It is that mix of qualities that assistant coaches who thrive under Malthouse must have.
I watched him gain experience coaching a game on his own in the NAB Cup — part of the Malthouse plan of giving his coaches leadership responsibility — managing the lead up and keeping his message simple and precise. He was organised, a little nervous and taking the chance with both hands. A positive mindset meant he was prepared to take on that challenge. Collingwood won that game by 62 points.
I watched him lift as the pressure built when Collingwood entered round 9 with three wins and five losses and the senior coach was under pressure. Every effort went into supporting the coach, the intensity lifting. When the Magpies won, it was Neeld who described Malthouse's performance as brilliant. He had noted every step of the master under pressure and knew he could learn from him.
Although he was not widely known by the public, he provided special comments to a dozen games on Geelong's K-Rock during 2009, expanding his experience in all areas. He is respectful of the media, while his own man in that respect. He understands their role and can bring humour to most situations.
Gradually Malthouse gives his assistants more and more autonomy as he gains confidence in them and their ability to remain consistent with his message.
Neeld was elevated to senior assistant in 2010 and took over the midfield. Again the midfield took another step forward, the club dominating inside 50 counts and players such as Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury reaching All Australian status.
He was able to coach through the worry of a health scare that led to surgery after the Grand Final. Neeld is passionate but he is not stupid. He made the decision after receiving advice from his doctors, informed those at the club who needed to know and got on with the job. It is his way.
He was part of the premiership group, Collingwood's first flag for 20 years. He has been an assistant under Malthouse in nine finals.
Neeld was the teacher in a learning environment, taking the opportunities while providing those under his tutelage all his expertise.
Now his coach is suggesting he is ready. By all the criteria that drive modern appointments — experience, nurturing, gradation of responsibility, and outcomes, he is. But as with most coaching appointments, it will depend as much on the agenda of the appointer as it does on the capacity of the potential appointee.
