3 months ago
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Melbourne vice captain Jack Viney has described the removal of senior coach Simon Goodwin as “certainly not ideal” for the players, but added that they understood why the club had to make tough decisions to get back into finals.
Viney, who is close to Goodwin – sacked late on Monday night by the club board despite a year to run on his contract – said the players were faring as well as they could be after losing their senior coach, whom Viney had dealt with at Melbourne since 2014.
Simon Goodwin and Jack Viney share a moment on the boundary during the 2021 grand final.Credit: Getty Images
“We’re going OK, as good as you can after losing your senior coach and good friend for the last nine to 11 years,” he said in a video interview for the club website that was given to this masthead.
“[It’s] certainly not ideal. But football moves quickly, and we’re back into main training today, and trying to really finish off the season really strongly, playing three teams in finals contention.
“Yeah, it’s back on, all hands on deck today.”
Asked about the difficulty of separating his friendship with Goodwin from the big picture of the club’s position, Viney said: “Yeah we all built strong relationships with Goody over the last nine to 11 years, but unfortunately, we’re not sitting where we want to be as a football club, you know the club have to make tough decisions to try get us back into finals contention again.
“So we understand that as a playing group and [are] fully supportive of that.
“Football moves pretty quickly, it can be a brutal industry at times. We just want to get back to finals football. The group’s pretty connected and united and looking forward to finishing off the season strongly ... we’ve got a lot to play for.”
Viney was speaking at a training session on Wednesday.
“This is what we love to do (train), and I know from Goody’s messaging yesterday, he wants us to go out there and really perform strongly against the Dogs.
“So back on the track today, looking to prepare the best we can. We’ve got so much to play for in these final three weeks.”
Viney said he did not expect too many changes for this weekend’s clash with the Bulldogs. Troy Chaplin, highly regarded as an assistant (forwards), will be the caretaker senior coach for the final three games when the Demons meet the Dogs, Hawthorn and then Collingwood.
“I don’t think there’ll be too many drastic changes going forward. We’re just really keen on playing four quarters of consistent Dees footy,” Viney said.
“That’s what we executed on against West Coast (last round), so three quarters against St Kilda (the game before), so that’s what we’re continuing to try and build to put it to test against some of those finals teams.”
Earlier, Melbourne wingman Ed Langdon said he did not agree with the club’s board that a new coaching voice was required to lead the team back up the ladder.
“I’m not sure I would agree with that, but that’s the board’s decisions,” Langdon said on Wednesday, speaking ahead of his 200th match this weekend, with Goodwin’s departure hanging over the club.
“I can only comment on the players’ relationship with Goody, which was always positive.
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“We always respected him and loved him as a coach, so if that’s what the board thinks, then that’s what the board thinks.”
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