Melbourne’s sports performance director Neil Craig has ruled out a return to senior coaching and pledged his continued support for Demons coach Mark Neeld.

The dismal Demons were humiliated by 148 points by Essendon on Saturday night, an even bigger flop than their shock thrashing by Port Adelaide in the AFL’s opening round.

With second-year coach Neeld having won just four games in his 24 in charge at Melbourne, Craig looms as an obvious replacement candidate if the Demons hierarchy decide Neeld is no longer the man for the job.

But Craig, who coached Adelaide to the finals in each of his first five full seasons in charge there, said the Demons board and administration remained supportive of Neeld and so did he.

He said he would not coach again at any club.

“No, my days are done,” Craig told Melbourne’s SEN radio on Sunday.

“I think I was pretty clear when I was at Adelaide about that.

“I’m enjoying my time at Melbourne … so those days are done.”

Craig said the Demons were at the lowest ebb of any club he had been associated with, but that was part of what he liked about the job.

“Exciting’s not quite the word at the moment, but challenging and at this stage I’d have it no other way,” he said.

He said supporting Neeld was part of his job description and he would do it any way he could.

“Any senior coach in that situation needs strong support and an ability to keep calm, so your thinking is always sound,” Craig said.

“It’s very easy to become derailed in your thinking in these situations.”

Craig said the Demons board had been very strong in dealing with a range of difficult issues over the past year or more.

He said, while demanding improvement, they were equally strong in their support of the football department.

“The next stage of this football club is to get the playing side in order,” he said.

“That’s been very strongly articulated, very firm but very supportive.”

AAP scl/rf/jm