Former Melbourne premiership coach Simon Goodwin has discovered his new AFL house, shifting to Sydney as a soccer director.
Goodwin will be a part of Swans coach Dean Cox as a director of teaching and efficiency after being axed by the Demons in August.
The 48-year-old brings a wealth of expertise to the Sydney teaching field, with Cox coming into his second yr on the helm.
The Swans paid the worth for a gradual begin to this yr’s season, ending tenth (12-11) after a last-gasp effort to make finals failed.
Goodwin had been closely linked to a transfer interstate, given spouse Kristine works in Sydney.
GWS coach Adam Kingsley had left the door ajar for Goodwin, whereas West Coast coach Andrew McQualter additionally flirted with the concept of recruiting the previous Adelaide champion.
Goodwin strikes to the Swans after Melbourne introduced Geelong assistant Steven King as his alternative final week.
Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin. (Picture by Dylan Burns/AFL Images by way of Getty Photographs)
“I’m completely thrilled to be becoming a member of Sydney as I’ve at all times admired how the Swans work laborious and handle their folks,” Goodwin stated in a membership assertion.
“Sydney is a membership that has achieved sustained success, and I’m wanting ahead to serving to proceed that custom by growing the coaches and gamers who will form the membership’s future.”
Taking on from Paul Roos in a succession plan for the 2017 season, Goodwin led Melbourne to their first premiership in 57 years in 2021.
He moved into teaching after 275 video games for the Crows, first serving as an assistant at Essendon.
Goodwin is a five-time All-Australian and a two-time premiership participant however off-field turmoil and dwindling performances on the sector positioned his job as Melbourne coach in jeopardy.
Goodwin was let go after simply seven wins this season.
Swans soccer boss Leon Cameron stated Goodwin’s character and expertise made him the proper match for the membership.
“He’s a confirmed chief, a artistic thinker, and somebody who’s obsessed with serving to our sport develop,” Cameron stated in a membership assertion.
“An enormous a part of Simon’s job shall be serving to our coaches develop and develop, and we all know his expertise shall be invaluable.”
Essendon boss unleashes on membership nice
Essendon president David Barham has come underneath fireplace over a foul-mouthed rant at a Bombers membership nice, sparked by disagreements surrounding the working of the membership.
The Bombers have been embroiled in a sequence of off-field controversies since wrapping up a disastrous 2025 season that yielded simply six wins and a swathe of main accidents, with captain Zach Merrett’s tried exit from the membership chief amongst them.
Now, a former Dons vice-president and premiership hero Ted Fordham, who starred with seven objectives of their 1965 grand closing win over St Kilda, has informed the Herald Solar a cellphone dialog with Barham earlier this yr left him ‘disgusted’ and anxious with the course of the membership underneath his management.
“His closing phrases to me have been, ‘Why don’t you go and barrack for an additional f–king soccer membership’ and hung up in my ear,” Fordham stated of his change with Barham.
“These have been his actual phrases – ‘Go and barrack for an additional f–king soccer membership’.
“I used to be disgusted. I actually was and I assumed if that’s the form of bloke that’s main our membership, God assist us. And I believe our efficiency bears that out.”
In response, Barham informed the Herald Solar he had apologised to Fordham over the feedback he ‘instantly regretted’, and expressed that he was solely attempting to defend the Bombers – an apology which Fordham denies he accepted.
“Ted and I are each equally passionate in regards to the Essendon Soccer Membership … again in July, Ted and I had a sturdy and emotional dialog,” Barham stated.
“In defending our gamers and the broader membership, I expressed myself in a method that I instantly regretted. Consequently, I referred to as Ted again to apologise for a few of my feedback.
“He accepted my apology, and I assumed the matter was closed.
“I’ll at all times be obsessed with our soccer membership and can at all times defend it.”
In response to the report, the dialogue, which came about in July, centred on the Bombers’ disappointing loss to Richmond in Spherical 18, broadly thought to be the worst sport of 2025, with Fordham crucial of the efficiency and Brad Scott’s teaching throughout a speech on the 1965 premiership reunion held days later.
In response to Fordham, his premiership reunion speech included a pointed jab at Scott, saying he ‘didn’t imagine Brad Scott was a coach’s bootlace’.
“I phoned him and as quickly as I informed him who it was he was off like a larrikin’s hat,” he informed the Herald Solar.
“The abuse and the swearing. He was telling me how he may earn $2000 a time out in non-public enterprise as a substitute of being the f–king president of a f–king soccer membership, and I didn’t have the possibility to say to him, ‘Nicely, why don’t you go and do it?’”
Barham has served as Essendon president for 3 years, a tenure that started with the hiring of Scott amid fallout from the membership’s disastrously dealt with sacking of then-coach Ben Rutton and an ill-fated pursuit of Alastair Clarkson.
The Bombers have a swathe of influential former greats and membership figures that stay key drivers behind the scenes at Windy Hill – usually to the group’s detriment.
Former Rising Star winner plots AFL comeback
Former Collingwood and North Melbourne participant Jaidyn Stephenson is embarking on a bid to return to the AFL, lower than a yr after stepping away from the very best stage.
Stephenson introduced his retirement on the finish of 2024 regardless of being simply 25 years previous and with an extra yr to run on his Kangaroos contract, citing a misplaced ardour for the sport.
Nonetheless, after a season spent captaining Ferntree Gully in Victoria’s Japanese Soccer League Division 3, during which he has booted 38 objectives for the season, the 122-game former Pie and Kangaroo is eager to return to the highest league.
In response to The Age, Stephenson has personally contacted Carlton and Port Adelaide, amongst different golf equipment, to evaluate his choices for 2026.
It’s seen as seemingly he’ll have to be given a lifeline by way of the AFL’s pre-season Supplemental Choice Interval in early 2026, and prepare with a membership all through the summer time, reasonably than have anybody take a punt on him with a choose in both the Nationwide Draft or Rookie Draft.
Stephenson’s profession started in fashion as a 19-year previous in 2018 after being taken with choose 6 within the earlier yr’s draft, taking part in each sport for the Magpies and kicking 38 objectives, together with two within the first quarter of the Pies’ thrilling grand closing loss to West Coast.
Nonetheless, his profession derailed after being handed a 10-match suspension for betting on video games in mid-2019, earlier than being concerned within the Pies’ salary-cap enforced firesale of gamers on the finish of 2020, which noticed him traded to North Melbourne.
Stephenson performed 68 video games for the Roos between 2021 and 2024, successful simply six video games and spending time within the VFL as his ardour for soccer waned.
He shall be 27 earlier than the beginning of the 2026 season; greater than younger sufficient to capitalise on a second likelihood if afforded one.
Jaidyn Stephenson throughout his North Melbourne days. (Picture by Daniel Carson/AFL Images by way of Getty Photographs)
‘Few little points’: Scott opens up on run-in with AFL staffer
Geelong coach Chris Scott says long-held frustration with the AFL was behind his regrettable post-qualifying closing win outburst at a junior feminine league worker.
Addressing latest off-field points at Geelong, together with one involving enigmatic star Bailey Smith, for greater than 20 minutes on Thursday, Scott acknowledged he had let himself down.
However the twin premiership coach denied reviews he had been aggrieved in regards to the presence of an accredited reporter, who’s blind and works for Imaginative and prescient Australia Radio, at his post-game press convention on September 5.
An AFL staffer was left in tears after Scott spoke together with her following the Cats’ victory over the Brisbane Lions.
That report emerged after photographer Alison Wynd was left “rattled” after Smith aggressively singled her out for taking snaps of him final week at a coaching session open to the media.
Scott and Smith have been each not sanctioned by the AFL.
“There’s simply been a couple of little points which have popped up the place we thought that perhaps we may have communicated with the AFL somewhat bit higher to assist them perceive the way in which we have been feeling about sure points,” Scott stated throughout a marathon 36-minute press convention on Thursday.
“I didn’t deal with a sure scenario in addition to I might have appreciated to, and let my frustrations get the higher of me.”
Scott implied the incident had been leaked by somebody to “get one up”.
“I additionally acknowledge that it was a non-public dialog, and generally non-public conversations turn into public, and it will turn into quite a bit simpler in the event you really did litigate all these points in an try to assist folks perceive why these frustrations have been so acute,” he stated.
“However I don’t assume that’s honest.
“There’s most likely been frustrations with the AFL over a interval, most likely again to March 2020 (the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic), however that’s throughout the entire trade.
“I can’t consider a scenario the place I’ve portrayed what I assumed have been non-public conversations simply to get one up on our aspect of the talk.
“Do you then simply let the floodgates open and launch all of the contents of these non-public conversations?
“Or do you say no, even when we’re going to be the sufferer of some extrapolation or some innuendo, then that’s what I’m ready to bear.”
When talking about Smith, who’s second favorite to win the Brownlow Medal on Monday evening, Scott stated the magnetic midfielder was “much less trusting of the media than I believe he ought to be”.
Scott and Smith have been left fuming when what they thought was a non-public dialog at coaching was broadcast on the AFL’s web site in July.
“I’m fairly snug that whereas we acknowledge we’re not good, that we’ve acquired a fairly good monitor document,” stated Scott.
“It’s a contradiction nearly: a extremely marketable public particular person (Smith) who places plenty of it on the market, however then intensely private about some points.
“Not solely did they (AFL Media) select to make use of it, they put subtitles beneath it, and really extrapolated among the issues that have been stated and acquired it mistaken … it’s not meant to be a defence.”
Smith took half in Geelong’s captain’s run at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday, however left after about 5 minutes when media have been allowed into the bottom to observe.
Scott is assured the previous Western Bulldog is in a very good headspace to assist the Cats attempt to win via to a grand closing by beating Hawthorn in Friday evening’s preliminary closing on the MCG.
– with AAP
