Mark Robinson looks at who the real Simon Goodwin is ahead of Melbourne’s moment against Geelong

Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin is the master of calm, if not mystery. But what’s really behind that poker face? Mark Robinson goes back through his journey to find out.

You wouldn’t want to play poker against Simon Goodwin – you’d never guess what he was holding. Whether it was triple Jacks and fives or a King-high bunch of nothing, Goodwin’s facial expression wouldn’t offer a hint of impending joy or hopeless ambition.

He has an ability to remain tranquil, almost steely.

Look at his face. Is that a hint of a smile? Or is that irritation? Is he deeply invested in the reporter’s question, or is he wondering, where did he buy that shirt from?

He would never be so insincere, but the point is Goodwin is the master of calm, if not mystery. As coach, his station is the boundary line. He rarely smiles when he’s there because football – to him – is not about emotion, it’s about doing a job.

“Goody’s the most professional player I’ve ever had anything to do with,’’ great mate and former teammate Mark Ricciuto says.

Simon Goodwin is the master of calm. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

From Adelaide player to Melbourne coach, via the drugs debacle at Essendon where Goodwin was an assistant, Ricciuto says nothing’s changed. There’s been private turmoil and marital change and, in the past two years, accusing headlines and September failure.

But through it all, Goodwin has remained largely unflappable.

The past two years especially when, from the outside, it seemed his football club was on fire.

“I’ve been amazed, what’s the right way to say it … I’ve been concerned for him and I’ve kept checking in on him, but I think he’s so hardened now by the competition,’’ Ricciuto says.

“He’s been in it for 27-28 years and I reckon whatever you can throw at him now, he can just handle it. I reckon he’s that hardened by what he’s experienced (on) the way through, whether it was back when Malcolm Blight and Neil Craig were there at the start, he went to Essendon and dealt with the turmoil there … I don’t think anything surprises him anymore.

“He’s been through highs and lows. Through the Crows, through Essendon, through Melbourne, through his own stuff, he’s been through divorce.

“He knows how to deal with it. I think he knows what’s important. He loves his players and as a player, he loved his teammates. He’d give everything for his coaches.

“Goody is as good a mate as you could get. And I would think everyone who has played under him would say he’s a fantastic coach. Everyone wants him to succeed.’’

THE RESILIENT ONE

Alan Richardson has only known Goodwin for four years.

Richardson joined Melbourne ahead of the 2020 season as the director of coaching. He now has a more fandangled title around high performance, and he joked that he speaks to Goodwin every day and sees him 10 times more than he sees his own wife.

He, too, is amazed by the ol’ poker face.

That’s not that he’s in any way wary of him, that’s admiration.

“There’s one word and – if I can park all the footy stuff – there’s a bit of genius there and we can talk about that in a minute, but it’s his resilience,’’ Richardson says of Goodwin.

“His ability to park – whether it’s been noise about him and it’s incredibly frustrating when the noise is not true, he’s able to put that to one side.

“He’s (also) able to put any level of self-interest to one side and just focus on the team and focus on the footy club. It’s just so impressive.’’

And the calmness amid the turbulence?

“Yeah, he’s got that,’’ Richardson says. “Because I’ve worked with him a fair while now, I just know how resilient he is, so that calmness doesn’t surprise me anyone.

“Did it used to surprise me? You know, when the accusations were coming his way, and going out in straight sets last year, so there’s a bit of personal stuff and a bit of footy stuff, it was just how quickly he could move on, just quickly he could refocus.

“He understands his responsibilities as a leader. He’s done a fair it of work reflecting and he’s (as) committed as anyone to his own professional development, and it’s just so impressive how quickly he gets back in the zone.”

Goodwin, right, with Alan Richardson. Picture: Michael Klein

Off the ground, Melbourne and Goodwin have endured headline after headline about drugs and culture, about Clayton Oliver and Joel Smith, and about the toxic departure of former president Glen Bartlett in 2021. The Bartlett turmoil is never-ending and every time a story is written, led by this masthead, Goodwin is named, among others.

Goodwin’s ability to deal with those accusations astounds Richardson.

He recounts how he and Goodwin would be at the training base at Casey Fields and chief executive Gary Pert would be at the MCG office on a phone hook-up.

Pert tells them another article is coming and that “unfortunately Goody it’s disappointing … it’s all this crap again and it’s pointing the finger at you’’.

Richardson: “You know, it’s bloody challenging for your family – and the family stuff does upset him – but he can go from that conversation and be in front of the players within five minutes and he’s just bang-on. The players wouldn’t even know. It’s quite amazing really.

“He’s so understanding of how important his demeanour is, particularly when we’re under pressure. Let’s be honest, we’ve won more games of footy and more quarters than any club in three years, so we’ve had a pretty good time of it.

“But there’s been some challenging periods.’’

THE COMPETITOR

Mark Ricciuto was 20 years old when Goodwin, aged 19, was drafted to the Crows with pick No.18 in the 1996 draft. Goodwin played in Round 1 in 1997 – he played 10 games all-up in his first season, which included the premiership win over St Kilda.

From the outset, Ricciuto noted a character trait in Goodwin that has survived all the way through.

“He’s a competitor,’’ he says.

With Blight as coach and Craig as the guru of fitness, Goodwin was introduced to an environment that had a touch of old-school barbarity and new-age teachings.

Former Adelaide stars Goodwin and Mark Ricciuto.

Goodwin with former coach Neil Craig.

“We had a group of us coming through and it was Malcolm Blight’s first year and Blighty came to the club to win premierships and no one was going to stop him, or get in his way,’’ Ricciuto says.

“With Neil Craig as fitness coach, that first year of ‘97, we did 13 weeks of training before Christmas.

“Goody, like all of us, had his eyes opened coming into a football club, which had an old-school, hard coach, who had lost premierships, but who knew what it took to be good.

“And he had a fitness coach who would over-train (rather) than under-train and who would never take any shortcuts.

“From that time on, Simon Goodwin never left anything to chance in his football career and never took any shortcuts. Neil Craig instilled a work ethic into us that I don’t think Goody has ever stopped.

“Under Craig, when he was coaching, we were called the Crowbots … we had game plans and roles for everything, there was nothing left to chance.

“Goody coaches like that. That’s why he’s had – for ages – the best defensive side in the competition. He’s a disciple of Blighty and Craigy.’’

THE MOMENT

Every now and then a game arrives for a football club.

On Saturday night, it is Melbourne versus Geelong at the MCG.

The Demons are a good side, but it’s unsure if they are a great side. This year, they have beaten the Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn, the two South Australian teams and Richmond, and lost to Sydney and Brisbane.

They had excuses for the Lions’ loss, but this mob always has excuses. That time it was because they were tired. In last year’s final series, it’s because they didn’t kick straight.

That’s Melbourne’s lot – defensively sound and offensively deficient.

Whether it be lack of talent or lack of connection up forward, which is about ball delivery and player positioning, or even more simply about how they kick it to the pockets so it’s easier to set defence, the Demons have had their issues.

At 5-2, and with months ahead to refine and grow, particularly ahead of the ball, they’ve at least put themselves in a good position.

Bayley Fritsch, Max Gawn and Goodwin on Anzac Day eve. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

They are a team in transformation. This may surprise, but on average, they fielded a team younger than Richmond in Round 8.

Clearly, it surprised Dustin Martin. At the final siren, Martin shook hands with Steven May, then Jack Viney, then Caleb Windsor, and then Bailey Fritsch.

Dusty, it is believed, said to Fritsch: “F---ing hell, he looks like he’s 12.’’

Windsor looks and is young. But he’s reliable.

Blake Howes, who spent three years in the VFL, is reliable.

Taj Woewodin was the same as Howes and is becoming reliable.

Daniel Turner has also waited his turn and they hope he becomes reliable.

Even recruit Jack Billings is more reliable than he was at St Kilda.

For sure, Melbourne is a hard, reliable team, made up of a gang of elite, professional and consistent senior players, which has the youth not wanting to let the senior blokes down.

And at the helm is Goodwin. He preaches footy’s fundamentals: Contest, pressure and he is defensively sound – or is that the genius Richardson was referring to?

We will know more after Saturday night.

“This is their moment,’’ Jack Riewoldt said on AFL 360 on Wednesday night.

He’s right, and a win over the premiership favourites would rocket them up the power rankings.

For one week at least, Goodwin would hold a handful of aces, not that we’d know.

Originally published as Mark Robinson looks at who the real Simon Goodwin is ahead of Melbourne’s moment against Geelong