Neeld's big picture still unfocused

Melbourne coach Mark Neeld has made some interesting recruiting choices in the off-season. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

BILLY Beane never won the World Series.

If you didn't read Moneyball or were too busy gushing over Brad Pitt in the film to notice, this point might have escaped you.

Beane, Moneyball's pin-up boy, found fame and fortune through his controversial baseball recruiting strategy, but the Oakland As are still searching for the ultimate success.

It is a harsh reality worth noting as the dust settles on an AFL trade period in which Melbourne jettisoned 14 players, including four top 15 draft picks.

Melbourne wasn't winning games after its campaign to bottom out, but at least it had a clear point of difference: an extraordinary clutch of high draft picks.

Now the challenge for Beane disciple and Demons coach Mark Neeld is to successfully sell his new methodology, because it now seems a combination of several list management strategies.

Melbourne's fire sale of first-round picks resulted in the exodus of Lucas Cook (pick 12), Cale Morton (4), and Jordan Gysberts (11) only a year after former No.1 pick Tom Scully left for Greater Western Sydney.

In their place come journeymen who either played most of this year in the VFL or were dropped at some stage.

David Rodan, Cameron Pedersen and Shannon Byrnes played 42 state-league games between them, and marquee signing Chris Dawes was dropped by Collingwood in Round 23.

The Demons are pledging to follow the Moneyball theory, bring in underrated talent and have them thrive in a new culture of togetherness and toughness.

Actor Brad Pitt playing Billy Beane in Moneyball. Source: Supplied

But Moneyball was about recruiting cheap, undervalued talent, given Oakland's payroll of $41 million was dwarfed by the New York Yankees' $125 million.

The Demons are the antithesis of Moneyball because they were forced to pay overs for Mitch Clarke and Dawes.

Is the list revamp a concession the Demons are pushing back the window of success three years, given the drafting of kids such as Jesse Hogan (not available until 2014), Jack Viney and the lightly built Dom Barry?

If so, it means Melbourne will run into the emerging expansion teams.

More likely it is Neeld deciding most of those 14 discards did not fit the new culture he wants to instil.

But why recruit Rodan, who has all the frustrating traits you would assume Neeld is trying to eradicate at Melbourne?

He has talent but, to be honest, he plays for himself.

Success has eluded Melbourne, but at least the players were young and talented and rigidly followed a plan they believed in.

Now it is up to Neeld to tell them what their direction is.
 

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