Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has been sacked after the board lost faith in the team’s direction. 

The 48‑year‑old was reportedly told on Monday night after the club’s win over the West Coast Eagles. 

Goodwin’s future had been in doubt after opening the season with five straight losses, followed by another five‑game losing streak that crushed their finals chances. 

Goodwin has spent much of the past few years navigating a string of controversies that have repeatedly threatened to overshadow his premiership success. 

In early 2022, reports surfaced that the club board had considered standing him down over allegations of bullying, gambling with players and an incident at the Sorrento Hotel, but a review cleared him to continue. 

Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin (pictured with wife Kris) has been sacked by the club after a season of poor results and ongoing controversies 

The Demons had just notched up a big win against the West Coast Eagles before the decision to cut ties with Goodwin

Court documents lodged by former president Glen Bartlett and his partner later claimed Goodwin had used illicit drugs and behaved poorly after the 2019 grand final,  accusations which the coach and the club strongly rejected as unsubstantiated. 

Goodwin has consistently denied all drug rumours, saying they have damaged his reputation and hurt his family, while CEO Gary Pert has maintained the allegations are false and that the coach retains full board support. 

In mid‑2025, his handling of player welfare came under scrutiny when he publicly mentioned captain Max Gawn’s private struggles, a revelation that reportedly blindsided Gawn and raised questions about internal trust. 

That came on the heels of a disastrous collapse against St Kilda, when Melbourne blew a 46‑point final‑quarter lead. 

Around the same time, a threatening social media post about killing Goodwin was reported to the AFL and police. 

The announcement still came with a degree of shock for Demons fans, after the club notched up a relieving 83-point win over the West Coast Eagles.

‘I’ve said it all along, it’s not about me,’ Goodwin said after the win.

‘It’s about the footy team and the footy club and we think we’ve been building something throughout the year without outcome and sometimes that can be really tough for our supporters and it can be tough for people internally.

Simon Goodwin’s public mention of Max Gawn’s private struggles sparked scrutiny and questions about trust within the Melbourne Demons

‘But I’m really clear about what we’re building and what we’re trying to build and what we’re trying to transition into and I can see it unfolding.

‘But we need to learn how we turn the process into outcome and today was a part of that, but we’ve still got work to do.’

Goodwin said he felt safe in his position as early as last week.

‘I feel incredibly supported by the board, I have for nine years,’ he said.

‘We’ve been able to go through these challenges before with clarity and strength and stability to create success.

‘In 2019 we finished second last, two years later we won the flag. You can’t get consumed in noise.

‘All you can do is be really clear about your strategy, clear about your process, understand the challenge … and go about the process to build the next great team.’

AFL great and media personality Nick Riewoldt said outside of the efforts of Max Gawn, the Demons had been ‘a mess culturally’.

He said the club must have a replacement in mind because of the timing, rattling off a list of contenders. 

‘Why now? You’re talking about someone who delivered the first premiership in a long, long time. He’s a great coach,’ Riewoldt said.

‘To do it with four weeks to go, you must feel like you’ve identified someone and want to get ahead of the pack.

‘There are some highly credentialed guys …. John Longmuire is sitting there waiting, Adam Simpson, Ken Kinkley, Nathan Buckley. There are some big names. If you want to get ahead of the pack, you jump early.’

The Melbourne Demons are 13th on the AFL ladder with a 7-13 record and three rounds left in the regular season. 

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