Todd Viney Biography

North Melbourne football boss Todd Viney opens up on the decision to sack his long-time colleague, Alastair Clarkson, as coach of the club.

"It's enormously hard. Leadership isn't easy. It's very easy to be a leader when things are going well, but when the times are tough and you have to make strong decisions, it is difficult," Viney said.

"You add layers to that with the friendship that I've had with Alastair for a long period of time, with the family connection. It's tremendously stressful and hard."

Asked whether he would remain friends with Clarkson, Viney was realistic.

"My intent would be yes, but I think the smoke will settle for a while," he said.

"It's going to take a little bit of time for it to get back to normal."

Jack Viney has claimed his first Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy, taking out the prestigious award ahead of senior teammates Nathan Jones and Max Gawn at Crown Palladium.

Viney's win comes 18 years after his father Todd Viney, a former Demons skipper, won the second of his Melbourne best and fairest awards in 1998. Viney senior also won the award in 1993.

"This award might mean a little bit more to me than it does to others, due to family history," Viney said in his acceptance speech.

"The old man constantly reminds me that he's won a couple of these (trophies) and I'm sure he'll be the first to remind me when I sit down at my table that he's still got one more on me."

Todd Viney joins Melbourne's leadership group after a breakout 2015 season where he stormed home to finish just one vote behind Vince in the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy despite missing six games.

"It's really exciting to be recognised by the players and other coaches to be one of the main leaders in the playing group," Viney said.

"It's a great achievement and I'm fairly proud."

He follows in the footsteps of his father, Todd Viney, who was appointed deputy vice-captain at the same age in 1988.

"It's something I'm very proud of - my family history at the club," he said.

"I think my old man got a bit carried away after his second year. He got a bit complacent, so I'll be making sure I don't do the same thing."

Demon great Todd Viney will be the club's general manager of player personnel and strategy in 2012.

"I will have a really clear understanding of how the coaches see the current game being played and how the current list of players are executing their roles within the gameplan," said Viney.

"It is about trying to bring together all those different components of the modern day club which is how the game is being played, where is it going, what are the roles within it. You evaluate your list according to that: where are the strengths, where are the weaknesses?"

New Melbourne coach Mark Neeld says he would like for caretaker coach Todd Viney to remain at the club to be part of his team.

"Todd did a great job in his role as interim coach. Yes, he will certainly be a big part of Melbourne moving forward," Neeld said on Channel 7.

"I've spoken to him a couple of times and he's a very passionate Melbourne person. He's fantastic at his job and has a lot to offer."

Melbourne caretaker coach Todd Viney is definitely after the Demons' full-time coaching role.

"It's been a real challenge and I've enjoyed the responsibility to lead the football department," he said.

"I know we've only had one win, I would've liked to have had a few more, but we're looking to have a crack against Port and make it two wins."

Caretaker coach Todd Viney says he doesn't want the job at Melbourne next year and beyond.

"My tenure has been put to me by the board to help out over the next five games. I've never had the desire to be a career coach so I'll just tackle this five weeks and hopefully do a good job and help steer the club in this difficult time," Viney said.

"This is an opportunity for the Melbourne Football Club to go out and find the best possible coach and there are some excellent candidates out there we want to pursue and we are hell-bent on getting the absolute best."

Former Demon great Todd Viney will coach Melbourne for the rest of the season after Dean Bailey was sacked on Monday.

Todd Viney has walked away from his assistant coaching role with Adelaide to take up a player development role with Melbourne.

Crows football manager Phil Harper says Viney's decision was based on their son, Jack, being likely to be recruited by the Demons using the father-son rule.

"Todd and Meagan have got a young son Jack, who is a good footy player and they're a fair way down the track of him going father-son to Melbourne," Harper said.

"If that happens he ends up in Melbourne doing Year 12 without his family and trying to play AFL footy, which is probably a recipe for disaster.

"Todd had the offer of the role and the thought was to send the whole family back there and try and get as much support for their son as they can."

Adelaide Crows coach Neil Craig says young Crow Patrick Dangerfield has impressive strength for his age.

"For a guy Patrick's age, his attack on the footy is as good as I've seen in my involvement in footy. At such a young age, it's exceptional...absolutely exceptional and it's just natural for him; it's not manufactured," Craig said.

"He's a powerful man. I think Todd Viney made the comment the other day just in doing some stoppage work at training about how strong Patrick is."

Adelaide forward Jason Porplyzia says Todd Viney's influence on the club's defence helped them to a round one win against Collingwood.

"Todd has brought across some good ideas, but he's also confirmed and substantiated that what we're doing is right. He's confirmed that our type of play is working," Porplyzia said on Monday.

"We've re-jigged our zone-type play a little bit. It was a process that we were working on last year and over the pre-season our roles have become a bit more defined."