Defiant Simon Goodwin says a loss to West Coast wouldn’t end his tenure as Demons coach

Simon Goodwin says he won’t be ‘consumed with results’ ahead of a high-pressure clash with West Coast – saying he feels supported by the Demons board. Have your say.

A defiant Simon Goodwin says he will not be “consumed with results” and insists he feels completely supported by Melbourne’s board.

The embattled Demons coach presented to the board on Monday night but said the session was nothing more than a “standard” strategy meeting between the club’s football department and its directors.

Goodwin said he had no concerns that his players lacked trust in each other or the coaching staff after Sunday’s horror six-point loss to St Kilda, which left Melbourne on the wrong side of the new league record for the largest three-quarter time comeback.

He was adamant that his position as senior coach would not be affected if the Demons slipped up again in their clash with 18th-placed West Coast on Saturday.

Simon Goodwin at three quarter time on Sunday. Picture: Michael Klein

“That would be me getting consumed with noise, and that’s not what I’m about. That’s not what we are about,” he said.

“We get another opportunity against a football club this week to show – not talk, show – what we’re about, and that’s the focus this week.”

Goodwin said the Demons had “been here before” in 2018, when they suffered a crushing after-the-siren defeat away to Geelong before quickly correcting course.

He said the “panic” on display against the Saints did not stem from a lack of trust.

“No, not at all. They trust each other, they trust the process, but clearly on the weekend they got it wrong,” Goodwin said.

“I’ve been in this position before – 2018 we played a game down in Geelong, we were up by 30 points, Geelong kicked eight goals in the last quarter … Zach Tuohy took a mark and kicked a goal after the siren to win the game.

“These things happen in footy, and they happen for a reason, but what it can do … as hard as it is, and as brutal as it is on everyone – the players, staff and supporters – it can help you grow. It did then (in 2018), and it will this time.”

Goodwin said he felt “incredibly supported” by the Demons board, after president Brad Green issued a letter to members earlier this week acknowledging the hurt felt by the club and its supporters at the end of a poor season.

“It was just a standard board meeting (on Monday) around the strategy, where we’re at and what we’re trying to achieve,” he said.

“We’re all very aligned … and we always knew that in this period of transition, there would be challenge.

“Our job is not to get consumed with the noise; our job is to go about the process to create success.

“These conversations are ongoing … I feel incredibly supported by the board, I have for nine years, and we’ve been able to go through these challenges before with clarity, strength and stability to create success.”

Goodwin said a hoax threat made against him by a troll account on X (formerly Twitter) at the end of the St Kilda game remained in the hands of Victoria Police.

But he said he did not want the social media post to deflect attention from Melbourne’s challenges.

The Demons walk off after losing to St Kilda on the weekend. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images.

“You clearly hear about it … your family hears about it, that’s for sure,” Goodwin said.

“That’s in the hands of the AFL and the police … clearly we don’t want to see that in our game, but I don’t want to make that the focus of today.

“They have been (Victoria Police has been investigating), I think that’s under control, so there’s no issues from my end.”

The coach said Melbourne had received clarity from the AFL over the implementation of the 6-6-6 rule after the calamitous end to the Saints game.

“Who can go where on a reset … clearly we’ve got to reset the field, that was the first thing,” Goodwin said.

“The ruckman has to stand on the mark, but the players on the inside (in the centre square) can pretty much go wherever they need to.

“There’s a bit of technicality in it … I think that every club has probably taken note of it, because it’s a situation that you don’t want to be involved in.”

Originally published as Defiant Simon Goodwin says a loss to West Coast wouldn’t end his tenure as Demons coach