Demons fire back at former president while defending ‘unfairly targeted coach Simon Goodwin

The Melbourne Demons have defended their decision to sack former president Glen Bartlett while giving their full backing to under-siege coach Simon Goodwin.

The Dees have been hit by numerous scandals in recent weeks, including leaked messages from management sledging players, a restaurant punch-up between players Steven May and Jake Melksham and allegations of behavioural misconduct by Goodwin that date back to 2020.

It has translated to a rough patch on the field as well, with the previously undefeated premiers slipping to three consecutive AFL losses. The club has a bye this week, but faces a tough assignment next up against new ladder leaders Brisbane.

Former president Glen Bartlett left the club in April last year after eight years at the helm and came out this week to address the leaks, claiming he was stood down for trying to get rid of a toxic culture at the club.

‘I know I was not perfect however through my time at the club I treated the welfare of all of our people as paramount […] and confirm that I was doing everything possible to have a club free of workplace bullying, gambling, harassment and illegal drugs,’ Bartlett said in a statement.

‘I was truly committed to having the best environment 24/7 for all of our people and I treated everyone with respect. 

‘Individual and team performance is a different thing and should never be impeded by managing behaviour or used as a reason to ‘gloss over’ the necessary management of behaviour and conduct.’

According to Bartlett, he and his partner have been subjected to ‘threats, deceitful conduct, and a public campaign to discredit us’ since his departure. 

The Demons have now responded to that statement and said the decision to ask Bartlett to resign was a unanimous one. 

‘Primarily, we would like to address the club’s change of Presidency in April 2021. It was the unanimous decision of the Board to request Glen resign as President,’ the Demons statement reads.

‘We acknowledge that a change of leadership at a club is a difficult time for all involved and out of respect for Glen and his service to the club, when the time came for him to hand over the presidency, we endeavoured to respectfully acknowledge his achievements and contribution.’

Goodwin has been forced to face allegations of misbehaviour during his tenure as coach of the Melbourne Demons. Both the coach and club have refuted the claims

According to reports in February, Melbourne board members discussed the possibility of terminating Goodwin amid allegations of behavioural issues, with disagreements between Bartlett and senior club members over how to deal with the situation.

The Demons labelled the allegations ‘inaccurate and unsubstantiated’. 

‘Separately, the Board would also like to reiterate its support of the club’s people, particularly Simon Goodwin, who have been unfairly targeted as part of inaccurate and unsubstantiated media reports,’ their statement read.

Goodwin also fronted the media earlier this month to answer questions surrounding allegations of drinking and gambling with players.

‘It’s an irrelevant story. I’ve got no behavioural issues,’ he said.

‘You guys can join the dots and work out where it’s coming from.’

The off-field drama has spilled onto the field with the Demons losing three games in a row

‘As the Board has previously stated, Simon is an exceptional and inclusive leader, who is loved by players, coaches, and staff, and is a key driver of our high-performance culture, standards, and disciplines.

‘We see no utility in engaging in an ongoing commentary on these matters, and the club will therefore not be making any further comment at this time. Instead, the efforts of the Board, together with players and staff, are absolutely focussed on the seasons ahead. We ask that the privacy and health and well-being of all involved be respected at this time.’