Explosive documents reveal Melbourne’s top brass agreed to start ‘scenario planning’ for sacking Simon Goodwin
Bombshell Melbourne Football Club board documents reveal the Demons’ top brass agreed to start “scenario planning” for the sacking of coach Simon Goodwin.
Explosive Melbourne Football Club board documents reveal the Demons’ top brass agreed to start “scenario planning” for the sacking of coach Simon Goodwin on the eve of the 2021 premiership season.
Minutes of a March 11, 2021 directors meeting obtained by the Herald Sun contradict the club’s repeated claims they had no concerns over Goodwin’s conduct at the time.
The five-hour board meeting focused on steps to be taken in the event Goodwin needed to be removed if the team performed badly, if his alleged off-field behaviour “blows up” or if he was unable to “cope” with the pressures of the job.
It came amid concerns over allegations of illicit drug use at the club, as well as gambling and bullying involving Goodwin and the sudden sacking of Melbourne doctor Zeeshan Arain just days after he had raised the alarm about the club’s culture.
The meeting in the Melbourne Room at the MCG was attended by 11 club officials including chief executive Gary Pert, current president and then-director Kate Roffey, football director Brad Green, vice-president Mohan Jesudason, board members John Trotter and Steve Morris and then-club boss Glen Bartlett.
“A discussion was held about the need to conduct scenarios if Simon Goodwin cannot cope or if the board does have to move on Simon Goodwin,” the minutes state.
“GB (Bartlett) noted that the MFC illicit drugs policy needs to be improved. A working group with some directors may be established … JT (Trotter) noted that a mid-year unplanned sacking is devastating to the club based on his experience on the MFC board.
“GB reiterated his strong view that the coach should not be dismissed on performance grounds in the middle of the season, but behaviours and capacity remain watching areas for Simon Goodwin …
“A discussion was held as to supporting Simon Goodwin and continually ensuring he is fit for work.”
According to the minutes, an action item was agreed for Bartlett, Green and Pert “to conduct scenario planning”.
Pert also provided a summary to the board of a meeting between himself, Bartlett and Goodwin at the club’s Casey training base where the coach was confronted with claims about his behaviour.
“There were difficult topics to discuss but were handled respectfully. Simon Goodwin understood the position of the board. The meeting achieved the outcome sought,” the minutes state.
But a month later it was Bartlett – not Goodwin – who was suddenly forced out by the board.
The March 11 directors meeting came just weeks after Bartlett and Jesudason met with AFL chiefs Gillon McLachlan and Richard Goyder to discuss Goodwin’s behaviour.
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.
Detailed notes of the March 11, 2021 directors’ meeting, also obtained by this masthead, shed further light on the concerns of the club.
Trotter told the meeting that with his “risk hat on” he wondered whether it would be prudent for the club to consider “some scenarios if these things arise”.
Pert responded: “You are crazy if you don’t do that … it is very unlikely that it will be a complete waste of time.”
But Pert questioned whether the issues surrounding the coach could do “damage to Goody’s self-esteem” and the club’s “ability to make finals”.
“We have a delicate balance but myself and Richo (football boss Alan Richardson) are talking about all of these little elements far more than Goody would know or the board,” Pert said, according to the notes.
Morris said it was important the board demonstrated “100 per cent support” for the coach, to which director David Robb replied: “So, as you know Steve, in the professional world there is no such thing as unconditional support … that is something reserved for your children”.
Robb also expressed his opposition to the board’s previous decision to add an extra year to Goodwin’s contract.
“Well, you know my view on that extra year – it shouldn’t have happened”, Robb said, to which Bartlett replied: “David, we are not going back over that … I have said this to ‘Goody’ – I hope and expect that he will be the next premiership coach of Melbourne … and I am happy he is being supported and receiving feedback and help”.
Green agreed with Trotter that scenario planning was important because “we don’t want to get to that day and not (have) done the work”.
Trotter recalled being on the Demons’ board “when we sacked Mark Neeld mid-season and it was really bad, screwed the club for three years”.
“We have to do it much better than that,” Trotter said before Green recounted his own experiences as an assistant coach at Carlton when coach Mick Malthouse was sacked mid-season.
“I was with Mick and they chased him with helicopters – amazing what they (the media) will do to get a story,” Green said.
At one point Roffey said: “What if he (Goodwin) got Covid or just got sick or whatever … we should have a scenario plan just like the Alastair Clarkson thing.”
Clarkson missed a chunk of the 2014 AFL season as coach of Hawthorn after being diagnosed with the rare health condition Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Fresh questions over Melbourne’s culture have ignited in recent weeks after incidents involving star midfielder Clayton Oliver and utility Joel Smith.
Bartlett is suing Roffey, Morris, Robb and board member David Rennick in the Federal Court for misleading and deceptive conduct and defamation in relation to his exit.
The club has steadfastly disputed that it ever considered standing Goodwin down or having any knowledge of his alleged behavioural problems.
In an interview on 3AW last year, Roffey said: “It never, ever got anywhere near like. I have said it many, many times – there isn’t a behavioural issue with Simon”.
Roffey, who replaced Bartlett as president, claimed she had “no idea” why the AFL had met with the club about Goodwin and didn’t even know it had taken place “until I read it in the paper”.
On the eve of the club’s 2021 grand final triumph, Roffey also claimed Bartlett’s exit was the result of months of “succession planning”.
But the board minutes confirm Bartlett was re-elected unopposed for another 12-month term at the March meeting, just weeks before his sudden departure.
Bartlett said last year: “All I wanted to do was create the very best environment for all of our people, not sack people because they had made a mistake or two, but make sure I could look every parent in the eye and say I was doing everything to create the best environment which was free of illegal drugs, gambling, workplace bullying, sexual harassment, infidelity, bad behaviour … that’s what I was about.”
When quizzed about the AFL’s involvement in the Melbourne crisis, McLachlan said last year: “We were called to a meeting, concerns were raised, then Gary (Pert) and the club investigated the concerns, dealt with them, and now we are talking about a club and a coach who is a premiership coach”.
Dr Arain, who received a six-figure payout after hitting the club with an unlawful dismissal claim, conducted an interview with Bartlett in December 2020 where serious allegations regarding Goodwin’s behaviour 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 then-football boss Josh Mahoney during a pre-season camp at Maroochydore in January 2020.
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’”.
Melbourne said in a statement on Tuesday: “The leaked details of an MFC board meeting from three years ago outline follow up discussions to unsubstantiated rumours regarding senior coach Simon Goodwin.
“Those rumours were thoroughly investigated at the time, including being discussed with Simon by then-president Glen Bartlett and CEO Gary Pert.
“Simon categorically denied any of the rumours including the insinuation that he was using illicit drugs.
“At the time the rumours were put to Simon, he expressed his anger, frustration and hurt that people were circulating information about him that was untrue.
“He asked Gary to follow up directly with individuals who were sharing those rumours, and all of those spoken to by Gary indicated they had no proof of any of the claims they were making.
“Simon talks openly that this was one of the toughest times in his life as a leader, as he was trying to coach the team while at the same time he felt then-president Glen Bartlett was using the unsubstantiated rumours to target him as a way to terminate his contract.
“Simon stresses that even if that was not the case, that was his interpretation of Bartlett’s actions which resulted in stress and anxiety at the time.
“Under the new board’s leadership in 2021, he felt he had the full support of the CEO, GM Football and the board and it made a significant difference to his ability to lead the program through the challenges of 2021, resulting in the club winning a premiership whilst being in a COVID bubble.
“Reference is made to the board undertaking scenario planning regarding this issue.
“Whilst it is appropriate for the board to consider the range of scenarios that may have occurred as a result of the rumours, it is important to note that does not mean the rumours were true or the board believed that to be the case.”
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