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ABC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
With the AFL's latest sacking, coaches are facing more and more scrutiny
When Simon Goodwin sat down for his press conference just hours after being sacked, he had already started to strip the Demons from his identity. He wore no tie around his neck, and a few shirt buttons were undone, as if the choking pressure of coaching had been released. Next to him sat Melbourne President Brad Green, whose red and blue tie was firmly fastened. And together they went through a gruelling ritual few other employers make their axed leaders go through — trying to explain it all to the media. "I was disappointed, there's no doubt about that, but I certainly respect the board's decision," Goodwin said, having been toppled with three weeks left in the season and another year left on his contract. It's a brutal, public spectacle — and may not be the last time we see it play out this year as clubs grapple with the full results of a season. "You're under pressure every day of the year regardless of who you coach," said 700-game and three-time premiership winning coach Mick Malthouse, who was sacked by Carlton in 2015. "If you take a job on like this you know that your time is limited and that it's going to get you at some stage. "There are only four of five coaches … probably four, who don't have to look behind their back this year." Two days after Goodwin's sacking from Melbourne, Carlton moved to "confirm with absolute clarity" that Michael Voss will remain coach into 2026, such was the fervour surrounding his position during a tumultuous season for the Blues. Voss faces a level of scrutiny from fans and the media that's almost unique to the biggest clubs in the league. "It sort of feels a little bit of hollow joy in some ways," Voss said the following morning. "There's no contentment in how we've found ourselves here, and probably how it's played out, or feeling like there's a contentment in being able to get that reassurance that you get to see out your contract," he said. "I think where the theatre is on the outside is very different to what's happening on the inside, and I reckon one of the key things as a coach is that when you come into this role is you've got to understand and be content that there's an end at some point in time." But as the season draws to a close, many other boards will be examining if they've got the right leader in charge — and that makes this time of year "challenging" for coaches according to AFL Coaches Association CEO Alistair Nicholson. "It's probably where we find we have the most individual discussions with our members and help them through this and give them the support they need," he said. "As the footy public become more and more versed in how they consume football and their expectations and demands, you can certainly see [the pressure] in the last few years, it's continued to increase. "The breadth of the role is so much more than what it once was that they're effectively managers more so than coaches. "So, rather than just the on-field, there's all of the support in the promotion of the club, there's list retention, list attraction of players, so it's a significantly more complex role. "And it's constant, there's not really an off-season, and then you also overlay the intangibles that you get in elite sport — with injuries to players, there might be some instability in a club, there's media pressures." The AFL has increased game-day security for several coaches in recent weeks after Goodwin and Voss were threatened on social media. "It's abhorrent abuse that's directed at coaches when the team is not going well," said Susan McLean, a cyber safety consultant who has worked with the AFL. McLean believes a lot of abuse continues to go unreported, and when it is raised with the AFL there is little it can do to punish those responsible, arguing that coaches and the league need to be prepared to take matters further. "One of the reasons we have laws is not only to set an acceptable standard of behaviour in society, but it is to provide a deterrent so when people see people being charged for committing this crime then they're deterred from doing it themselves," she said. "And in my mind, we're not seeing that because there's no runs on the board when it comes to prosecutions for online abuse in the AFL." Near the end of Goodwin's press conference, he thanked his supporters and his family. "They've been incredible. They ride every bump with you," he said. It is often a coach's family who are the most impacted by the public 'noise' and online attacks that come their loved one's way, said Malthouse. "That sort of stuff, I didn't take any notice of, I wasn't on social media. "It's more your kids and your wife that will be the victims of all that and they'll cop it all the time. "That's just a fact of life; they will cop it. "The majority of the time they bear it, but it does have an effect." Asked if it's the toughest job in Melbourne to lead an underperforming team, Malthouse replied, "that or the Liberal leader".
The Australian
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Goodwin sacked: What it means for Petracca, Oliver, Melbourne's list
Simon Goodwin didn't just get sacked because of a difference in opinion over the club's direction. But while Goodwin had made clear in recent weeks that he believed this current Melbourne list could compete, the board and president Brad Green believed wholesale change was needed. A list that has 14 players who will be 30 or more next season was never going to win a premiership next year. So now all bets are off with Goodwin sacked and a new coach able to set the direction for the future. What does the Goodwin sacking mean for this AFL list? Jon Ralph has covered sport with the Herald Sun, and now CODE Sports as well, for over two decades working primarily as a football journalist... (other fields) AFL Travis Boak could have jumped ship and won a flag with Geelong, but instead showed loyalty to Port Adelaide when they were in dire straits - and the Power will forever be in debt. AFL Jack Silvagni's shock move to Collingwood is getting more and more real by the day — and one integral component of the Pies' pitch dates back almost two decades.
The Australian
05-08-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Demons players 'blindsided' as coach Simon Goodwin shown the door
It took Melbourne exactly six weeks to crumble around Simon Goodwin. On February 28, interim president Brad Green provided the strongest endorsement of his premiership coach's capabilities, knowing the club needed a bridging year to change the game style and personnel in 2025. Off-field grenades had been going off for years in the boardroom and there was a split around the futures of superstar midfielders Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca. But as the summer of love concluded at Melbourne five months ago, Green hit out at the coach's critics and declared emphatically 'We have got a beauty. Players love him. He is very smart and strategic. He is a deep-thinker of the game, and he is emotive.' 'It annoys me and frustrates me that he doesn't get the respect and kudos he deserves. 'It sh-ts me, actually, that this industry bags Simon Goodwin. He gets battered and bruised by everyone.' Yet on Monday night, it was Green who delivered the left hook which sunk Goodwin and blindsided the players when four Melbourne officials knocked on the door about 7pm at Goodwin's home in the eastern suburbs. There was Green, board member Angela Williams, footy boss Alan Richardson and interim CEO David Chippindall. With grim looks on their faces, the four senior figures sat with Goodwin in his own home and said the club needed a new voice. It was the right time, they said. But there was no other detail. And nothing more forthcoming in an unconvincing press conference at the MCG on Tuesday. No explanation on the team's flaws or misgivings about coaching style or moves, inefficiencies in the forward half, midfield connection woes or differences in vision. The flummoxed and devastated looks on the faces of Melbourne's senior players were clear on Tuesday, with one of the most respected Melbourne figures labelling the decision to move on Goodwin 'unbelievable'. Another said it was 'embarrassing'. Captain Max Gawn looked forlorn. Melbourne blinked this week because it didn't want the heat that would come next year with a coach out of contract in the same way Western Bulldogs stared directly into the fire and delayed a call on Luke Beveridge's future this year. At the start of this season, Goodwin was given the imprimatur to make considerable changes to the game plan and team mix. 'A new way', Goodwin declared at the annual general meeting in December. And the coach thought he had another season in 2026, as per his contract, to complete the work. For all the team's disappointing performances this year, they still beat Fremantle at the MCG in round 6, knocked off Brisbane at the Gabba by 11 points, hammered Sydney Swans and fell one point short of Collingwood. Clearly, the team was in transition, and few experts had Melbourne in their top-eights at the start of the season. Simply, Melbourne knew themselves the team was not a quick fix this year after blowing its chances in back-to-back top-four finishes in 2022-23 and sinking down the ladder last year without Petracca, who played on with life-threatening injuries on King's Birthday and was taken to the wrong hospital. What a stuff-up, but there's a long list. The game had sped past the Demons since the 2021 premiership and the inability to convert in the forward half has been maddening for the coaches and players this season. But this is also a team with 33-year-old veteran Jake Melksham playing at centre half forward this season. But if the Demons had underperformed on the field, just as many mistakes have come off it at a club which former coach Paul Roos once said was surrounded by a 'veil of negativity'. At senior level, it had been a disastrous couple of seasons including the diabolical handling of Oliver who was put up for trade and then clawed back, Petracca's life-threatening injuries, Joel Smith's drugs charge, the facility disaster, Kate Roffey's radio interview downfall and the Glen Bartlett boardroom brawl. 'There has been a real heaviness and it seeps into your footy club,' Goodwin told the Herald Sun in February. So if Melbourne's on-field performance since the flag had disappointed the board, a quick glance in the mirror would have revealed an abysmal scorecard for the directors as well. And Goodwin pointedly said on repeat in the press conference on Tuesday teams needed off-field stability to flourish. And that is exactly what he has lacked. It was a classy exit from a man who has had four separate presidents (including Steve Smith from Tuscany) and three CEOs. The off-field leaders at Melbourne have made the most wobbly-looking Jenga towers look more stable than their own setup in recent times. And it was in Adelaide that Melbourne's Jenga tower came crashing down less than two months after Green's February love letter to his coach. But by the time the Demons had lost in Gather Round, they had done the biggest six week backflip. They'd sunk to a 0-5 start with a terrible loss to Essendon in Adelaide which prompted incoming new president Smith, (the fourth one, remember) to meet with captain Max Gawn the next morning. Alarm bells. At the same time, Melbourne issued a statement about the poor performance but made no mention of the coach or its support or otherwise for him. That is when the writing first appeared on the wall for Goodwin and he felt it. Instead of publicly backing Goodwin, they put him on the clock in mid-April just six weeks after Green's declaration of support. Even though they knew the path would be rocky given the midfield issues and lack of forward targets, and the question marks on the futures of Oliver and Petracca remained a distraction, the Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera cyclone at Marvel Stadium was the last straw for the club last week. Who knows why they waited until the 83-point win over West Coast on Saturday to pull the pin on the coach. The dysfunction at this club at the highest level has been a shambles and captain Max Gawn knows it because he has been the one to clean up every new mess in his Triple M radio interviews every week. How he has bit his tongue at times remains a mystery, but Gawn knows how jumpy his club can get. In April, the club appointed a new CEO, Paul Guerra, who couldn't start work at the club until next month, leaving the keys to Chippindall (we think) who was disappointed to be overlooked himself. Goodwin would not have known where to turn for discussions, advice or support as he attempted to fast-track a mini-rebuild of sorts with a team which was in the process of pivoting to a new style and way of playing. Instead of having a strong backing, the man who led the Demons from being a basket case to premiership team (along with Roos) was left looking over his shoulder all year. Where Melbourne heads next is anyone's guess. Clearly, clubs are targeting Petracca and the club may have to pay up to half of Oliver's salary to seal his move one year after the club should have traded him to Geelong. The deal was done by his management, and his papers were stamped to the Cattery. But the board blinked, again. Green was asked what he wanted in a new coach on Tuesday and he said the club wasn't sure yet. Hopefully, they can work it out. But there are no guarantees. The reason Goodwin simply had to go Jay Clark is a leading AFL reporter for News Corp and CODE Sports, based in Melbourne. For almost 20 years, he has helped set the football agenda with his breaking news, deep-dive feature writing and issues-based reporting. He is a trusted voice on the biggest stories in the AFL. AFL Simon Goodwin is set for a monster payout after his brutal sacking as Melbourne coach. All the details and what the $1.2 million dollar figure means for the Dees' soft cap heading into 2026. AFL The AFL's final round is set to feature a finals shaping, double header Sunday, forcing the top eight standings down to the wire. Plus, a prime time farewell is in store for Port Adelaide's long time servers.
Sydney Morning Herald
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Good enough: Simon Goodwin's done enough repairs to coach Demons next year
In saying that, the Demons should not be rushing to re-contract the coach beyond 2026. They can let the contract run, and re-assess Goodwin in his 10th season (2026), changing the list and potentially some of his support staff. Most premiership coaches end up with 10 years or thereabouts. That Goodwin is contracted for next year makes this call an easier one for the Melbourne board, who is not about to turf out the club's only premiership coach since the introduction of decimal currency. The Melbourne hierarchy, headed by Brad Green until the presidency is passed to another ex-player in Steven Smith this year, has contended that Goodwin has not been afforded sufficient respect for the achievement of breaking that 57-year drought and coaching them to top-four (home and away) finishes in 2022 and 2023. If, as critics asserted, Goodwin had a great collection of players at his disposal from 2021, he was also lumbered with a less-than-great football club. Those cultural deficits – seen outside the Entrecote restaurant in 2022, the Joel Smith drug suspension, and in discord between individual players since – more than offset the talents of a playing list that also had major holes in its forward line and fewer repeat-speed runners than Geelong or Collingwood. In assessing Goodwin's performance, it is only fair to factor in those headwinds he encountered – within both team and club – and to consider the enormous resilience he's shown in handling overlapping problems. On Goodwin's watch, the Demons won a flag in a year when they were sequestered in a pristine bubble in Perth. Did that unnatural environment focus minds? Maybe. But as one who was in Perth and watched the finals at close quarters, I would say their 2021 premiership was as bona fide as any. From a practical vantage, Melbourne would find it difficult to replace their senior coach this year, even if they were leaning that direction (which they aren't), for various reasons. One is that their incoming chief executive, Paul Guerra, doesn't begin his job until September. The far more important consideration is the level of improvement – and trajectory – since that terrible 0-5 start. The recovery began with an upset of Fremantle and was crystallised by the more impressive scalp of Brisbane at the Gabba. The Demons were unlucky to fall short on King's Birthday against Collingwood, too – a defeat that, barring something extraordinary, snuffed out their faint finals prospects. Loading The Demons erred in not letting Oliver have his wish to be traded to Geelong, given the terms of any future trade will not be as favourable. This was an all-club call. To greenlight the prospective trade – as the Demons shrewdly did with Jesse Hogan in 2018 – is an opportunity missed. Kysaiah Pickett has been instrumental in the turnaround, Goodwin having deployed him further upfield in spurts and given the gifted forward more license to create for others. Whether they needed to sign the sublime Kozzy to another mega-contract similar to those handed to Petracca and Oliver is debatable; we'll know sometime in the 2030s. Critically, the Demons have re-discovered a capacity to turn those forays forward into scores, a pattern that began with the Fremantle game, in which Pickett booted five goals, and continued against the Lions and Swans, with only regressions against the Hawks and St Kilda. The Demons are in the process of healing themselves culturally while undertaking a version of rebuilding on the run (hitherto appearing to be in no man's land), as Harvey Langford, Xavier Lindsay and Caleb Windsor are blended into an experienced group. Goodwin deserves more time to oversee the blending, and to see out his contract, at the least.
The Age
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Good enough: Simon Goodwin's done enough repairs to coach Demons next year
In saying that, the Demons should not be rushing to re-contract the coach beyond 2026. They can let the contract run, and re-assess Goodwin in his 10th season (2026), changing the list and potentially some of his support staff. Most premiership coaches end up with 10 years or thereabouts. That Goodwin is contracted for next year makes this call an easier one for the Melbourne board, who is not about to turf out the club's only premiership coach since the introduction of decimal currency. The Melbourne hierarchy, headed by Brad Green until the presidency is passed to another ex-player in Steven Smith this year, has contended that Goodwin has not been afforded sufficient respect for the achievement of breaking that 57-year drought and coaching them to top-four (home and away) finishes in 2022 and 2023. If, as critics asserted, Goodwin had a great collection of players at his disposal from 2021, he was also lumbered with a less-than-great football club. Those cultural deficits – seen outside the Entrecote restaurant in 2022, the Joel Smith drug suspension, and in discord between individual players since – more than offset the talents of a playing list that also had major holes in its forward line and fewer repeat-speed runners than Geelong or Collingwood. In assessing Goodwin's performance, it is only fair to factor in those headwinds he encountered – within both team and club – and to consider the enormous resilience he's shown in handling overlapping problems. On Goodwin's watch, the Demons won a flag in a year when they were sequestered in a pristine bubble in Perth. Did that unnatural environment focus minds? Maybe. But as one who was in Perth and watched the finals at close quarters, I would say their 2021 premiership was as bona fide as any. From a practical vantage, Melbourne would find it difficult to replace their senior coach this year, even if they were leaning that direction (which they aren't), for various reasons. One is that their incoming chief executive, Paul Guerra, doesn't begin his job until September. The far more important consideration is the level of improvement – and trajectory – since that terrible 0-5 start. The recovery began with an upset of Fremantle and was crystallised by the more impressive scalp of Brisbane at the Gabba. The Demons were unlucky to fall short on King's Birthday against Collingwood, too – a defeat that, barring something extraordinary, snuffed out their faint finals prospects. Loading The Demons erred in not letting Oliver have his wish to be traded to Geelong, given the terms of any future trade will not be as favourable. This was an all-club call. To greenlight the prospective trade – as the Demons shrewdly did with Jesse Hogan in 2018 – is an opportunity missed. Kysaiah Pickett has been instrumental in the turnaround, Goodwin having deployed him further upfield in spurts and given the gifted forward more license to create for others. Whether they needed to sign the sublime Kozzy to another mega-contract similar to those handed to Petracca and Oliver is debatable; we'll know sometime in the 2030s. Critically, the Demons have re-discovered a capacity to turn those forays forward into scores, a pattern that began with the Fremantle game, in which Pickett booted five goals, and continued against the Lions and Swans, with only regressions against the Hawks and St Kilda. The Demons are in the process of healing themselves culturally while undertaking a version of rebuilding on the run (hitherto appearing to be in no man's land), as Harvey Langford, Xavier Lindsay and Caleb Windsor are blended into an experienced group. Goodwin deserves more time to oversee the blending, and to see out his contract, at the least.
