Simon Goodwin will forever remain in Melbourne folklore as the coach that broke the curse – the coach that finally followed in the footsteps of club great Norm Smith when he helped end almost six decades of misery with a fairytale premiership. For now, Goodwin is one of only four coaches to lead the Demons to a VFL/AFL flag. But the one-time powerhouse club is right to look forward rather than backward, in the hope of finding the next coach to take it to the promised land.
Melbourne’s decision to sack a premiership-winner is among the most ruthless the AFL has seen in recent years. It has become all too common for head coaches to be given extra time, whether to build a team from the ground up or to turn around an unexpected decline. But in a cut-throat business where there is only one real winner, as well as several other clubs that might take comfort from at least heading in the right direction, Goodwin sails off into the sunset with the Demons’ trajectory going the wrong way.
