‘I’m sorry’: Basil Zempilas responds to AFL Grand Final coach snub

Seven star Basil Zempilas has opened up about what happened on stage as he denied Demons coach Simon Goodwin a chance to speak.

Perth Lord Mayor and Channel 7 star Basil Zempilas has taken the blame for the now infamous on-stage snub of Demon coach Simon Goodwin during the AFL Grand Final presentation.

The Demons were already celebrating their 74-point win over the Western Bulldogs and the Perth crowd of more than 61,000 was getting rowdy as the trophy presentations continued.

Usually after the awards are given out, the recipients are allowed to speak.

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And it was all going smoothly — until Goodwin, who received the Jock McHale Medal as the premiership winning coach, got his award.

Captain Max Gawn gave a classy post-match speech immediately after the final siren and was just as gracious when stepping onto the dais to receive his premiership medal, thanking the Dogs, his teammates, fans and the AFL for steering the ship through another season plagued by Covid complications.

But Goodwin was denied the chance despite having taken a few steps towards the microphone as Zempilas moved the ceremony on to the trophy presentation.

It led to questions as to whether Zempilas had stuffed up by not giving Goodwin a chance to speak, with the coach joking that “I got shafted, didn’t I?” on the Sunday Footy Show.

Zempilas wishes he had this moment again. Photo: Fox Sports.

While most of the ribbing of Zempilas was lighthearted, the Seven presenter told Triple M Perth’s Breakfast with Basil, Xav & Jenna that the crowd was getting rowdier and rowdier the more awards were handed out, particularly when he introduced former West Coast premiership coach John Worsfold to award Goodwin’s medal.

“At that point, that is where the coach of Melbourne, Simon Goodwin, should have spoken,” Zempilas said.

“Now it was so loud — so loud — I could not hear a thing in my ear.

“I’m not sure if anybody’s talking to me at that point or not, but if somebody was, I couldn’t hear it.

“I didn’t see Simon motion towards the microphone, I’m not even sure if he did, he was standing on the other side of me. And that was the point where if he was going to speak, he should have spoken.

“Nothing much seemed to be happening, there was a lot going on in the background.”

That was the point he moved the ceremony on and the Premiership trophy was awarded.

And then it dawned on Zempilas that Goodwin hadn’t spoken.

This is what really matters though. Photo by Gary Day/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Asked if that was the moment panic set in, Zempilas explained it was “not so much panic” as lifting the trophy is the moment that will go down in the memory of fans.

He added: “This is where you’ve got to have some calm in the crisis because you can’t let one moment that’s gone wrong ruin 15 other moments that are about to come.

“Clearly the moment that counts is the premiership cup going up. I realised that Simon Goodwin hadn’t spoken. Now that was regrettable, and that was a mistake.

“In the end — I’ve played this over lots and lots of times, as you do — I will say that despite what people might say, I pride myself on this sort of work.

“I pride myself on getting these big moments right. I’ve done four Australian Open presentations, five Melbourne Cup presentations, they’re big moments and you want to get them right and that didn’t go exactly to plan, clearly so that’s regrettable, and it’s disappointing for Simon.”

Zempilas said that they did try to get Goodwin to make his speech later on but couldn’t get it done.

“As they were having the team photo, I asked one of the people to go and get Simon let’s get him back up and let’s do it,” he said.

“And I said Simon, ‘my apologies, that was crazy,’ and he said to me ‘there’s so much going on, it’s fine, it’s fine.’

“And he stood next to me and we tried to get the PA down to be able to get Simon to say what he wanted to say in front of the crowd or whatever he might have been going to say.

“The PA I couldn’t reach, the cup had gone, and BT was down side of stage and said ‘I’ll grab him’, and Simon was ‘hey, no problem at all’.

“I spoke to him again on Sunday and spoke to everyone from the Melbourne footy club.

“Look, there are 1000 things when I look back over it that could have been ever so slightly different and we would have had a better result.

“It’s regrettable and it’s disappointing. Because I don’t want that to be remembered as the moment from Melbourne’s great premiership victory.”

Zempilas couldn’t have been more apologetic. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images

Zempilas added that as the MC, he had to own that moment but did say they didn’t get a chance to run through the ceremony before hand and added that “the run sheet was not especially crystal clear”.

But he also took the blame for the moment, saying he would “cop it on the chin”.

“Other than to say I’m sorry to Simon Goodwin for that moment not happening and that will be me on this occasion. That’s disappointing and I hope it doesn’t ruin the moment for them. I know their feedback to me, from the Melbourne footy club and Simon himself was that it didn’t.”

The Demons didn’t appear to mind to much because the club is planning a premiership party at the MCG with Goodwin to get his moment on the hallowed turf.

Originally published as ‘I’m sorry’: Basil Zempilas responds to AFL Grand Final coach snub