Expectations clear for Davey
Mark Neeld has laid the law down to senior player Aaron Davey, telling him exactly what he expects in 2012
MELBOURNE coach Mark Neeld has revealed that he has taken forward/ midfielder Aaron Davey aside and had a word about performing better than he did during his disappointing 2011 season.
"I have spent some one on one time with him," Neeld said on SEN's Morning Glory program. "He knows exactly the role I want him to play. In my mind, there's absolute clarity.
Neeld said Davey had also had plenty of tuition from assistant coaches Leigh Brown and Paul Satterley.
"Aaron knows what I want and what his teammates want," he said.
"It is up Aaron to have a crack."
Davey's exit from the leadership group was just one change during an overhaul in Melbourne's leadership during the off-season.
Neeld said he had closely watched the players over summer and had formed his opinions on who was leading the club.
"The boys were handed the training program then it was, 'Right, who's leading these boys? Who's helping out? Who's leading the young blokes? Who's leading by example?' I wanted to see what they had on offer."
A huge part of Neeld's decision-making process was sitting down with every player and every coach and asking which players they believed were leading.
"The eight who were chosen were, in all our opinions, those who were the best leaders."
Jack Grimes and Jack Trengove were named co-captains. The others in the leadership group are Clint Bartram, Mitch Clark, James Frawley, Colin Garland, Mark Jamar and Nathan Jones.
Brad Green, the 2011 captain, Brent Moloney, the 2011 best and fairest winner, Jared Rivers and Davey were moved on from the leadership group.
Neeld said it was difficult to sit down with Green and explain that he would be replaced as captain and was out of the leadership group, but Green had accepted the decision like a professional.
"He said the new leadership group has my 100 per cent support," Neeld said, adding that Green would play further upfield after spending most of the 2011 season deep in attack.
In explaining former Adelaide coach Neil Craig's role at Melbourne, Neeld said Craig would not be an assistant coach but more of a coach for the coaches, providing feedback on training sessions and match-day decisions.
Neeld said he's sought the advice of Mick Malthouse, his boss during Neeld's four years as an assistant coach at Collingwood, on a handful of occasions over summer. One of his aims as Melbourne coach is to develop more than one game plan.
"The way it's going, you've got to be able to change a game plan within a match."
Neeld said Melbourne's facilities at AAMI Park are better than is common knowledge. The Demons share the facilities at AAMI Park with NRL club Melbourne Storm and A-League club Melbourne Victory.
Neeld said he's asked Storm coach Craig Bellamy how the facilities compare with those of other NRL clubs.
"He said they're top of the tree," Neeld said.
"I got a shock when I walked into AAMI Park. We train in a world-class facility. I'd never heard anyone in Melbourne say that.
"To compare these facilities with those up the road [at Collingwood], these are right up there. They're fantastic."