Speaking at AAMI Park on Friday, Neeld said Davey, who will miss the rest of the season with a foot stress fracture, would start his rehab shortly in preparation for the 2013 season.
“For Aaron, it’s a long-term injury, with his season over. That’s news that no one wants to hear. Aaron’s been in and out of the side with form and injury concerns. He played a good game in the VFL, and now he has a fracture in the foot,” he said.
“The message for Aaron is that you always try to find the positive - having an injury at this time, his rehab will ensure that he’ll be right for day one of the pre-season.
“It’s going to be a really important pre-season for Aaron, so he can make sure that he completes a full one and gives himself every chance of playing well next year. So that’s what we’ll be doing there.”
Although Davey’s season has been cut short, rookie Tom Couch will make his debut against Fremantle at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Neeld said Couch, the son of 1989 Brownlow Medallist Paul, was a story of persistence.
“From Geelong to South Australia to Collingwood to Melbourne, so that’s great news and he has the opportunity to come in with some really good VFL form. We’re really pleased with that,” he said.
“Tom’s a really good stoppage player and I reckon in the last month in the VFL, he’s starting to get into his game, the ability to get out and get away from the stoppages to complement his work at the stoppages.
“When he gets on the ground, he’ll play in the midfield.”
Couch has developed somewhat of a cult following among the red and blue faithful, which Neeld acknowledged.
“They do [love him]. He gets a lot of publicity Tom, for a team at the bottom of the ladder and a fella on the rookie list, who plays at Casey in front of about 50 people every week,” he said.
“I played with his Dad for four or five years and now I’m coaching his son - that’s nice, but we’ll worry about that later.”
Former captain Brad Green will also return against Fremantle, after booting six goals for Casey against Port Melbourne in the VFL last round. It was Green’s first match back after missing three weeks with a thigh injury.
“He’s been out with a strained thigh, and he’s recovered from that and done all of his rehab well,” Neeld said.
“He’s come back in the VFL and kicked six goals, and he’s indicated that he’s ready to play League footy.
“He deserves his spot in the side, so he gets selected.”
But in form defender Jack Watts will miss with a sprained ankle, which Neeld is hopeful will only be a one week injury.
“He couldn’t get up this week,” he said.
“He twisted it just before half time and played the second half out - players often do that and the adrenaline runs, but when it stops, it blows up.
“We were hopeful early in the week that he could’ve got up, but he just can’t, so we’re hoping that he should be right to fly to Darwin with the boys to take on Port Adelaide.”
And Neeld said that nominated rookie James Magner, who has been left out for his first match this season, simply needed to freshen up after a big first year.
“He’s had a really good campaign in his first year, we think. He’s still got the opportunity to get a bit of a breather and regain some energy,” he said.
“He’s one of the players who did it the hard way through the draft. Jimmy didn’t have an off season and he trained really hard, and he did the bulk of the pre-season with the Saints.
“We’ve picked him up and he’s played every game of the year in his first year in the AFL, so that’s a good effort.”
