Leaked documents reveal Melbourne crisis talks over coach Simon Goodwin’s behaviour

Leaked documents have revealed when two key Melbourne officials first raised behavioural issues with coach Simon Goodwin and how he responded.

Simon Goodwin, Senior Coach, and Max Gawn of the Demons hold the cup aloft during the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final.

Melbourne’s board considered standing down coach Simon Goodwin on the eve of the 2021 premiership season as it investigated claims of ­serious behavioural issues and bullying, explosive documents reveal.

Claims about the coach’s alleged misconduct from 2018 to early 2021 triggered a series of internal crisis talks up until April last year, and a meeting with the AFL.

Demons officials had been so concerned about what Goodwin “might get up to in Las Vegas” – on a trip in late 2019 – a chaperone was sent to keep an eye on him, a club doctor-turned-whistleblower claimed.

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Leaked emails, board memos and transcripts of meetings reveal several ­directors, including then-president Glen Bartlett, were so alarmed about allegations regarding Goodwin’s lifestyle and workplace bullying they discussed standing him down.

“YOU CAN’T BE DOING THAT S***”: GIL’S GOODWIN CONCERN REVEALED

But the two major casualties of the internal turmoil were Bartlett, forced out of the club last April, and head doctor Zeeshan Arain, who had been sacked days after raising concerns about Goodwin’s behaviour and the club culture with chief executive Gary Pert in October 2020.

Documents reveal the board crisis unravelled after Dr Arain hit the club with an unlawful dismissal claim on October 15, 2020, in which the medico said he “encountered unreasonable and repeated behaviour by Mr Goodwin” and the coach used ­“aggressive language and tone” in relation to the management of ­injuries involving senior players.

“He (Dr Arain) informed you (Pert) among other matters that the culture within the club was a risk to the health and safety of everyone involved,” a legal letter seen by the Herald Sun said.

“According to Dr Arain, you (Pert) acknowledged similar matters were raised by others.”

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin and captain Max Gawn raise the 2021 premiership cup. Pictures: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The legal claim was the first time Melbourne’s board was aware of alleged workplace bullying by Goodwin, prompting the club to ­engage law firm Ashurst.

Dr Arain would receive a six-figure payout as part of a settlement in late November 2020 that required him to co-operate with a board ­investigation into the bullying claims.

Bartlett conducted an ­interview with Dr Arain on December 11, 2020, when the more serious allegations of worrying behaviour by Goodwin first came to the attention of the board.

Bartlett outlined the findings of his interview with Dr Arain in a memorandum sent to Pert and Demons directors later that day, titled “Complaints regarding Simon Goodwin”. The memo detailed how Dr Arain said he raised concerns with Demons people and culture manager Jim Plunkett and football boss Josh Mahoney during a pre-season camp at Maroochydore in January 2020.

Mahoney had “thanked” him for passing on the information and commented that Alan Richardson, who he described as “a straight down the line family man”, had been sent on a club trip to the US in late 2019 “because he was concerned with what Simon … may get up to in Las Vegas,” Dr Arain claimed.

Simon Goodwin celebrates after the 2021 Grand Final. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

A whistleblower raised serious allegations about Simon Goodwin’s behaviour. Picture: Michael Klein

According to the board memo, Dr Arain told the club “one staff (member) and one player directly spoke to me that they know first hand” Goodwin had serious lifestyle issues.

“Another staff member has mentioned they have heard this also,” the memo stated.

In an email to club chiefs on December 21, 2020, Bartlett described Dr Arain as “in effect a ‘whistleblower’ ”, alleging Goodwin had behavioural problems, adding “some staff knew about this in January 2020”.

Bartlett said in a further email: “I have now formed the view that workplace bullying occurred towards Dr Arain which would amount to misconduct in my view, if not serious misconduct … Do we continue to hold the necessary trust and confidence in the senior coach with regard to his behaviour and performance/capability?”

He added: “These matters are obviously very serious and ­extremely sensitive. It is imperative that all of us do not discuss any of these matters outside the board meeting with any other person.”

In yet another email, board member David Robb questioned what Plunkett had done about the allegations passed on by the doctor, adding he would like to learn “what he knows/has heard about the behaviour of the senior coach”.

Simon Goodwin embraces Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca. Picture: Michael Klein

Discussions about standing Goodwin down pending a full investigation – and whether the club was obligated to report his alleged behavioural issues to the AFL integrity department – were held at an emergency board meeting just days before Christmas 2020.

Issues canvassed included Goodwin’s conduct at Sorrento Hotel, workplace bullying, a health episode during a fan forum that month, and gambling in public.

Documents reveal Bartlett and fellow board member Mohan Jesudason also ­directly raised the club’s concerns about Goodwin’s ­behaviour with AFL supremos Gillon McLachlan and Richard Goyder in an online meeting on February 2, 2021.

During that meeting, ­McLachlan detailed his own knowledge of Goodwin’s drinking and gambling at Sorrento Hotel and encouraged Bartlett to remove the coach – and Pert – if required.

Documents show Bartlett, accompanied by Pert, confronted Goodwin at Casey Fields on February 10 about his behaviour, but the coach did not ­accept there was a problem.

Goodwin kept his job, while Bartlett, a workplace lawyer elected unopposed for another 12-month term in March 2021, was forced out in a board coup just a month later.

Former Melbourne president Glen Bartlett. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

Emails further reveal that despite the fact the club signed a non-disparagement agreement with Dr Arain as part of a deal to settle his ­unlawful dismissal claim in late 2020, Pert lambasted the medico in correspondence with board members.

“In the last few month’s (sic) Zee (Dr Arain) has made many accusations about many people at the club,” Pert wrote in a December 20, 2020 email.

“Firstly, during his legal claim for which he was suing the club for $250k.

“This was a claim full of inaccuracies, misrepresentations and a rewriting of history, which was a frustration to all he was ­accusing.

“It was designed to get a payout at the club’s ­expense, which gives you an insight into Zee’s character … he needs to be held to account …

“One of the main reasons I terminated Zee’s contract is that I had lost trust in his honesty and integrity, which is completely unacceptable for a head doctor … when dealing with Zee on issues, he consistently changed his stories when I challenged him on ­details and his stories rarely matched up to other people involved …

“I raise this so the board has a broader understanding of the dynamics, but again I stress, it should not distract us from the serious accusations that are being made and the fact that we need to establish the facts around these accusations.”

Melbourne players mob premiership coach Simon Goodwin. Picture: Michael Klein

In a reply to Pert and club directors on December 21, 2020, Bartlett said: “These are serious matters and we all ­really need to stick to process and the facts.

“In the middle of October 2020, Dr Arain through his lawyers made some allegations against Gary (Pert) and Simon (Goodwin) personally, which potentially could have serious ramifications.

“We engaged (top law firm) Ashurst and settled these claims with Dr Arain and that settlement was ­recorded in a deed.

“As part of the settlement Dr Arain is required to co-operate with me (or my delegate) regarding matters associated with the workplace bullying allegations he made against the senior coach.

“The deed places, among other things, specific obligations on members of the exec (and directors) not to disparage Dr Arain.

“We don’t want to get into a situation where Dr Arain claims we have breached the deed, terminates the deed and commences litigation …

“Even if we doubted the credibility of our former doctor (with eight-plus years’ service) we still have a duty to investigate and act on information he has provided.

“I should add that while I always treat information from disgruntled ex-employees with caution I have no reason to believe that Dr Arain has fabricated anything to me.

“It doesn’t mean that I ­believe the allegations – it simply means that I am not prepared to just dismiss them and nor should any board member acting reasonably.”

It is unclear what happened with the club investigation into Goodwin’s behaviour after Bartlett departed.

Goodwin, 45, led the Demons to a flag last September.

Responding to questions from the Herald Sun on Monday night, Bartlett said: “With regard to Dr Arain, I developed a president/club doctor relationship over eight years based on trust and mutual respect.

“I wish him all the very best and have nothing further to add.”

Neither the AFL nor Melbourne responded to detailed questions from the newspaper on Monday.

Originally published as Leaked documents reveal Melbourne crisis talks over coach Simon Goodwin’s behaviour