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Melbourne has sacked coach Mark Neeld just half-way through his three-year contract.
The Demons have called a 10.30am press conference to confirm the long-expected dismissal of the 41-year-old from the club, which ranks only above win-less GWS on the AFL ladder.
The club’s website has reported that former Adelaide coach Neil Craig, its director of sports performance, will be its interim coach for the rest of the season.
The move comes after the beleaguered club had its bye at the weekend and just three days after president Don McLardy resigned following the preliminary request to the AFL Commission for significant financial assistance in its overhaul.
Advertisement It is also a fortnight after he made made a presentation at a board meeting at which he was expected to be sacked but was not, although the board confirmed only that it would ‘‘make no further comment at this time in relation to the senior coach position’’.
Of the 33 matches Neeld coached the Demons, since his appointment at the end of 2011, they won only five matches.
Neeld’s departure has mean there has been a complete overhaul of the Demons’ leadership triumvirate since the start of the season. In addition to McLardy’s resignation chief executive Cameron Schwab was, like Neeld, sacked despite being under contract.
It has been speculated the early dismissal of Neeld, who succeeded Dean Bailey as coach of the Demons, could cost the club about $600,000 to pay out his contract.
The Demons have called a 10.30am press conference to confirm the long-expected dismissal of the 41-year-old from the club, which ranks only above win-less GWS on the AFL ladder.
The club’s website has reported that former Adelaide coach Neil Craig, its director of sports performance, will be its interim coach for the rest of the season.
The move comes after the beleaguered club had its bye at the weekend and just three days after president Don McLardy resigned following the preliminary request to the AFL Commission for significant financial assistance in its overhaul.
Advertisement It is also a fortnight after he made made a presentation at a board meeting at which he was expected to be sacked but was not, although the board confirmed only that it would ‘‘make no further comment at this time in relation to the senior coach position’’.
Of the 33 matches Neeld coached the Demons, since his appointment at the end of 2011, they won only five matches.
Neeld’s departure has mean there has been a complete overhaul of the Demons’ leadership triumvirate since the start of the season. In addition to McLardy’s resignation chief executive Cameron Schwab was, like Neeld, sacked despite being under contract.
It has been speculated the early dismissal of Neeld, who succeeded Dean Bailey as coach of the Demons, could cost the club about $600,000 to pay out his contract.
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