Melbourne coach Neil Craig says players have opportunity to make club relevant in last four games of season

JUST three journos showed up for Neil Craig's press conference, but the Demons coach says his club is not irrelevant.

Jack Trengove

THERE were no questions about containing Gary Ablett.

None about how the Demons would conquer a road trip to face the Suns in the Queensland heat.

Instead, coach Neil Craig was left to toil, graciously, through questions about how Melbourne could wring some value from arguably the worst season in the proud club’s history.

That they came from a paltry gathering of just three journalists probably said it all.

Craig defended last week’s loss to Greater Western Sydney, saying has team had been far more competitive than the shambolic 20-goal loss to North Melbourne a week earlier.

But he admitted candidly that the general apathy towards the club’s plight needed to be nipped in the bud quickly.

“We’ve spoken about the necessity ... as a club, to change that perception and we have an opportunity to do that in the next four weeks by playing with an attitude of running to the line,” Craig said.

“We’ll play the season right out, irrespective of scoreboard (or) circumstance, and any player or coach who doesn’t do that will get found out on game day because it will be obvious ... who’s put the cue in the rack.

“We’ve got too much work to do — and this next four-week period is too important — for that to occur.”

Neil Craig

Craig said responding to the North hiding was “too good an opportunity” to pass up.

“That’s starting to develop the mentality required that’s going to be important for us in the future.

“You set the tone for that and it’s really important to push your players and staff — it’s an investment in the future.”

Results haven’t affected the interim coach’s perspective on taking — or wanting — the job next season.

But he’s adamant the next Dees boss will need thick skin for the challenge ahead.

“It’s not going to be for the faint-hearted or impatient,” Craig said.

“There’s a lot of work to be done at this club — it’s exciting work and I can certainly see light at the end of the tunnel with the talent ... and attitude of the group.

“But it’s going to be a tough job. Whoever gets it will need to have a passion to be a senior coach and a passion to coach the Melbourne footy club.

Jack Trengove

“Our industry can be guilty of just providing people with environments to be involved at AFL level ... but if you really want to be the best, you need to have a greater emotional attachment than that.

“Whoever comes to Melbourne next year needs to be really clear they come to involved in AFL footy ... but more that they come with a passion to make Melbourne good.

“Otherwise your club just becomes a vehicle to be involved in AFL footy and that’s the last thing Melbourne needs at the moment in terms of staff, administrators, board and, in particular, players.

“You get to a stage where you become forgotten, then it normally goes to being ridiculed and laughed at for a while (and) we’ll go through that.

“But what I do know is this club, what it stands for, its history and importance to the AFL, and in my short time with the playing group, it will get very, very good again.

“Thanks for coming. Hopefully one day, we’ll fill the room out.”