Melbourne Demons rift emerges as playing group split following sacking of Simon Goodwin
Goodwin was let go with a year to run on his contract and declined the opportunity to remain in charge for the rest of the season, in what was an abrupt end to the premiership coach's tenure.
The move came just days after an 83-point win and left players stunned.
FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Goodwin declared his love for the playing group and voiced his disappointment in the club not seeing what was building beneath the surface as he addressed the media on Tuesday.
'I'm disappointed because I think we're a hell of a lot closer to turning our club and team back into a contender again than what people think,' he said.
As it turns out, the love was mutual. Speaking on Wednesday, veteran Demon Ed Langdon smacked down claims that the club needed a 'new voice', something president Brad Green said was required after sacking Goodwin.
While Langdon initially said 'it's really not for me to say,' he soon opened up about the board's statement.
'We all love Goody, he was a big part of the club, so it's definitely a different feeling coming into (this weekend),' he said.
'Definitely shocked, that's not the news I thought I'd be waking up to. As I said, we're all very close with Goody (having) won a premiership with him.
' … I'm not sure I would agree with that (that the team needs a new voice) but that's the board's decision,' he said.
'I can only comment on the players' relationship with Goody, which was always positive.
'We always respected him and loved him as a coach, so if that's what the board thinks, then that's what the board thinks.'
Many other players are understood to also be disappointed with the club's decision to axe Goodwin.
And that could create a massive headache for the club, which now must hire a coach who will be immediately up against the Melbourne playing group's strong feelings towards Goodwin.
The club also faces a potential huge player turnover following Goodwin's exit.
Speculation about the playing futures of Christian Petracca, Bayley Fritsch and Judd McVee is still rife and one can imagine it will be even harder to retain the trio now.
But the exodus likely won't stop there, with other players likely to seek an exit, one of which could be the caption.
According to Luke Hodge, Max Gawn, who is said to see Goodwin as a father figure, is likely already second-guessing his future at the club following the board's decision to remove the premiership-winning coach.
'From the outside, he (Gawn) will be a broken man because of the time and effort he has put into what has been created,' Hodge said on SEN.
'From afar, their relationship looked a strong coach-captain relationship. There's going to be murmurs and tough conversations, and his mindset now will be, 'Am I going to have a relationship with the next coach coming in, will I be able to lead as I am? '
'Is this a door opening for Max Gawn? He would have had no thought of ever leaving Melbourne. They guided him as a young fella into this absolute star of our game.
'With a new coach coming in, is this his time to say, 'is there a premiership somewhere else for me to go and play?''
Gawn was one of the first people to reach out to Goodwin, something the former Demons coach shared in his press conference on Tuesday.
'I spoke to Gawny at 7:30 this morning,' he said.
'He rang and we had a really long chat about his sadness for me not being here.
'There's a lot of sadness from me as well. We will sit down and have a beer and debrief on what has been an incredible nine years.'
Melbourne will officially begin life without their long-time coach on Sunday afternoon when they face the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
14 minutes ago
- The Age
Al Muderis spent $19K on media advice he ignored
Then, Wilkinson's work for Al Muderis abruptly stopped. The PR man declined to comment on how that relationship ended. But according to the receipts, Wilkinson recommended prioritising media over legal strategy, with that particular piece of advice costing a mere $1050. Al Muderis clearly didn't listen. Just imagine the millions in legal bills, and unquantifiable reputational costs he could've saved if he did. MCC members spill the sauce on pie prices Remember when Gillon McLachlan became AFL chief executive and the price of food at the footy went down? Melbourne Cricket Club members do. The MCC held its AGM on Tuesday night, where ex-Tabcorp chair Paula Dwyer, Mental Health and Wellbeing Commissioner Annabel Brebner and the Department of Justice's Kalpana Ramani were re-elected, seeing off challengers in magistrate Tony Burns, school teacher James Kavanagh and corporate spinner James Duncan. The meeting also agreed to a crackdown on members who allow friends and family to use their membership cards to get in, and heard the long-awaited rebuild of the Shane Warne Stand might not start until 2031. Right in time for Richmond's next three-peat, god willing. But it was pie prices that got some members really going. CBD hears there was meaty discussion about why it costs about $6.20 for a Four'n Twenty pie at the MCG, and under $5 at Marvel. MCC says pies are priced the same for all events, whereas other venues change their prices according to the event. Seems even the MCC crowd is suffering from cossie livs. Back in 2015 under McLachlan's early leadership, the price of meat pies at the 'G fell by 80¢ to a bargain $4. Marvel, then known as Etihad, followed suit by introducing $3 pies on Sundays, plus free popcorn and fairy floss at half-time on the day of rest. AFL Fans Association president Ron Issko says affordability is a major concern for fans, and they shouldn't have to pay much more to eat at the 'G. 'It's understandable that the prices might be different, as the AFL owns Marvel and directly has relationship with the caterers, whereas the MCG deals with their own caterers,' Issko says. 'However, the price discrepancy is too much, and I'm sure the AFL could talk to the MCG and the caterers and say, how can we get the prices closer?' We'll keep you posted on Piegate. Win for Laming The end of former Liberal MP Andrew Laming 's political career has been a morass of scandal and arcane legal battles. But Laming had the last laugh in one of those battles on Wednesday, when the High Court upheld his appeal over a series of near seven-year-old Facebook posts viewed by just 28 people that led to a fine from the Australian Electoral Commission. In late 2021, after Laming had announced his impending retirement from politics, the AEC launched proceedings against the MP over three posts made on the 'Redland Hospital: Let's fight for fair funding' Facebook page before the previous election in 2019, which the regulator argued had lacked proper authorisation of political links. Initially, the Federal Court imposed three penalties totalling $20,000 on Laming. The AEC appealed that decision, and a three-judge bench ruled that Laming had contravened the laws every time each post was viewed, doubling his fine to $40,000. Laming successfully appealed that decision, with the High Court agreeing with the initial judgment, which found that he had breached electoral laws each time he posted the offending material. The majority ruling focused on one specific section of the Electoral Act, with Justice James Edelman dissenting in a judgment that flexed his relative youth by mentioning TikTok. So in other words, a win for Laming, even if the original $20,000 fine remains in place. And separately, he remains on the hook for $10,000 in unpaid parliamentary expenses from 2019, after losing a Federal Court challenge last year.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Fremantle holding fire on celebrating Dockers success
Dockers fans may have AFL finals in their eyes but the City of Fremantle is still hedging its bets. The Dockers rose to the top four — and a double chance in finals — after holding out against Port Adelaide last weekend. The city council recently asked staff to formalise celebrating the Dockers' participation in the AFL and AFLW finals series and grand final — as well as other local sport successes — as part of its draft economic strategy 2025-2030. But the competition for September finals action is so tight that the Dockers could yet finish outside of the top eight if they don't maintain winning form and the port city's local government is not yet ready to commit to planning a party. Past celebrations of the AFL Dockers making the finals included painting the median of the cappuccino strip purple, live-streaming the game on a big screen outdoors and painting the Fremantle Football Club's logo on the grass slope of the Walyalup Civic Centre. Crowds gather at The Federal Hotel in Fremantle to watch the AFL semi final match between the Collingwood Magpies and Fremantle Dockers. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge mused in a Facebook post this week about the launch of the Dockers' AFLW season about a double premiership. She was less confident at the time of the council's party-planning decision last month, saying she was now 'petrified' the Dockers would lose the rest of their games, 'as they did the last time we bought any purple paint'. 'But I shall trust that that is superstition, not logic, and that they're doing very, very well, so fingers crossed,' she said. The Dockers' six-point win over Port Adelaide was their fifth victory this season where they've had to fight back from a three-quarter time deficit to claim the four premiership points. It is the most in a single season since cross-town rivals West Coast accomplished the same feat in 2006 on their way to a third premiership in club history. Patrick Voss of the Dockers with fans after the win during the 2025 AFL Round 22 match between the Port Adelaide Power and the Fremantle Dockers at Optus Stadium on August 9, 2025. Credit: Sarah Reed / AFL Photos via Getty Images Whether the Dockers make the finals could come down to the last week of the regular season. 'The race for top eight is as tight as it's ever been,' The Nightly sport opinion writer Sophie Gannon said. 'Friday night's game against Brisbane is as big of a game that this club can remember. 'A win would see Freo in contention for a top four place, but a loss will leave them in a position where they rely on winning against Bulldogs at Marvel to ensure they even make the top eight. 'Although having won 11 out of the past 12 games, Freo must be careful as they're making a habit of playing three average quarters and then making a strong comeback in the fourth, doing this five out of the past six weeks. 'They'll need to play all four quarters to contend against the best in the league.' Fremantle's finals hopes last year died in a defeat to Port Adelaide in the last game of the season after Carlton's dramatic loss to St Kilda had left the door open for them to make the top eight. Another opportunity for partying lies with Fremantle's AFLW side, who are expected to be genuine premiership contenders this year. The Dockers kick off their season against Port Adelaide on Sunday, August 17. The returns of Ange Stannett — who missed her entire first year as captain with an anterior cruciate ligament injury — and Kiara Bowers after pregnancy have been a massive boost to Fremantle a year after they returned to the finals.
Courier-Mail
5 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Tennis legend Monica Seles diagnosed with rare disease
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tennis. Followed categories will be added to My News. Tennis great Monica Seles revealed she has been diagnosed with a rare muscle-weakening condition. Seles, 51, started experiencing double vision and extremely depleted strength in her arms and legs in 2019, The Sun reports. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. A long string of tests and scans - delayed by the Covid pandemic - ruled out brain tumours and motor neurone disease. The nine-time Grand Slam champion was eventually diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) in 2022. Now Seles has gone public on neuromuscular auto-immune disease - which currently has no cure - and will raise awareness for the condition with an event around this month's US Open. MG affects most of the body but particularly the muscles that control the eyes - although symptoms can vary from day to day. Approximately 15-20 people per 100,000 - or 0.015 per cent of the population - are affected by MG, which sees the immune system attack the neuromuscular junction where nerves and muscles communicate. SINGAPORE - OCTOBER 30: Champion Dominika Cibulkova (R) of Slovakia receives the trophy from WTA Legend Ambassador Monica Seles of the United States after the singles final during day 8 of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore at Singapore Sports Hub on October 30, 2016 in Singapore. (Photo byfor WTA) 'I would be playing (tennis) with some kids or family members, and I would miss a ball,' Seles told AP. 'I was like, 'Yeah, I see two balls.' 'These are obviously symptoms that you can't ignore. 'It took me quite some time to really absorb it, speak openly about it, because it's a difficult one. 'It affects my day-to-day life quite a lot.' Seles won seven of her nine Grand Slams by the age of 18. That included reaching eight Major finals in a row - winning seven - before she was tragically stabbed in April 1993 on court during a match in Hamburg by a fixated fan of Steffi Graf. The Yugoslavia-born star - who switched nationality to USA - returned in 1995 after a two-year absence. She reached the US Open final in her first Major since the stabbing then won the 1996 Australian Open, her ninth and final Grand Slam title. The lefty, who played with a double-handed forehand and backhand, officially retired in 2008 five years after her final competitive match. The tennis icon opened up on her rare condition. (Photo by Jason Howard/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Seles celebrating after winning the Australian Open. (AP Photo/Steve Holland, file) Now living in Florida, she told The Athletic about her MG diagnosis: 'I thought, 'OK, just push through it.' 'But a couple of instances happened when — on court and in daily life — I realised there was something going on. 'After coming out of my former country to the IMG Academy, I had to totally reset. 'When I became No1, it was a huge reset because everybody treats you differently. 'Then obviously when I got stabbed, that was a huge reset. And then when I was diagnosed, it was a huge reset. 'The day-to-day part of managing it, depending on my symptoms, is really adjusting, you know. I think anybody else who has Myasthenia Gravis knows it's a continuous adjustment. 'After my stabbing, I had to deal with that internally for quite a few years to process it and my MG diagnosis was kind of very similar. 'I had to understand my new normal of day-to-day life, what I can do work-wise and different things.' This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission. Originally published as Tennis legend Monica Seles diagnosed with rare disease
