They were supposed to be Melbourne's dream team, and while it is hard to sugarcoat what happened over their reign at the Demons in 2012 and 2013, Mark Neeld and Neil Craig are happy to be back together - working behind the scenes to catapult Essendon into the top four and beyond.
Neeld survived just one and a half seasons at Melbourne in which time he won only five games before he was replaced by caretaker Craig midway through 2013. Craig added just four more premiership points to an ignominious Melbourne era.
But the time at AAMI Park doesn't define the pair, both of whom bring tremendous experience. Craig, who joined the Bombers as part of a revamped and suspension-cruelled football department at the end of the 2013 season, is the general manager of performance. This means Neeld the - recently appointed development coach - reports to Craig.
Even if Craig is his boss, Neeld is glad to have a familiar face as he returns to an AFL club after 18 months.
"No matter what you do, if there's a couple of familiar faces around that can be a good thing," Neeld said at training last week. "Craigy's great to be around. He's a good person to work with. He's got that bubbly, energised personality, and coupled with that he's extremely well credentialled."
Craig spoke glowingly of 43-year-old Neeld, who worked as a talent manager at AFL Victoria during 2014, saying he was a strong fit for the development position in which he works with about 15 young Bombers.
"The opportunity to come here came for all the right reasons. He's done a fantastic job," Craig said.
Neeld heaped praise on Essendon as an organisation, emphasising that the club wanted for nothing.
"It's a good footy club, really well-resourced football club, so I'm certainly enjoying that," he said.
"Clearly the facilities [at Tullamarine] that the footy club has worked for over the past few years - to be out here is as good as you can get anywhere in the world."
"The age of the player list getting up there, it's certainly in the top half of experience in the AFL. That certainly makes a big difference."
Meanwhile, Etihad Stadium officials have confirmed they have offered the Bombers the opportunity to play a VFL curtain raiser at the venue on June 6 against Geelong. The match has tentatively been scheduled for Windy Hill, but will be transferred so long as the VFL has no objection. Collingwood also remains hopeful of having curtain raisers at the MCG.
