Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin puts spotlight on his players to respond on King’s Birthday

The heat is on Melbourne with attacks on fitness and form and coach Simon Goodwin says there’s only one way to respond.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says the players have an opportunity to bounce back. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin concedes his whole operation left itself open to “criticism in every area” but rejected any notion his team’s fitness or reliance on injured defender Jake Lever had made them extra vulnerable ahead of a King’s Birthday showdown with Collingwood.

It will be the first meeting between the two teams since the Magpies won last year’s qualifying final by seven points, a match that was the last for Demons on-baller Angus Brayshaw after he was knocked out by Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard.

But Goodwin dismissed both elements as a focus of revenge for his team, which has enough of its own issues to deal with and a need to rediscover the “identity” Melbourne has been lacking in three losses in the past four games, including a 92-point smashing by Fremantle last weekend.

“We haven’t spoken about that … worrying about the past isn’t where we are at. We’ve got to worry about what’s in front of us,” he said on Friday.

“If you’re not burning after a 92-point loss, then there’s something wrong. It sits in your guts, you’re disappointed, because you’re disappointed with how it was seen and how you played.

Angus Brayshaw was stretchered off following this incident with Brayden Maynard.#AFLFinalspic.twitter.com/flpBmdXtHf

— AFL (@AFL) September 7, 2023

“There’s an opportunity that’s staring us right in the face this week. We need to lean in and we need to get back doing the things that we know we can.

“We haven’t lost our ability, we haven’t lost the unity that will drive that, but we need to create an identity that’s going to be consistent.”

The loss to the Dockers in Alice Springs added to a pile of recent defeats, including to cellar-dwellers West Coast in round 11 and Carlton at the MCG the week before that.

After seeing vision of shirtless Demons post-match last weekend, former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley questioned whether they were in “elite” shape, while other critics have pointed to the absence of key defensive pillar Lever as a major issue.

But Goodwin was having none of either theory after declaring he and his players had “gone to work” on addressing contest and defensive areas he believed were crucial to rediscovering Melbourne’s best.

“When you lose the way you lose you open yourself up to criticism in every area, whether that be players, personnel, method, fitness, you name it, unity, care,” he said.

“People are going to challenge you on all that, that’s what this industry does. You are going to be criticised.

“But I am really comfortable with where this group sits. I am really comfortable with the work the club has put in and the players have put in and we’ll get back to work, don’t worry.”

Melbourne should be boosted on Monday by the return of key forward Jacob van Rooyen, who missed the loss to the Dockers through injury.

Originally published as Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin puts spotlight on his players to respond on King’s Birthday