PART two: afternoon

Tuesday, May 8

12 pm

Neil Craig enters the Zone Room at AAMI Park for an injury update meeting with Mark Neeld, Tim Harrington, Josh Mahoney, Dave Misson, Dan Bates and Gary Nichols.

Before it starts, Neeld tells the group how he had James Frawley and Nathan Jones around for dinner.

He also recounts having ‘Jack and Jack’ (Grimes and Trengove) around recently. Neeld shakes his head, smiles and laughs when he tells a story about that evening. 

Soon the dialogue gets under way about the health of the list.

Two players, set for similar roles against Hawthorn, are discussed.

Bates, the club doctor, informs the group that the scans will be available later in the afternoon regarding one of those players.

He also confirms one player could be in doubt with general soreness.

Neeld asks Bates about Brad Green, who remains under a cloud with a finger injury. James Strauss (leg) and Stef Martin (hip) are then followed up on. Liam Jurrah’s progress is also updated.

Craig then asks the doc about Jack Viney, who suffered a broken jaw whilst playing for Casey against Geelong.

“He’ll be four to six weeks, and Gys (Jordan Gysberts) would be in the same boat,” Bates says.

“If you’ve seen Gys’ [jaw], it’s terrible. Viney is similar.”

For the next 30 minutes, Bates talks about the general health of the list. He also discusses possible scenarios for a range of players over the next five weeks.

Some of it is heavy stuff, and offers a remarkable insight into the lengths clubs will go to to keep their players on the paddock. It’s this sort of inner sanctum stuff that paints a very real picture.

What players go through and what coaches/administrators will do in their quest for glory is not for the faint-hearted.  

It’s a long way from a pie ‘n’ sauce in the outer, and makes you stop and think of the challenges that are presented at a football club. 

12:50 pm

The meeting concludes and the football department gathers in the kitchen area to sing happy birthday to national recruiting officer Tim Lamb, who recently joined the club.

A football department singing ‘happy birthday’ is somewhat humorous to watch. Some ham it up, others barely mumble the words.

Lamb, a former member of Victoria Police, is embarrassed, but somewhat chuffed.

“I never got a cake in 22 years with the police,” he says, drawing laughs.

It also says something about the culture developing in the football department.

1 pm

Craig returns to his office to find a roll sitting on his desk.

“That’s from Robyn, the lady who comes in and makes our lunches,” he says.

“C’mon Matty, we’ll go down and get you some lunch.”

We wander down to the players’ lounge, where most of the meat and salad sandwich buffet has already been devoured.

Craig bustles in with energy, and compliments Robyn on her lunch. Neeld also grabs a quick feed. I sit down and have a bite to eat with Craig and Mahoney, while Jack Watts and Jack Fitzpatrick are also finishing off their lunches. 

1:10 pm

Jimmy Magner approaches Craig for a quick chat.

The first-year Demon wants to gain some feedback on his performance against Geelong.

Craig encourages Magner to build on his close-in work.

“That aspect of your game is already outstanding, but keep adding to your skill set,” he says.

Magner acknowledges he needs to work on one particular area.

Craig says a certain training drill will help him develop this side of his game. He also urges the 24-year-old to take the game on and seek out Neeld and Brian Royal regarding another area.

Magner’s likely Hawthorn opponent for Friday night is then spoken about.

The 10-minute chat finishes.

Craig tells me that he enjoys having those impromptu chats with players. 

“I don’t push it with them, because they have their direct coaches to work with. Hopefully they get something out of it and I enjoy it immensely,” he says.

1:30 pm

After a quick takeaway coffee from ‘The Bench’ café next door, Craig and I enter the Zone Room for a divisional meeting.

Forward line coach Leigh Brown presents to his charges.

Lynden Dunn, Jack Fitzpatrick, Colin Sylvia, Rohan Bail, Ricky Petterd, Mitch Clark and Aaron Davey are in attendance, along with forward line development coach Paul Satterley and football technology manager Pete Roberts.

Brown starts the meeting and asks Clark for his thoughts on a particular player.

The 2010 Collingwood premiership player then offers his thoughts on members of the Hawthorn defence.

Brown says a certain Hawk is “a good player and underrated” and another “needs to be carefully watched”.

He presents Hawthorn’s strengths and weaknesses to the group. The players make observations throughout, particularly Petterd.

Brown says the forward line has three focus areas for Friday night.

“One happens between the nose and chin,” he says.

Dunn chips in: “my moustache,” drawing laughs.

The meeting concludes after 30 minutes.

2 pm

Craig remains in the Zone Room for the next meeting: football operations.

Misson, Mahoney, Watt, Roberts, Trudi Jensen, Debbie Lee, Ryan Larkin, Craig Lees and Anthony Brown are in the meeting, with Craig Notman chairing.

Player visits and the upcoming match against Sydney Swans at the SCG are discussed.

Misson asks about player visits and wants to ensure some players will be off their legs, following certain training schedules.

Jensen, the club’s event manager, then touches on the last main point of the meeting: dates for the club best and fairest dinner.

The date becomes a discussion point, given that players must now have at least six weeks of successive annual leave.

2:35 pm

With the meeting over Craig says to me: “Let’s get some of that birthday cake.”

He heads to the fridge and slices me a piece of sponge cake.

I’ve taken one bite before Craig is bouncing back from his seat, in readiness for his next meeting.

I can’t imagine he would’ve scoffed it, but it certainly went down quickly. But that’s Craig, quick to act and ready for the next move. He’s always bouncing.

It’s fair to say, I had to wolf my piece, but I appreciated the sugar hit!

2:40 pm

Match committee is about to start.

Joining Craig are Neeld, Todd Viney, Josh Mahoney, Jade Rawlings, Brian Royal, Leigh Brown, Andrew Nichol, Aaron Greaves, Satterley and senior football analyst Luke Chambers.

One of the players discussed earlier in the injury meeting has now been ruled out. Another talked about has been given the all clear.

Match ups are soon thrown around the table.

Chambers moves players’ names around via his Mac, which appears on the Zone Room projector.

Blunt assessments are made on certain players. Others are pushed up for roles. The occasional left of centre match-up is tossed up.

Brown offers one suggestion, which the coach snaps up.

“I like that, Leigh Brown,” Neeld says.

At one point, rotations are discussed.

They come in thick and fast from the coaches around the table, and start to lock in nicely. All of a sudden, it links together like a jigsaw puzzle.

From an observation point of view, it’s also a fascinating insight into why some players remain in the team and others are not selected.

Still, Neeld finds reasons why the Demons can take it right up to the Hawks. He tables his thoughts and finishes with: “we’ll be OK”.

Craig then makes an observation.

“In the majority of players, you’re selecting competitors and those with a high work ethic - and that’s what you’re preaching and measuring,” he says.

Shortly before the meeting finishes, Neeld hones in on the midfield. He speaks passionately about set and general play.

At a quarter to four, Neeld calls an end to match committee: “righto”.

Just before the group departs, Brown bails up Craig for a quick chat to gather his feedback on the earlier forward line meeting.

3:55 pm

Craig and I head to the gym, where a handful of players are having kick to kick sessions. It’s a quick wander, as Craig is set to meet midfield development coach Aaron Greaves in his office. Greaves has sounded out Craig for some coaching advice.

4 pm

We’re back in Craig’s office, and Greaves soon arrives.

Greaves tells Craig that he is seeking feedback on his match day coaching.

Craig asks Greaves: “After six months in the job, do you think Neeldy respects you as a coach?”

Greaves says: “Yes I do.”

Craig is adamant in his response.

“So do I. He wants your knowledge up there in the box. You’re not up there under sufferance. And remember, you are on equal terms with the other coaches,” he says.

“Neeldy wants you there - he wouldn’t have you if he thought you could better serve in a different area. He wants your input.

“Add to the box in a knowledgeable way - not an emotional way.”

Craig adds that coaches, including Greaves, should always talk to someone in the coaching box - not just out in the open.

“Direct it to someone. Don’t just commentate and speak out loudly,” he says.

Craig is also pleased with Greaves’ coaching development.

“You’ve already had some internal feedback. You’ve been working on some of the feedback items very diligently. From what I’ve seen, you’ve actioned some items already and you show great care for your players,” he says. 

“You are very capable in this area and you are a much valued member of this coaching department.”

Craig also offers some sage advice about coaching players.

“One of the most difficult things to coach is transitional thinking - getting them to think quickly from offensive to defence and visa versa,” he says.

Craig says showing vision to players is also where the “gold nuggets” come from with developing players.

“It won’t happen by just talking. Purposeful training, repetition and good questions are the key, and developing game specific drills. Remember, in the end it’s not what the coach knows that counts, it’s what the players know. You haven’t taught it until the players know it and can execute it.” 

Again, it’s another insight into Craig’s guiding impact. 

4:40 pm

Craig finishes his meetings for the day. It’s time to check emails and phone calls. He tells me that he never carries his mobile into meetings.

Craig works until just after 6 pm, capping off a full-on day.

Before he clocks off, we chat about the day.

I ask if that was a typical day.

“It was. What you saw was variety and on the go, which is what the job involves and for me personally - that’s great. And that was the way the job was explained to me as well,” he says.

“But it’s still evolving for me. I’m trying to find where I can have my biggest influence and that’s unraveling, but it wouldn’t be locked in at the moment.”

I then enquire about the differences between his role as senior coach at Adelaide, and his new position at Melbourne.

“It’s more of an overseeing role. Posing questions: what do you think? Have you thought about this? Why? Senior coaching is more about hearing questions, listening to answers and opinions, but in the end, it’s about making the final decision. And clearly that’s a role Mark [Neeld] has and should have,” Craig says.

“You sat in on a few team meetings where there was discussion and rigorous debate, but in the end, Mark said ‘OK, this is what we’re doing’. And that’s the way it is and that’s the way it should be.

“That in itself takes a bit of adjustment, because I’ve spent seven years in the final role, but that’s what it is.”

Which begs the question: do you miss senior coaching?

“There are times that I do, but having been in a senior coaching role, you know what the pressures and stresses are of the role. And hopefully that understanding and experience can help Mark in his early years in the job. What I do know is this, if I ever went back to senior coaching again, I’d certainly be strongly pushing to have someone in the role that I’m trying to develop at the moment,” Craig says.

“It’s good to have another set of eyes and thought process, without having the emotion of the job. When you’re senior coach, sometimes you don’t see the forest for the trees.

“You get so focused, you need people around you to go ‘hey, hey, hey, this is the bigger picture and this is where we said we were going. You need clarity and calmness’. Hopefully it becomes an important and useful role at the footy club.”

Craig’s insight is fascinating. It opens my eyes even further and would surely do the same with any person not directly involved or associated with the absolute inner sanctum.

The challenges that are presented in the game are significant.

Plenty must be met. Sticking to the task at hand and not being distracted are among the forefront. Education and development remain critical.

But before I depart Craig’s office for the day, he asks one question of me.

“Ok, so you’ve followed me around all day and asked plenty of questions Matty. Now it’s my turn to ask you a question and I want an answer. If someone asks you what my role is, what would you say?” Craig says.

I have no hesitation.

“You’re a mentor,” I say, plain and simple.

He’s glad to hear that assessment.

Craig might hold the title of Director of Sports Performance, but in layman’s terms, he is a mentor, a sounding board and an advisor.

As Chambers suggested at the start of the day, he “oversees it all”.

And from my observations, he does more than that. He gets involved and acts as somewhat of a ‘father figure’ around the club. Craig’s performing the role, which now appears to be integral in today’s football landscape, to the letter.

He is one impressive person, and there is no doubt he is making an impact.