Lee on 3rd Major win: 'Just means more'
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The Australian
7 minutes ago
- The Australian
Simon Goodwin sacked as coach of Melbourne
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has been sacked. The premiership-winning coach was told of the decision by the club's board on Monday night. Goodwin will receive a near one million dollar payout for next season. The board had lost faith in the team's direction under Goodwin. Since a historic 2021 premiership, the Demons have missed finals in 2024 and 2025 after two failed September campaigns in 2022 and 2023. While he was contracted for next season, senior Melbourne officials told Goodwin on Monday night that they wanted a change for 2026. The club is expected to hold a press conference at midday Tuesday. It is a bold call from the club, which is undergoing considerable change in its off-field leadership ranks, which has contributed to instability at the Dees this year. New CEO Paul Guerra will take over on September 8 with interim CEO David Chippindall leading Melbourne in his absence this season. Demons champion Brad Green has been a caretaker president, with respected former MCC boss Steven Smith set to take over as club president at the end of the year. The board had empowered Goodwin to make considerable change to the game style and team this season after conceding both its method and personnel which took it to the 2021 flag needed an overhaul. Despite a poor start to season, Goodwin was confident the Demons were on track to rise up the ladder next season with its ball movement changes and new midfield mix, however Melbourne had doubts after the loss to Carlton in round 19 and the final-term capitulation against St Kilda the week after. It leaves a cloud over the futures of some of Melbourne's biggest stars, including 2021 Norm Smith Medallist Christian Petracca who has received interest from Hawthorn. Petracca has kept silent on his future and will now likely hold off on a call until season's end. Goodwin will likely embark on a holiday and will be courted by media organisations to play a broadcast role in finals. The Herald Sun understands Goodwin wants to continue coaching after an initial break. Melbourne's board will now have to decide what it wants to do with its coach ahead of the 2026 season. Premiership coaches Adam Simpson and John Longmire, Pies assistant Hayden Skipworth and Bulldogs assistant Brendon Lade would be the early leading candidates. Goodwin opens up: Healing, hope and lifting Dees' heavy cloud Jay Clark is a leading AFL reporter for News Corp and CODE Sports, based in Melbourne. For almost 20 years, he has helped set the football agenda with his breaking news, deep-dive feature writing and issues-based reporting. He is a trusted voice on the biggest stories in the AFL. AFL Sam Draper has a mysterious phone call, Lethal made some big calls and Nick Riewoldt hosted the footy Logies. Josh Barnes has the good word what you missed on TV. AFL The cracks are starting to appear at the Pies, and their marquee recruits are right at the centre of Craig McRae's concerns, which couldn't have come at a worse time as we near September.
The Australian
20 minutes ago
- The Australian
AFL 2025: Every club's run home and predicted ladder position
Hawthorn just missed a golden opportunity to bring its finals fate under control and GWS continues to put together arguably the most perplexing season in its short history. The Bulldogs are still walking a tightrope, but the highest-scoring team in the competition now appears in the best position of the trio to lock up a finals spot. Down the other end of the ladder, Richmond could finish with the provisional picks two and three in the draft. DO YOUR OWN PREDICTED LADDER; THEN SCROLL DOWN TO SEE OURS 1. ADELAIDE Played: 20, Won: 15, Lost: 5, Percentage: 144.1 Collingwood is the final roadblock in the way of a stunning minor premiership for the Crows, who have not played finals since the last time they topped the ladder in 2017. Geelong, who trail by a game and 5.5 per cent, have been scoring heavily against the weaker sides and still have Essendon and Richmond to come, meaning Matthew Nicks' side almost certainly needs to win all three to secure the honour. 2. COLLINGWOOD Played: 20, Won: 15, Lost: 5, Percentage: 130.8 Thursday night is crucial for Collingwood – find form against the Hawks, and the Pies can lock in a top-four spot and vie with Adelaide for top position the following week. Lose both though and the Magpies could finish the season in fifth – an outcome that was unthinkable less than a month ago. Jeremy Howe's fitness will be crucial this week and for the rest of the season as his fellow defenders are low on confidence without him. 3. BRISBANE LIONS Played: 20, Won: 14, Drawn: 1, Lost: 5, Percentage: 112.1 Down the highway to Gold Coast was not a fun trip for Brisbane, but no club outside Queensland has enjoyed when the reigning premiers have come to visit this year. The win over the Pies was a mature response which leaves a top-two spot on the cards if they can beat Fremantle in the west. In the Chris Fagan era, the Lions are 3-3 against the Dockers at Optus Stadium. The toughest post-bye rounds fixture of any side means it will be a herculean effort if they avoid another lapse in the last three games – we think they will drop one of them. 4. GEELONG Played: 20, Won: 14, Lost: 6, Percentage: 138.6 Jeremy Cameron ton watchers are licking their lips, and the Cats can boost their percentage sky-high with opportunities to bully Essendon and Richmond in the final three games. Second place or even a surprise minor premiership is now firmly in the equation, but they could still slide into fifth with a slip-up at the SCG and need to treat it as a final. This week will be the one where the Cats manage their older players with a view to hitting Sydney with a full head of steam. 5. FREMANTLE Played: 20, Won: 14, Lost: 6, Percentage: 113 Carlton gave Fremantle a mini reality check in Perth, and Hayden Young's groin complaint is troubling ahead of two 'eight-point' games against the Lions and Bulldogs to finish the home and away season. But the Blues clash was exactly the sort of game where the 2024 Dockers would have caved under pressure, and this group will take great confidence from problem-solving their way out of trouble. Beat Brisbane or the Dogs, and the Dockers can lock in a home elimination final. 6. GOLD COAST Played: 19, Won: 13, Lost: 6, Percentage: 125.1 Gold Coast has all but confirmed its maiden finals berth, but won't be content to stop there. Winning all four games could sneak the Suns past their Queensland rivals into fourth spot, but it will require maturity at their bogey venue Marvel Stadium and against an under-pressure GWS the week after. They must also be far more competitive in Adelaide than at their last visit to beat the Power in Ken Hinkley's final game as coach. 7. HAWTHORN Played: 20, Won: 13, Lost: 7, Percentage: 117.6 Hawthorn might be left to rue its missed chances in the final quarter against Adelaide, as now even a win over the Magpies or Lions would not be enough to guarantee eighth spot. The Hawks will throw the kitchen sink at an out-of-sorts Collingwood on Thursday night, but does their midfield have enough weapons to trouble the Pies without Will Day? Broadcasters might barrack for a Collingwood win to set up a final round Gabba epic with the Lions vying for the top-four and the Hawks desperate to qualify for September. 8. GWS GIANTS Played: 20, Won: 13, Lost: 7, Percentage: 111.3 A visit to Canberra and some moral support from the 'Tom Green Fan Club' might just be the tonic that the Giants need after an insipid performance against the Bulldogs threatened to derail their finals hopes last week. Unless they can boost their percentage above Hawthorn or the Dogs bottle it against Melbourne or West Coast, GWS will need to hit 15 wins to secure a finals spot. But an upset win over the Suns on the road could yet propel them into sixth. 9. WESTERN BULLDOGS Played: 20, Won: 12, Lost: 8, Percentage: 137.3 No one wants to sit in ninth, but the Bulldogs should feel slightly more comfortable than the Hawks and Giants despite starting a game behind heading into the last three weeks. Melbourne will be tricky to face at the MCG, where the Dogs have not played since their round 3 loss to Collingwood. But beat the Dees, and pending other results the Dogs could sew up finals qualification with a win over West Coast the following week. The thumping win over GWS might have punched the Bulldogs' September ticket. 10. SYDNEY SWANS Played: 20, Won: 10, Lost: 10, Percentage: 95 It's over for the Swans this year, but it will be interesting to see whether the frustrated side draws on any notion of grand final revenge to try to inflict some damage on the Lions' or Cats' ladder positions. West Coast will be a fiery opponent in the last round if they enter the game needing a win to avoid the first one-win season since GWS in 2013. 11. PORT ADELAIDE Played: 20, Won: 8, Lost: 12, Percentage: 79.8 A weary Port Adelaide has two chances at home to frustrate Fremantle and Gold Coast, but it feels unlikely that they will be able to summon enough to beat either. Carlton's effort against Fremantle was enough to flip that projected result from previous weeks, which would leave them with a bottom-six finish that no one expected after a preliminary final last year. 12. MELBOURNE Played: 20, Won: 7, Lost: 13, Percentage: 95 Their three opponents have it all to play for, but the Dees could still be capable of pushing the contenders at the MCG. Steven May remains suspended for the Bulldogs clash, which will hurt against an in-form Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton 13. CARLTON Played: 20, Won: 7, Lost: 13, Percentage: 92.1 The Blues' fight against the Dockers was enough to convince us to flip the result of the round 23 clash against Port Adelaide, but any further injury damage against the Suns this week would dent their hopes of ending a horror campaign with consecutive wins. 14. ST KILDA Played: 20, Won: 7, Lost: 13, Percentage: 87.4 With Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera firing the way he is, the Saints should have too much pace and skill through the middle for the Tigers and Bombers over the next fortnight. They never make it easy for GWS, either. 15. ESSENDON Played: 19, Won: 6, Lost: 13, Percentage: 72 It might get ugly in Geelong this week for the injury-riddled Bombers, who fought bravely against Sydney but now need to back that up after a six-day break. Supporters would be stirred if they could pinch a win with their inexperienced side in the final four games. 16. RICHMOND Played: 20, Won: 5, Lost: 15, Percentage: 65.5 There's no disincentive for Richmond not to give it a red-hot crack against North Melbourne in its round 23 clash in Hobart. The Tigers own the Kangaroos' first-round pick, so their draft hand will not change if they hold their advantage on the ladder. 17. NORTH MELBOURNE Played: 20, Won: 4, Drawn: 1, Lost: 15, Percentage: 73.4 That Hobart clash is crucial for North Melbourne and Alastair Clarkson – defeat would effectively concede that the Tigers have leapfrogged them in the rebuild stakes after just 12 months down the bottom. 18. WEST COAST Played: 20, Won: 1, Lost: 19, Percentage: 61.9 Last week's loss guaranteed the Eagles the wooden spoon, but they will desperately want to avoid a one-win season and give their fans some cause for optimism by getting up over Sydney in round 24. Ed Bourke is an AFL and AFLW reporter for the Herald Sun and CODE Sports. He is also quick to jump on the bandwagon whenever any cricket or tennis comes to town. Ed previously worked as a sports reporter at NewsWire after completing a cadetship at the Herald Sun in 2022. AFL Simon Goodwin's time at Melbourne is over with the premiership coach sacked in the midst of another disappointing Demons season. AFL Sam Draper has a mysterious phone call, Lethal made some big calls and Nick Riewoldt hosted the footy Logies. Josh Barnes has the good word what you missed on TV.
News.com.au
37 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Melbourne Mavericks announce Nicole Richardson as assistant coach ruling her out as candidate for Vixens head coach role
The Melbourne Mavericks have announced the return of Nicole Richardson as assistant coach, shutting down speculation the former Diamond could switch allegiances and join crosstown rivals the Vixens. Richardson, who is also part of the Diamonds coaching set-up, assisting Stacey Marinkovich, was considered among the leading candidates for the Vixens job having spent time as a Super Netball head coach with the now-defunct Collingwood Magpies. But the Mavs are thrilled to have re-signed her, praising the 'leadership, tactical acumen and unwavering standards' that have helped shape the club in its short history. The announcement of Richardson as an assistant all but confirms the return of Tracey Neville as head coach after she mentored the team through its first two seasons. Having a coach the calibre of Richardson as an assistant is a boon for both the Mavs and will allow the former Australian netball and softball representative time to work on the Diamonds' Commonwealth Games campaign ahead of the Glasgow tournament next July. Richardson said she was thrilled to be back. 'Being part of the Mavs from day one has been incredibly special,' she said. 'I'm proud of the culture we've built and the standards we've set, and I'm excited to keep working with this talented and driven playing group. 'There's so much more to achieve, and I'm all in.' Mavs general manager Shae Bolton-Brown said Richardson's re-signing was a significant moment for the club. 'Richo is deeply loved and respected by our players, staff and fans,' Bolton-Brown said. 'Her impact over the past two seasons has been immense – she's helped set the tone for what it means to be a Maverick. 'Her standards, her care, and her ability to bring out the best in people make her absolutely vital to our club's success. We're thrilled she's staying on.'
