Mark Neeld’s manager, Liam Pickering, says his client wasn’t sacked from Essendon, despite media reports indicating he was.
The Bombers released a statement saying Neeld had tendered his resignation, but numerous reports have declined that view, saying the former game performance manager was axed.
However, Pickering says this wasn’t the case, as Neeld and the club came to a mutual decision.
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“They’ve been doing a review internally, and they decided to make the position that he was doing, which is basically a director of coaching role, redundant” he told SEN Breakfast.
“He oversaw the coaching of the VFLW, (game performance) was part of the role, but it is basically a director of coaching role.
“It’s not the hands on coaching role, so they’ve decided that is a redundant role. That is exactly how the conversation went.
“Going by my discussion with Neeld yesterday, that isn’t the case (if he was sacked).
“They came to an agreement that he can either go back and do this other role which he has no interest in doing, which is basically getting out there and throwing balls to players and all that sort of stuff, or take a redundancy package, which he has done.”
Pickering confirmed Neeld is comfortable with how the situation occurred, while also adding he is set to focus on his studies and wants to eventually land a role in football admin.
Essendon veteran Brendon Goddard denied reports there was tension between Neeld and the other coaches, saying he hasn’t seen any of it.
“I’m not sure where that has come from,” he said.
“As a playing group, we are really comfortable with Mark’s role and what he was doing. I’m not quite sure where that has manifested.”
Listen to Liam Pickering’s chat with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson on SEN Breakfast in the player below