An AFL team’s rebuilding takes years but, right now, Melbourne coach Mark Neeld is talking about minutes.

The Demons’ horrific start to the season has Neeld focused on modest goals for Saturday’s match against West Coast at the MCG.

Chief executive Cameron Schwab was prompted to resign on Tuesday and, inevitably, there is growing pressure on Neeld.

To his credit, the Demons coach is trying to deflect all attention from himself and saying his only focus is the welfare of his shell-shocked players.

He noted that Melbourne were competitive early against Essendon last Saturday night, before falling in a hole and losing by 148 points.

So the first step is a simple one.

“We thought our effort was particularly pleasing for the first 20 minutes of the game,” Neeld said.

“Our challenge is to clearly go a bit further than 20 minutes.

“It’s in there.”

Neeld was upbeat on Friday, cracking jokes at his media conference and, for once this week, he had reasons to smile.

Co-captain Jack Grimes has signed a three-year deal and a vocal group of Melbourne fans cheered the team at Friday’s training session.

It was a pleasant change after the booing from the supporters that marked the Port Adelaide and Essendon losses.

Neeld has a reputation as a tough coach, but he clearly realises his young team need to be handled carefully.

“That confidence word is a big one – they don’t sell it at the supermarket,” Neeld said.

“You can’t find it at Coles, go down and find a jar of it.

“Let’s see if we can go and enjoy it.”

On the same day that Schwab was tapped on the shoulder, the Demons had an overnight camp in Sorrento to take stock of what had gone wrong.

Asked if he still had the players with him, Neeld replied: “absolutely”.

Neeld has also spoken at length with Jack Watts, who has become the unfortunate symbol of their on-field woes.

Watts was subbed out of the Essendon game and then dropped.

“I sat down with Wattsy and went through a few things – we had quite a lengthy discussion,” Neeld said.

“We had a couple this week about a whole range of issues.

“So Jack’s really clear as to why he’s not in the side, which is really important.

“They’re not going to jump over the desk and give you a hug and say ‘thanks very much’ and walk out – it means something to him.”

Neeld also addressed criticism of Melbourne allowing Channel Seven to show his pre-game address in the telecast of the Essendon match.

He said the club had arranged it weeks earlier and also noted that right now, in the eyes of their many critics, the Demons can do nothing right.

“You do nothing, that’s the wrong thing – you do something, that’s the wrong thing,” he said.

“You go to Sorrento, you should have gone to Torquay.”

Neeld praised Schwab, saying he would always be a Melbourne person and he had tried his very best.