Simon Goodwin says Melbourne was right to sack him after losing purpose following 2021 flag Simon Goodwin has spoken for the first time since being sacked as Demons coach, revealing why he thought Melbourne did the right thing in sacking him. Former Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has conceded the Demons did the right thing by sacking him. After two months of reflection, the 2021 premiership coach says he now realised his time was up with the Melbourne playing group. “I was ready,” Goodwin told the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Grand Final lunch. “I think in the end you are probably not performing your role to the maximum as you would have liked. “You don’t at the time (realise it) but when you sit back and reflect, the greatest thing in the last eight weeks is I have been able to go away and just write down all my lessons about what I have actually learnt in that process.” When asked about those lessons, Goodwin revealed the Demons struggled to find purpose again after breaking the 57-year premiership drought. “After success you face different challenges. As a coach it (the challenge) was building towards a premiership and building a great organisation but after success things change,” Goodwin said. “The disease of me is one of those where everyone wants more, they want more accolades, they want more money and then convenience starts to kick in. “The standards aren’t quite the same, they don’t quite want to be motivated . . . you need to really shift your purpose, you need to create a new purpose for the new challenge. “Our initial purpose was to bring happiness to the Melbourne football fans who haven’t had it and to break the Norm Smith curse of 57 years. “Once we did that, we didn’t redefine our next purpose and I think that’s a big part of driving success and that was one of the biggest lessons for me.” Ironically the former VECCI boss Paul Geurra wasn’t at the lunch. He left the organisation to become CEO of Melbourne and while he hadn’t officially started when Goodwin was sacked, he clearly had line of sight. The Demons have since appointed Geelong assistant coach Steven King as senior coach. Former West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson, who was also interviewed at the lunch, revealed he knew he was in trouble when Don Pyke came in as the new CEO. “I think it was time for me, it was 11 years. I tell you what does quickly happen, a new CEO arrives and the new CEO wants to hitch their wagon to their man and I wasn’t Don Pyke’s man,” Simpson, who was sacked in July last year, said. “He was actually my assistant coach 10 years ago but I could tell pretty quickly it wasn’t going to end well. “But I was ready, in fact it was a relief by the end of it all. It’s more the legacy piece I worry about. We win one game the year after I finish and I feel like, ‘Is that my fault? I’m grappling with that a little bit, about how you leave the club is important and obviously West Coast are in a bit of hurt at the moment.” While Simpson said he wasn’t thinking about coaching again, Goodwin, who has joined the Sydney Swans as director of coaching, was a firm “yes” when asked if he would have a second crack. The pair were joined by Carlton captain Patrick Cripps on the panel with all three tipping the Brisbane Lions to upset Geelong in Saturday’s Grand Final.