Former Melbourne Demons president Joe Gutnick calls on caretaker Brad Green to make club-shaking moves

Thousands of Melbourne fans have backed former president Joe Gutnick’s call for the embattled club to sack coach Simon Goodwin. Have your say here.

Passionate former Melbourne president Joe Gutnick would dump coach Simon Goodwin if he was still running the club.

In a bombshell claim, Gutnick said Goodwin needed to follow Kate Roffey out the door so the club could have a “facelift, new page” after two years of off-field controversy and failures on the field.

“I haven’t got anything personal against Goodwin, I just think he’s been given the chance,” Gutnick said.

A former Demons president has called for Simon Goodwin to be sacked from Melbourne’s coaching job. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“Melbourne needs to have a facelift, a new page, and one of those things is the president is out and the coach should move on as well.’’

Gutnick on Wednesday met caretaker president Brad Green at the MCG and offered multiple solutions to the club’s woes.

Gutnick described his meeting with Green as “warm and frank” and said change was still urgently needed at the club, starting with the premiership coach.

“I told Brad that if I was president I would ask the coach to move on,” Gutnick said.

“I know there would be players who wouldn’t agree with me, however, 100 per cent of the supporters I’m friends with, both Jewish and non-Jewish, think he should move on.

“Melbourne needs a rejuvenation and injection and that’s one of the ways to do it.”

Goodwin was appointed coach for the 2017 season and at the end of 2023 had his contract extended until the end of 2026.

Former president Joe Gutnick says he would elevate Christian Petracca as heir-apparent to Max Gawn. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

Gutnick, who was president from 1996-2001, echoed the sentiment of all fans when he said he was concerned about Petracca’s beef with the club, which left the four-time All Australian exploring a trade. He encouraged the Demons to earmark Petracca as he next captain.

“I would offer him to the heir apparent to Max Gawn,” he said.

“Brad told me Christian was going well and I asked if I could meet him, and Brad said he could facilitate it, and facilitate a meeting with some of the board members.

“There are many issues and gripes Petracca has, but whether all the players want him to be the heir apparent is another question, but for the facelift of the club, he’s the right person.”

Gutnick was critical of outgoing president Roffey for not being welcoming. He said correspondence from himself to Roffey and the board was not passed on to the directors.

“Brad said he only learnt I had written to the club when he read it in the Herald Sun – they weren’t passed on, which was disappointing,’’ Gutnick said.

“The difference between Kate and Brad is Brad has been welcoming me to the club, in the past couple of years he had pushed me to come to games, and he’s been very encouraging.’’

Gutnick said he would support Green’s appointment as permanent president.

“He’s got a family life and he’s got a business, so it’s something he has to decide, but I would strongly endorse him staying,’’ he said.

“He’s a football person, he understands players, he’s been captain, he understands coaches and he understands the club. And maybe they have to bring other people on to the board, which he agreed with. He’s open to ideas and I have to say, the opposite to Kate.’’

Past Melbourne Football Club presidents Joe Gutnick, Jim Stynes, Paul Gardner, reunite in 2009 along with other former Demons leaders.

Pert has faced fierce media and supporter angst around reference to having the ‘’best culture in 40 years’’ and although Gutnick said it was a ‘’very clever’’ comment, he said Pert was important in finalising the establishment of a home base at Caulfield racecourse.

“He should stay because that’s something, even when I had my position, that was extremely essential that Melbourne should have its own home,” Gutnick said.

“He’s the one who can find the donors and find the people and that’s important in the facelift for the club.’’

He said he and Green discussed the issues of player behaviour, and was adamant the club should end the two-year dispute with Bartlett.

“They should try to work out a solution,’’ Gutnick said. “They should be welcoming him to the club, they should be welcoming everyone.

‘’Brad said that himself, there should be more humility displayed by the Melbourne Football Club and they should be more welcoming of people, and different ideas.

“There has been issues, no question about it, and Brad admits that, and there has to be change and No. 1 the president has gone and who else has to go? My advice is the coach has to go as well. And whoever else after he delves into the (issues of) the club.”

Originally published as Former Melbourne Demons president Joe Gutnick calls on caretaker Brad Green to make club-shaking moves