Melbourne president says team not performing to expected standards as pressure grows on coach Simon Goodwin

On Monday the Melbourne president tried to calm an agitated supporter base after a winless start but made no mention of one key figure.

Simon Goodwin, Senior Coach of the Demons (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Melbourne president Brad Green failed to address the ongoing future of coach Simon Goodwin in a letter to members which conceded the winless Demons were not playing at the “standard we expect” as pressure grows.

After a turbulent off-season which included the near loss of superstar midfielders Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver to rivals, amid their personal discontent, Melbourne has failed to fire a shot in the opening four rounds.

A loss to Essendon during Gather Round amplified criticisms about a stuttering forward line unable to score and raised questions about premiership coach Goodwin’s capacity to turn things around.

Goodwin said he had “confidence” he was the man for the job but in an open letter on Monday, Green made no specific mention of the coach, telling members only that the coaching group was “determined”.
“I’m writing to acknowledge what has been a disappointing start to the season. Sitting at 0-5 isn’t the standard we expect of ourselves, and we know it’s frustrating, for our members, supporters, and everyone inside the club,” Green said in the letter.

Simon Goodwin, Coach of the Demons and senior assistant Mark Williams. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

“What I can assure you of is that we have a determined group of players and coaches who will drive the team’s response.

“We saw during the third quarter of Saturday night’s match the style of game we want to play. If we can focus on delivering that style of play more consistently and effectively, keep training hard and sharpening our game, we’ll see better results.

“That’s the only way forward, and we must stay focused on improving.”

Through the opening five rounds, Melbourne last for scoring, averaging only 62 points per game, despite boasting what’s thought to be one of the AFL’s best midfields.

Ahead of a crunch clash with Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday, Goodwin said criticism was hard to avoid, but said the “values” demanded they stick together.

“We also know there’s been a lot of external commentary about our performances – that is to be expected when we are not playing well,” Green said.

Melbourne president Brad Green (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“Our values – trust, respect, unity and excellence – have guided us through difficult periods before, and we’ll rely on them again to return us to a club where you feel proud to belong.

“Our next game is against Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday at 1:20pm. It’s a new opportunity to show what we’re made of. The players and coaches are determined to lift and give our fans a performance we can all be proud of.”

Originally published as Melbourne president says team not performing to expected standards as pressure grows on coach Simon Goodwin