CTV > The Weekend That Was with Mark Neeld

The newest addition to Collingwood’s coaching staff, Mark Neeld, spoke to CTV about his role as an assistant coach, and the Magpies’ progress during the pre-season.

Neeld, who played 74 games for Geelong and Richmond between 1990 and 1996 and joined Collingwood at the end of the 2007 season after a distinguished coaching apprenticeship at both suburban and elite junior level, said the Magpies showed significant improvement in the way they played against last year’s runners-up Port Adelaide.

The Power fielded a near full-strength side in the regional challenge clash at MC Labour Park last Saturday, and eventually triumphed by 33-points, but Neeld, who is responsible for the Magpie defence in 2008, was encouraged by what he saw.

“I saw it as an improvement on the week before,” Neeld said. “I think pre-season is about trialling a few things, giving young guys an opportunity to get out and play some senior footy, which we’ve managed to do over the three games that we’ve played.”

“They had a good side, they also had a couple of extra on the interchange, which I suppose in the last 30 minutes of the game was telling, and again, our younger side for three quarters stood up really well.”

With some sturdy veteran defenders either injured or nearing the end of their careers, Collingwood has used this pre-season to trial a number of younger players in the back half to great effect.

“We’ve trialled guys such as Jack Anthony, Nathan Brown, Chris Dawes, all yet to make their AFL senior debuts, but they’ve all played practice matches over the practice match period and they’re improving, which is good.

“Last week Marty Clarke had a run in the back half, Alan Toovey’s had a run down there, so as you can see, with the likes of Simon Prestigiacomo out for a little while, it gives opportunities to the young guys who have come in, and each week been learning something different.”

Neeld came to Collingwood with an impressive coaching resume that included four consecutive premierships with Ocean Grove and an Australian Football Coaches Association coach of the year gong, and most recently three years as coach of the Western Jets in Victoria’s elite TAC Cup under 18 competition.

While life as a coach at one of Australia’s biggest clubs was always going to be very different, Neeld says the way the TAC Cup is structured and his overall experience in coaching has made the transition smooth.

“I think the AFL, through the TAC Cup, do a wonderful job in providing, at that level, an elite junior program.

“There are some clear differences in the amount of people that are involved. There are a lot more coaches, and being full time, having access to the players every day and for as long as you want them, that’s a good thing, it’s certainly football information overload at times.

“Obviously dealing with the likes of Shane Wakelin, Josh Fraser, Shane O’Bree, these guys that have been playing league footy at the top level for a long time, they’ve got a lot to teach the young players, so I suppose a bit of peer teaching’s going on, which is something you don’t get at the junior level because they’re all the same age and have pretty much the same experiences, so there are a couple of differences.

“But on the whole we’re playing a pretty basic game."

The Magpies will now travel to Shepparton, about 180 kilometres north of Melbourne in Victoria, to take on Hawthorn this Friday evening in the final hit out before round one on March 22.

“I’d like to see the progression continue. I think defensively we’ve got better each game, so we’re looking at another improved performance on Friday night.

“Again, a couple of youngsters will get an opportunity to show us what they’ve got and keep improving, so I’d like to think that they can continue to do that.

“Hawthorn, as we know, are in pretty good touch, we can’t control who they field, they might rest some players, but they’ll put out a pretty good side, so it’ll be a good test leading into the week off before round one.”