Analysis The Coach – Simon 'Standard Practice' Goodwin: It's time to go (for real this time)

[markm106]

It’s just every bit of info we get from the club about the Goodwin situation. I mean I don’t doubt it’s been tough for him. But there’s too much smoke around the club for there to be not much shite happening off field. Happy to be proven wrong but we need an off field clean out. Starting at the top.

 

[Bluelegs]

Looking forward to Bartlett popping his head up to respond and/or start another lawsuit over this article.

 

[Daemon]

He just comes across as having his head in the sand and not wanting to admit he was/is wrong. Incredibly stubborn person who refuses to change unless he is forced.

 

[The Dr]

Was super surprised how icy the relationship must've been between him and Roos.


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[Daemon]

Was super surprised how icy the relationship must've been between him and Roos.


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They were completely different personalities. I was surprised Roos picked him to be his successor tbh. Think it was more a case of bottom of the barrel than anything.

Roos built this team, Goody just got lucky more than anything.

 

[Bluelegs]

They were completely different personalities. I was surprised Roos picked him to be his successor tbh. Think it was more a case of bottom of the barrel than anything.

Roos built this team, Goody just got lucky more than anything.

Bit harsh on Goodwin. Had the balls to piss off Watts and Hogan and go hard on recruiting the backline. Hibbo and Melksham only came to us because of Goodwin.

 

[Topkent]

Not for the first time in his decorated football career, life was threatening to close in on Simon Goodwin. As Melbourne’s off-season horrors rolled into the 2024 football year with a fresh set of allegations linking the Demons with illicit drugs, the coach moved to shield his family and protect himself and his reputation.

Goodwin placed defamation lawyer Rebekah Giles on a retainer. It was a different sort of delegating of responsibility than the one he finally embraced towards the end of the club’s annus horribilis in 2019, but Goodwin hopes it will achieve a similar result.

“You get to the point when enough is enough,” said Goodwin. “I love my job, I love my family and I love coming to work every day and I’m not going to let articles which are false and essentially relating to a board dispute affect that.

“I’m not going to disappear down a hole because I love this job too much and I love this life too much. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been easy. There have been times when it has been terrible. It [Goodwin’s brand] has taken a hammering.

“It’s been tough on me, but it’s been tougher on my parents and my children and my brothers.”

The damage to 2021 premiership coach Goodwin’s reputation began with a report of his alleged inappropriate behaviour dating back to before the club’s premiership. This was the start of a plethora of allegations relating to Goodwin, some players and the club’s culture.

Commentary intensified at the end of last season after Joel Smith tested positive to a banned substance on match-day and the club finally lost patience with its troubled star midfielder Clayton Oliver, suspending him from pre-season training and laying down the law in an ultimatum led by AFL and club bosses and the game’s most senior mental health official.

The saga was punctuated by Goodwin being forced to repeatedly deny allegations about his personal life including allegations of illicit drug use. It also took its toll on his players. Club captain Max Gawn has spoken often and with disgust at what his coach has endured.

“They [the players] know they [the allegations] are wrong, for a start,” said Goodwin. “That’s what hurts the most. They know how much I care about the club. The situation we’ve gone through as a club has been a board issue and it’s mischievous and it’s been tough on everyone.”

Depending on your view, Goodwin, who was going through a marriage break-up during 2020, needed to be pulled into line – something his CEO Gary Pert has repeatedly denied – or he has been a pawn in a much bigger game, collateral damage in the ongoing dispute between former Melbourne president Glen Bartlett and the board. Now Giles oversees every reference to Goodwin and his part of that saga.

But outsourcing has never been Goodwin’s strong suit. He said he had learned a lot about leadership from Gawn, who he describes as “leading by bringing people together. He leads by bringing enjoyment and fun to the contest even though he knows when to bring a harder edge. Hopefully, he’s learned some things from me too.”

He added: “If you had told me when I came to Melbourne that he would be our captain I would have been shocked.”

season.

Five days before the King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood the coach emerges from a lengthy match committee meeting at Casey, where team selection and the inevitable tough calls were not resolved, with Goodwin and his crew agreeing to “sleep on it” before meeting again 24 hours later.
He said he had decided to grant this relatively lengthy and public conversation “irrespective of the result”.
“My philosophy has been to lean into vulnerability and not walk away from it,” he said.
“One thing I’ve loved about our team is that we’ve always shown up. We’ve always been competitive and we’ve always given everything and for some reason that didn’t happen last week.
“The weekend was nowhere near what we stand for, but that doesn’t mean what is good about us is suddenly gone. It is a different group this year, but we don’t want to lose what we stand for.

“In terms of criticism about our culture ... I get it. Culture is something that never finishes, you’re always working on it.” Goodwin pauses and adds with half a smile: “And I guess the next question’s about Clayton? When you have incidents like his, those questions about our culture are going to come up.”

Longmire and has recently moved to check in with his former assistant, Richmond coach Adem Yze.

Buckley and Goodwin had both achieved some success at a time when both their marriages were breaking up, and the challenges presented by life and coaching at the highest level were shared by the two men on the occasional walk around the Tan.
Buckley commented several days ago that not all Melbourne’s players appeared fully fit – a comment that was juxtaposed on Nine’s Footy Classified alongside a shot of a jumper-less Oliver in the Traeger Park rooms on Sunday.
“I’m sure even Bucks, with his incredible pecks, had a 92-point loss,” said the coach, grinning. “He [Oliver] is working his way back to his best footy. He missed a big chunk of the pre-season and he had the hand issue and anyone who’s missed that amount of pre-season is going to struggle at times.
“I don’t think he’s far away from playing his best footy and he’s in the best place we’ve ever seen.”
The loss to Fremantle was numerically the club’s worst since Paul Roos’ last game as coach in August 2016 and prompted Roos to comment on the ABC: “They are really a talent-based team at the moment. That is the biggest thing that would be concerning Simon, that whatever he is telling them to do they are not listening.”

Goodwin said he was not aware of the comment. His response is brief and as pointed as it is pragmatic. Although Roos and Goodwin worked for two years as part of a coaching succession plan, the two were not close and according to Goodwin, have only spoken twice in almost eight years since Roos left.
“We had a working relationship,” said a blunt Goodwin. “When you perform like that you open yourself up to criticism, and it ranges from everything from communication to work rate to culture.”

Goodwin has been forced – at least temporarily – to cut another favourite son Angus Brayshaw adrift from the club.
The plan was for Brayshaw, after his shock enforced retirement, to remain at Melbourne in a development role, but any hope that Brayshaw could find some fulfilment off the field so soon was dashed after one week at the start of the season working on the interchange bench.

Brayshaw found it too upsetting being so close to the action and has chosen to explore other avenues away from football, including, at least this year, travel.
“We’ve given him the ultimate space,” said Goodwin. “It was a big shock to get that news. The trauma for him made being around the club and not being able to play his usual role too difficult.
“It didn’t quite pan out the way we had hoped so we’ve given him big space. I’m sad for Angus and we miss him. We miss his character, we miss his form and we miss his personality.”
Denying that the team let the Brayshaw incident with Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard distract it in the lead-up to last year’s semi-final against Carlton, Goodwin said: “We were angry, but we moved on. I don’t think we as a team dwelt on it and we got beaten by a better team on the night and some bad luck.

“The experience left us asking: ‘How do we perform better in finals?’”
Goodwin’s comments about Brodie Grundy coming to a club that valued him backfired but now that the former Collingwood ruckman has forged a new football career in Sydney, the Demons coach denies the club made a mistake in recruiting him.
“I wouldn’t say it was a mistake, I would say it hasn’t worked,” he said. “I’m proud of our football club for giving something a go and I’m proud we were brave enough to put our hands up and say it didn’t work and I’m proud of the way Brodie handled it.
“It can’t have been easy for him. He’s a proud player and it can’t have been easy playing in the VFL. Our communication with him was always open and honest and we always said to him we will do the best thing for you at the end of the year. And we stuck to our word.

“I’m so happy how it’s worked out for him in Sydney and Max is having a brilliant year. And Max was brilliant in his vulnerability. He was the premier ruckman in the competition and he was open to bringing someone in to share that role. We just got to the point where it wasn’t working for anyone and something had to give.”
Goodwin does not rule out anything in the Demons’ quest to improve their forward structure. He pointed to injuries interrupting efforts to give Harrison Petty and Jacob van Rooyen more game time together and the younger pair Daniel Turner and Matthew Jefferson for the future.

“Though if Charlie Curnow is available, we’d be very happy to take him,” he said laughing. “You rarely find those players because clubs rarely trade them, but we’ll look at all options – the draft, free agency, trade ... we’re in the win window.”

Goodwin proposed to his partner of three years Kristine Brooks last December. The Australian boss of the financial group Milford, Brooks lives with her children in Sydney – where father-of-three Goodwin will spend a brief break during the Demons’ bye – and commute when their living arrangements allow.
The pair will marry on an island off Bali in early January. “Kristine’s been a big support to me. She’s been fantastic. My children have been fantastic and Perty’s been fantastic.”
Goodwin offers a more positive assessment of Melbourne’s progression since the 2021 flag, which is at odds with the prevailing view that the Demons team that achieved the club’s first premiership since 1964 should have won at least another flag by now.
Under him, from 2017 the improvement continued on a linear trajectory until the disastrous 2019 season, where the coach embarked on the aforementioned and unofficial course of self-improvement, against a backdrop of the Pert review that led to structural change across the football department.
“That was a big instigator of change here and looking back, 2020 was a strong year for us in a tough year of COVID,” he said.

Melbourne ultimately just missed the finals after losing successive games in Cairns. “We had to win the last two to give ourselves a chance and we did that,” said Goodwin.
“We just missed out, but that was the moment we realised: ‘Wow – we have a team that is capable of some really serious footy.’ And since then we’ve produced every year to give ourselves a chance ...

“What we produced last weekend, we haven’t seen that for five years, but it brings things to the surface and adds a sharpness to the situation. And we’ve certainly got an expectation to play finals.”

Before Goodwin lost Brayshaw and Smith under circumstances beyond his control, the club had made a conscious decision to promote van Rooyen, Taj Woewodin and Blake Howes. Luke Dunstan and Michael Hibberd retired, James Jordon headed to Sydney and James Harmes to the Western Bulldogs.

“It’s a different group,” said Goodwin, “but we made a conscious decision to play those boys.

“Things in our game we’ve tried to change – I’m not going to say what – and it’s not working. When you try to make change you run the risk of losing your identity and right now, we haven’t got a clear identity ...

“Getting there doesn’t guarantee success and you’ve got to keep producing – Geelong has done it for the best part of 12 years for two premierships. Yes, we haven’t got it right, but we’ve been there and I’m proud of that.

“I’m proud we’ve been in that position and we’re not going anywhere.”

That couldn't have been a much longer way to say absolutely nothing. Good effort

 

[mrmonkey]

He just comes across as having his head in the sand and not wanting to admit he was/is wrong. Incredibly stubborn person who refuses to change unless he is forced.

 

[Lord Nev]

They were completely different personalities. I was surprised Roos picked him to be his successor tbh. Think it was more a case of bottom of the barrel than anything.

Roos built this team, Goody just got lucky more than anything.

Roos really really wanted Dew but he turned us down - Goodwin was more a PJ pick that Roos accepted cos he had no choice IMO.

 

[mrmonkey]

TBF Goody started off playing an exciting footy early on. Some big wins in 2017/18. I do think the he is trying to play a more attacking game but unfortunately it's come too late.

 

[Topkent]

TBF Goody started off playing an exciting footy early on. Some big wins in 2017/18. I do think the he is trying to play a more attacking game but unfortunately it's come too late.

I don't agree

 

[Daemon]

TBF Goody started off playing an exciting footy early on. Some big wins in 2017/18. I do think the he is trying to play a more attacking game but unfortunately it's come too late.

That was all Craig Jennings.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Bit harsh on Goodwin. Had the balls to piss off Watts and Hogan and go hard on recruiting the backline. Hibbo and Melksham only came to us because of Goodwin.

I wish Watts stayed. **** Slick. Watts would have kicked 8 in the 2021 granny.

 

[Topkent]

I wish Watts stayed. **** Slick. Watts would have kicked 8 in the 2021 granny.

He wouldn't have been bullied by Caleb Daniel either
Watts 1
Melbourne 0

 

[BG32]

****ing get him and that forward line dickhead out of here. I’ve had enough

 

[netslave]

from winning a Premiership to stop watching games, that's how far we've come now.

 

[Johnny Karate]

 

[BG32]

from winning a Premiership

Haven't won a ****ing final since

 

[Deelighted]

 

[Charlie_s123]

Wrong thread

 

[Demon in Hell]

Please, please get rid of Greg Stafford

Greg Stafford

Age

50

Ht

204cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.1

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

4.3

3star

HO

11.7

5star

No current season stats available

D

7.2

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

4.2

4star

HO

5.8

5star

.

 

[MarcMaverick]

 

[stEdy]

Good thing Jack Viney

7

Jack Viney

Age

30

Ht

179cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.1

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

12.6

5star

M

2.8

3star

T

5.7

5star

CL

5.0

5star

D

21.8

5star

K

10.3

4star

HB

11.5

5star

M

2.5

3star

T

4.5

5star

CL

5.0

5star

D

13.4

4star

K

8.6

4star

HB

4.8

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

3.6

5star

did that full time Deloitte internship over the summer.

 

[The Dr]

from winning a Premiership to stop watching games, that's how far we've come now.

That's where I'm at sadly.

The club is risking losing a lot of the supporters who jumped on after the flag.


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[mrmonkey]

I can't remember how long it's been since we've been this unwatchable maybe 2015?