The AFL handed down its findings on Tuesday after a seven-month investigation into the club's performance in 2009.
Melbourne was found not guilty of deliberately losing matches, but former football manager Chris Connolly and ex-coach Dean Bailey were found to have acted in a way that was prejudicial to the interests of the AFL and received extended bans.
The club was also fined $500,000 because it was deemed responsible for those officials in a judgment that mystified many.
Neeld, who joined the club in 2012, was quick to once again put his position on the public record after the Demons' opening NAB Cup losses to North Melbourne and Richmond.
"Did the tanking thing drive us nuts?" Neeld said. "From my point of view, and I just want to put it on the record for the millionth time, it happened four years ago and [for] the players and the current coaching group, it didn't impact on us whatsoever.
"[It was] done and dusted at boardroom level and higher administration."
Many of the shining lights in the first game for the Demons were in their mid-teens four years ago.
Jesse Hogan, who turned 18 earlier this month, can't play in 2013 but he showed he will be worth the wait. He strolled around inside 50, marked the ball well and contesting hard.
Dean Kent, who turns 19 on Sunday, made enough contests to please Neeld. The coach had no worries that Kent did not attempt to manufacture a nine-pointer at the end of the first game that could have got the Demons over the line.
Jack Viney and Jimmy Toumpas, both 18, will share the midfield for a long time and showed great signs. But Neeld reckons it will be about four years before they become the players everyone wants them to be.
"They can play, and to their credit, both of them want to be the player we all hope they can be in four years time," Neeld said.
"That is a great characteristic to have but we're in charge of managing their program and not getting too carried away."
