Rumours fly over list of candidates to replace Simon Goodwin as Demons coach
Melbourne dropped a bombshell on Tuesday, sacking the 2021 premiership winning coach with three games left this season and despite Goodwin having a contract for 2026.
However, club president Brad Green said the Demons wanted a change made instantly for the club to go in a new direction.
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According to Code Sports, 48-year-old Goodwin will receive a one-million dollar payout as part of the contract termination.
Assistant coach Troy Chaplin will step in as caretaker coach for the remainder of the 2025 season for games against the Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn and Collingwood.
Attention will now turn to the Demons' search to appoint a replacement for Goodwin, with a range of candidates believed to be in the mix.
Fox Footy reports former Sydney Swans coach John Longmire is Melbourne's top choice on a list featuring as many of 22 candidates to take over as Demons coach.
Veteran footy reporter Caroline Wilson said Goodwin's sacking may have been made before the end of the season to allow the Demons to get a head start on other clubs who may also be looking for a new coach in the off-season.
'The coaching landscape has rarely looked richer,' Wilson said on Channel 7's Agenda Setters.
'Fox Footy is reporting John Longmire is their No. 1 target. I'm not sure about that. He hasn't been approached yet. I do agree he is wooable, although will Melbourne be a palatable option for him?
'Do Melbourne want to jump in and get the best coach before Carlton steps in? We know Michael Voss isn't safe. There is definitely a view from Melbourne that they're not the only club (looking for a new coach).'
Speaking on Fox Footy's Midweek Tackle, the Herald Sun's Jon Ralph said the leading first-time coaching candidates were Brisbane football boss Danny Daly, Essendon assistant Daniel Giansiracusa and Collingwood's Hayden Skipworth.
Ralph said former Essendon coach James Hird is 'very much a person of interest' for the Demons, while premiership coaches Longmire and Adam Simpson are also in the mix, along with Port Adelaide's Ken Hinkley and ex-Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley.
Hird said he was 'flattered' but ruled himself out of contention for the Demons job.
On Footy Classified, Eddie McGuire described Longmire, Simpson, Buckley and Hinkley as 'the big four' candidates.
'Here's the thing. They've very aware that not many coaches have won a flag, moved clubs and won another one — Leigh Matthews and Mick Malthouse only in this century,' Ralph said.
Buckley is widely viewed as the leading candidate to be Tasmania's inaugural coach when the Devils enter the AFL in 2028.
A subcommittee comprised of incoming CEO Paul Guerra, Brad Green, Steven Smith and Alan Richardson will make the final call on choosing Melbourne's new coach.
'There are issues cultural, with the board and stability,' Ralph added.
'There's an enormous amount of change there. It's not an incredible gig.
'If someone like John Longmire was really thinking about it, I think he might look for a better position out there. I'm sure he'll take the phone call, but I'd probably prefer Carlton than Melbourne.'
Demons legend Garry Lyon said on AFL 360 about Longmire: 'You can sell 'Horse' to anyone.'
The Demons are set to have significant change off the field, with a new CEO, a new president and perhaps a new footy boss.
Lyon, who was shocked by Goodwin's sacking, said a void of leadership at the club in recent times set Goodwin up to fail as he attempted to rebuild on the run.
'It was the sameness (on-field) for a long time — and that was a frustration of him … it's sort of greater than that though,' Lyon continued.
'It's a football club that's confused at the moment (with) exactly where they are. It's a football club that's disconnected; I don't think there's any doubt about that. It has been for a long time.
'It was pertinent that he mentioned it four or five times today — you must have a strong, stable off-field support mechanism. I doubt he's felt that over the past couple of years.'
AFL 360 host Gerard Whateley added: 'It would have been a miracle if a coach had been successful in these circumstances … the next president is not in the job, and the chief executive was appointed in April and doesn't start until September. There's no elite program in the world that has those pillars absent, and achieves success.
'I think it undermined his capacity to do the job that he knew needed to be done.'
Melbourne's off-field structure has also grabbed headlines in recent years, including tensions between former chief executive Gary Pert and key club personnel.
'When they won the premiership, they were the most selfless team in the competition and it was trotted out everywhere. I don't think they are now, and I'm not sure whether the board over the journey has been particularly selfless as well.' Lyon said.
'They are screaming out for a figurehead. A strong, strong, decisive leader of this football club — apart from the coach.'
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