Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin responds to Demon great David Schwarz’s ‘irrelevant’ critique
Melbourne has been belted from pillar to post in the past week, with former Demon David Schwarz slamming the club as “irrelevant”. Here’s what coach Simon Goodwin thinks.
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Melbourne is determined to get better rather than bitter, coach Simon Goodwin has declared, after a week under the blowtorch.
Former star David Schwarz labelled the Demons “irrelevant” in a scathing assessment of the club’s 1-3 start to the season, having won just five games from their last 26.
Herald Sun analyst Mick McGuane said that the team’s midfield lacked balance, while the team’s forward conversion rate since the start of 2019 has been the lowest of any team.
Goodwin conceded that the “noise” had “filtered” its way to Manly, where the club will be based for the immediate term, but is adamant that his players are “up for the challenge”.
“They’re not getting bitter, they just want to get better,” he said.
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“We understand the position that we’re in, that there’s going to be noise.
“It hasn’t been short of an opinion from across the board, from past players, to past coaches, to experts of the game about what should be happening.
“All I’ll say is we’re not sitting around here saying ‘woe us’. We know we need to get better, but we’re up for that challenge.
“We’re working really hard, and we want to do really well. We’re 1-3 – there’s plenty left in this season and plenty left to work through. And we’re going to keep doing that.”
Former Melbourne strategist Craig Jennings, who worked closely with Goodwin at both Essendon and Melbourne before departing the Demons at the end of last season, this week lashed the team’s game plan.
Goodwin refused to be drawn on the specifics of his former colleague’s brutal assessment.
“People come and go in this industry from various clubs, whether it be players, whether it be staff,” he said.
“And when you’re out of the environment, you don’t really know what’s going on.
“All we are focused on is what we can control internally. We understand there’s going to be noise. It’s easy to develop noise.
“Whether you’re playing well, whether you’re playing poorly. And right now, we’re in a position as a club, we’re 1-3 and the noise is starting to … but we are up for that challenge. We understand the noise, we understand what’s in front of us. And it doesn’t disappoint me – it’s just a reality of the industry and where you sit.”
Adam Tomlinson – who joined the Demons on a four-year deal at the end of last season – has been dropped for the first time this season and “is aware that he’s not playing his best footy”, while midfielder Harley Bennell has been recalled for Saturday night’s crunch clash with Melbourne.
The team is planning to be based in Sydney for at least five weeks, with a significant number of families joining the trip.
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And connection via an old-fashioned table tennis tournament has been at the top of Goodwin’s agenda, albeit if his own game needs some work.
“Christian Salem thinks he’s a bit of a hairdresser, so he’s getting a few boys done at the moment,” he laughed.
“But we’ve also had a staff-players table tennis competition. All those things that put some connection.
“A couple of footy tech guys (won it) – they think they’re going pretty well. (Assistant coach Greg) Stafford and myself got knocked out in the quarters, I think (Josh) Mahoney and (Shannon) Byrnes got through to the semi-finals.
“There’s a bit going on over here, but it’s good.”
SCHWARZ: DEES ARE ‘IRRELEVANT’
Former great David Schwarz says under siege Melbourne is bordering on irrelevant.
In a scathing assessment, Schwarz pointed the finger at the players, coach Simon Goodwin and the board and fears a challenge to the club‘s hierarchy if performances don’t improve.
The Demons are 1-3 this season and have won five games from their past 26 matches.
Schwarz has levelled his frustration at all senior office holders at the club, including Goodwin, president Glen Bartlett and new chief executive Gary Pert.
Of the players, he said too many were gifted games and many “won’t die for their jumper’’. And he also queried Melbourne’s recruiting, suggesting some players only came to the Demons for money.
“It’s almost as if Melbourne is irrelevant,” Schwarz said.
“It’s a strong word, ‘irrelevant’, but that is what everyone is saying. I’ve felt it for a long time.
“They haven’t had a backbone for a long, long time. They don’t have anyone who will speak up and be honest.
“I’d love someone from Melbourne Football Club to fly the flag for us (fans) and say, ‘it’s not bloody good enough, we ain’t accepting it and we’re not going to play players who aren’t up to it’.”
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Schwarz acknowledged Goodwin, who is under pressure to fix his ailing forward group, was calm and level-headed in his press conferences, but believed the coach had to be harder on his players.
“I want to see Simon Goodwin come out and say, ‘these players aren’t hard enough, my players at the moment aren’t fierce enough and won’t die for their jumper’.
“Everyone has to take responsibility for what happens, and I know there’s a million excuses going around, but every other club is in the same predicament.
“When the Bulldogs were questioned after Rounds 1 and 2, Luke Beveridge came out and said, ‘we’re not good enough, not hard enough and I’m going to put it on the boys’ and Marcus Bontempelli stepped up against GWS.
“Who’s that Melbourne player who’s going to do that for us?
“Too many players at Melbourne for too long have been given games when they don’t deserve it.”
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Schwarz described his frustration level as “eight, or nine out of 10”.
Other Demons fans have voiced their anger on social media and to the club on Monday.
Former captain Garry Lyon also was strong with his criticism yesterday after the Demons fell to injury-ravaged Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.
Schwarz questioned the motives of some recent recruits, believing they came to Melbourne for the money.
“They recruit some blokes who are looking for a pay check, and they recruit some blokes who are escaping for some reason from the other clubs,’’ he said.
“I’d like some players to put their hand up like Jake Lever did and say, ‘I want to come because I believe something special is happening’, not because financially they’re going to be better off.
“I want people to come to the footy club because it’s a great club to go to, not because it’s going to service their needs.
“That’s what Hawthorn does, players choose to go to Hawthorn. People don’t choose to go to Melbourne, players go to Melbourne because they haven’t got another choice.’’
He predicts a challenge to the board if performance doesn’t improve.
“There’s as much pressure on the coach as there is on everyone else holding key positions at the footy club,” he said.
“And people will come for all positions. They’ll want to overthrow the board because they’ll want to see change.”
Originally published as Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin responds to Demon great David Schwarz’s ‘irrelevant’ critique