In December 2020, during a Melbourne club function, Simon Goodwin, the coach of the Melbourne Football Club, experienced a medical episode. Glen Bartlett, then the club’s president, told the Herald-Sun he showed concern for Goodwin, handing him a tissue along with a very worried look.
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Melbourne Demons Head Coach Simon Goodwin looks on during a Melbourne Demons AFL training session at Casey Fields on July 02, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
A former occupational health and safety lawyer, Bartlett told the Herald-Sun he had the well-being of others at the forefront of his mind. Little did he know, the events that followed would change the course of his life and the club’s future.
“I’ve had enough. I’ve had enough of being silenced, being threatened, tip toeing around all this stuff.” – Bartlett
After a February 2021 meeting between Bartlett, Goodwin, AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder, chief executive Gillon McLachlan, and Demons board member Mohan Jesudason, it was decided that action was needed, says Bartlett in his interview.
Bartlett says he pushed for hair testing of all senior club officials, among other initiatives to raise standards within the club.
However, Bartlett says his efforts led to a ruthless and rapid campaign to remove him from the club. Bartlett claims his efforts to introduce policy changes for the betterment of the club were met with resistance from some board members and executives who “melted like marshmallows” under pressure.
In April 2021, Bartlett faced a phone call from board members Steve Morris and David Rennick, urging him to step down as president immediately. Bartlett refused, citing a breach of trust, respect, and unity – the club’s core values. Nonetheless, the pressure continued to mount, and eventually, Bartlett announced his resignation on April 9, 2021.
Following his resignation, Bartlett faced a series of media attacks, with sources from within the club providing negative information about him. These attacks infuriated Bartlett, who vowed to find the person responsible. Articles suggesting that Bartlett’s actions had caused Goodwin’s anxiety left him particularly hurt, as he believed he had provided Goodwin with ample support.
After stepping down as president, Bartlett returned to Western Australia but remained on the board until November 4, 2021. His health took a turn for the worse following a stressful phone call with Goyder regarding AFL Grand Final seating arrangements that Bartlett says he was not told the truth about, and which he claims showed he was on the outer. Bartlett suffered heart palpitations and was hospitalized, with doctors prescribing blood thinners and beta blockers and advising him to avoid stress.
Despite the club’s knowledge of his heart condition, Bartlett claims that he continued to be attacked in the media.
Demons Club President Kate Roffey and CEO Gary Pert talk on stage during the AFL Premiership Team Celebrations at Forrest Place “Footy Place” on September 26, 2021 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
He found solace in the support of former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, who alerted him to potential negative coverage from Caroline Wilson, and offered him a chance to respond.
During Grand Final week, Kate Roffey did a series of interviews, which Bartlett described as a “shocker’’, “pumping up Roffey’s tyres at my expense”.
“I reckon they were trying to kill me basically – well that is how it felt,’’ he says. “They knew I had a heart condition. And they’ve gone harder.” he told the Herald-Sun.
As the 2023 AFL season begins, Bartlett tells the Herald-Sun he remains steadfast in his pursuit of transparency and truth, refusing to be silenced or intimidated. He believes that the events surrounding his resignation and the subsequent fallout should serve as a cautionary tale for the AFL community, emphasizing the importance of integrity, transparency, and fairness in the pursuit of success on and off the field.
The saga of Glen Bartlett and the Melbourne Football Club is a sobering reminder that even in the world of footy, where camaraderie and mateship are celebrated, personal agendas and power plays can still have damaging consequences for the people involved and the clubs they love.
