Neil Craig
Encyclopedia
Neil P. Craig is a former Australian rules football
er, fitness adviser
and former coach of the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League
(AFL). As of 2012, he will be based in a new role as the Director of Sports Performance at the Melbourne Football Club
. Similar to Brendan McCartney
, Neil Craig has no experience as a professional AFL player.
(SANFL) as well as 11 State of Origin matches for South Australia.
He played 126 games for the Norwood Football Club
, debuting as a 17-year-old in 1973. He was a part of their premiership sides in 1975 and 1978, before leaving the club after the 1979 season.
Craig played 134 games for Sturt
(captaining the side in 1985 and 1986) between 1980 and 1986 and was also captain of South Australia
in 1984.
He moved to North Adelaide, where he finished his career, playing 61 games between 1987 and 1990. At one stage of his career, Craig was pursued by Footscray
, a Victorian team in the Victorian Football League (VFL), but declined the offer as he preferred to stay in South Australia. At that time there was a great rivalry between the VFL and SANFL and both competitions considered themselves the best in Australia.
degree.
He has worked with the Australian cycling
team at the Olympic Games
and with the South Australian Institute of Sport, as a senior sports scientist. He has worked under cycling legend Charlie Walsh
at the Australian Cycling Federation
(where he was Sports science co-ordinator) and also recruited Walsh as part of the Crows' AFL coaching panel.
Craig left the club in 2000 to help the Australian Olympic cycling team during the Sydney Olympics but return in 2001 to be an assistant coach to Gary Ayres
. In late 2001 Neil was the favourite for the West Coast Eagles
coaching job in 2002 but he pulled out. He took over the senior coaching position in 2004 as caretaker when Ayres left the club after Round 13. He was then appointed for the 2005 season, leading the Crows to their first minor premiership and a preliminary final in his first full season as a senior coach. Under Craig the Crows reached the finals for five consecutive years, for a finals' coaching record of three wins and six losses. Craig resigned on 25 July 2011 after a 103-point loss to St Kilda. He leaves the club as the longest serving coach in the Crows' history.
.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er, fitness adviser
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
and former coach of the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL). As of 2012, he will be based in a new role as the Director of Sports Performance at the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
. Similar to Brendan McCartney
Brendan McCartney
Brendan McCartney is the senior coach of the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League . McCartney was a former Australian rules football player who played in the Geelong Football League...
, Neil Craig has no experience as a professional AFL player.
Playing career
Craig played a total of 319 games (and kicked 220 goals) in the South Australian National Football LeagueSouth Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
(SANFL) as well as 11 State of Origin matches for South Australia.
He played 126 games for the Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
, debuting as a 17-year-old in 1973. He was a part of their premiership sides in 1975 and 1978, before leaving the club after the 1979 season.
Craig played 134 games for Sturt
Sturt Football Club
Sturt Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League. The club is best known for its period of dominance from 1966–76 under legendary coach Jack Oatey, during which it revolutionised the style of play by emphasising teamwork and accurate ball...
(captaining the side in 1985 and 1986) between 1980 and 1986 and was also captain of South Australia
South Australia Australian rules football team
The Croweaters is the representative side of South Australia in the sport of Australian rules football. The team is currently the representative team of the South Australian National Football League and South Australian under-age footballers.-History:...
in 1984.
He moved to North Adelaide, where he finished his career, playing 61 games between 1987 and 1990. At one stage of his career, Craig was pursued by Footscray
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
, a Victorian team in the Victorian Football League (VFL), but declined the offer as he preferred to stay in South Australia. At that time there was a great rivalry between the VFL and SANFL and both competitions considered themselves the best in Australia.
Post-playing career
In 1991, Craig became the coach of Norwood, a position he held until 1995. In 2002, he was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of FameSouth Australian Football Hall of Fame
The South Australian Football Hall of Fame was created in 2002 to recognise the players, coaches, umpires, administrators and journalists who had made a significant contribution in the South Australian National Football League...
Fitness advising
Craig hails from a fitness background and holds a sports scienceSports science
Sport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...
degree.
He has worked with the Australian cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
team at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and with the South Australian Institute of Sport, as a senior sports scientist. He has worked under cycling legend Charlie Walsh
Charlie Walsh
David Barry Vivian Walsh, better known just as Charlie Walsh, was the national coach for the Australian Cycling Federation at the Australian Institute of Sport from 1980 to 2001. He oversaw Australia's rise from between 20th and 30th in world track cycling to number one in 1993 and 1994...
at the Australian Cycling Federation
Australian Cycling Federation
Cycling Australia, the trading name of the Australian Cycling Federation Inc, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in Australia, and represents the interests of affiliated cycling clubs and State federations...
(where he was Sports science co-ordinator) and also recruited Walsh as part of the Crows' AFL coaching panel.
Adelaide Crows
In 1997, Craig took up the position of fitness adviser and assistant coach in the AFL with the Adelaide Crows. He is credited with helping devise the fitness regime that led the Crows to back-to-back premierships in 1997 and 1998 in which players are trained harder to reach peak fitness during finals matches.Craig left the club in 2000 to help the Australian Olympic cycling team during the Sydney Olympics but return in 2001 to be an assistant coach to Gary Ayres
Gary Ayres
Gary Ayres is a former Australian rules footballer for the Hawthorn Football Club and currently the senior coach for the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victoria Football League.-Playing career:...
. In late 2001 Neil was the favourite for the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
coaching job in 2002 but he pulled out. He took over the senior coaching position in 2004 as caretaker when Ayres left the club after Round 13. He was then appointed for the 2005 season, leading the Crows to their first minor premiership and a preliminary final in his first full season as a senior coach. Under Craig the Crows reached the finals for five consecutive years, for a finals' coaching record of three wins and six losses. Craig resigned on 25 July 2011 after a 103-point loss to St Kilda. He leaves the club as the longest serving coach in the Crows' history.
Melbourne Demons
After his resignation as Adelaide coach, it was implied at the All Australian Awards in 2011 that Craig had retired from football, however as of 29 September 2011, he signed a deal claiming position of Director of Sports Performance at the Melbourne Football Club, beginning in Season 2012. His primary role is to mentor and assist the players of the club, in particular the young players, and to mentor and assist the other assistant coaches of the Melbourne Football Club, including being the right hand man of newly appointed senior coach Mark NeeldMark Neeld
Mark "Neeldy" Neeld is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong and Richmond in the Australian Football League during the 1990s. He is currently the senior coach of the Melbourne Football Club.-Playing Career:...
.