Latest news with #MelbourneDemons
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
AFL 2025: Under-fire Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin feels ‘incredibly supported' by club's board
Embattled Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin is adamant he feels 'incredibly supported' by the club's board in the wake of his team's history-making loss to St Kilda and was unmoved by a social media threat. While admitting his players 'got it wrong' in the panicked final few moments, Goodwin said there was no breakdown in trust and the lessons would help them 'grow'. The Demons coughed up a 46-point three-quarter-time lead to lose to the Saints after the siren, conceding two goals in the last 10 seconds of the game due to a 6-6-6 violation at the final centre bounce. On Monday, Goodwin made a scheduled appearance before the club's board but downplayed his presentation, calling it 'a standard board meeting around strategy', before vowing he has the full support of the club's powerbrokers. 'We're all very aligned about the process of where we need to go to, what we need to create success,' Goodwin said. 'We always knew that in this transition period that there would be challenges, our job is not to get consumed with the noise. 'Our job is to go about the process … these conversations are ongoing and we're really clear about the strategy. I feel incredibly supported by the board, I have for nine years. 'I've been able to go through these challenges before with clarity and strength and stability to create success; 2019 we finished second last, two years later we won the flag. 'You can't get consumed in noise, all you can do is be clear with your strategy, clear with your process, understand challenge, be clear about it and go about the process to build the next great team – I feel incredibly supported by the board.' In the aftermath of the loss, Goodwin was subjected to a hoax threat made against him by a troll account on X that was investigated by the AFL's Integrity Unit and remains in the hands of Victoria Police. But it's not something he wanted to concern himself with, instead focusing on his team's challenges. 'You clearly hear about it … your family hears about it, that's for sure,' Goodwin said. 'That's in the hands of the AFL and the police … clearly, we don't want to see that in our game, but I don't want to make that the focus of today. 'They have been (Victoria Police has been investigating), I think that's under control, so there's no issues from my end.' Melbourne is ninth with just six wins despite boasting one of the most decorated midfield lines in the competition. The Demons have a chance to improve to seven wins against cellar-dweller West Coast Eagles at Marvel Stadium on Saturday. A loss would eclipse the cosmic disaster of last weekend, but Goodwin denied the commentary that he was coaching for his future. 'That would be me getting consumed in noise and that's not what I am about,' he said. 'That's not what we're about; we're about the consistency of what's going to create success. 'We get another opportunity against a football club this week to show – not talk – show what we're about and that's the focus this week.' Melbourne forwent its first-round pick this year to bring in both Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay. Essendon is now tied with the Demons' first selection at the national draft. While Goodwin insists the Demons are trending in the right direction, he concedes the step backwards to move forward has been larger than anticipated. 'Our fans, our supporters and our players are hurting because of the results, but if you purely look at results, you probably get consumed in the wrong things,' he said. 'If you look deeper into some of the transition that is taking place, there is a lot of positive that's going on as well. 'We all get consumed in results and I'm sure our fans do and our supporters do; our job is to coach the process, coach the strategy and know the results will come. 'We're really clear and really confident about the build and where we're going with that, those results will turn.'
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Chilling picture emerges as death threat towards Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin rocks the AFL
A chilling photo of Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin's vehicle has sparked widespread fears for the 48-year-old's safety following his side's heartbreaking defeat to St Kilda on Sunday. The Saints were comprehensively outplayed through the opening three quarters, with Melbourne looking well on the way to victory after being up by 46 points. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Then the script got completely flipped in the fourth quarter as the Saints stormed home with a remarkable Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera goal after the final siren giving St Kilda a memorable win. You can watch the miracle comeback in the player above. However, the historic feat was marred shortly after as fears for the Demons coach's safety emerged. A social media post of what appeared to be Goodwin's car was shared online just after 6pm by an anonymous account named 'Kozzy Owns You'. The post implied someone was waiting by his vehicle in an underground car park, ready to harm him. 'I'm currently waiting outside Simon Goodwin's car: Don't fret, Melbourne fans you won't need to worry any further,' the post read. Footy fans were quick to call out the unhinged behaviour, as the matter was referred by the club to the AFL Integrity Unit. 'I know passionate supporters can get upset sometimes, but this isn't acceptable,' one person wrote. 'Yeah nah, I think this one ends in court champ,' another commented. 'Dude, it's just a game. I've learned to laugh at the amount of bad footy being played this year … not get mad about it. Maybe you should take my advice,' a third added. Shockingly, on Monday morning, the account doubled down on the threats, this time to Goodwin and various other news networks who reported on the vile post. 'I f**king own you,' the post read, which tagged 9News, the AFL, Fox Footy, the Herald Sun and The Age. understands the car in the image does not belong to Goodwin and the photo was not taken at Marvel Stadium, where his vehicle was parked on Sunday night. The AFL has been contacted for comment. Fan banned for death threat to Carlton coach Michael Voss The Goodwin threat came just two weeks after a Collingwood supporter was banned from the MCG for five years for threatening Carlton coach Michael Voss. 'I'd like to report 23 missing persons and pre-emptively report the murder of Michael Voss,' the threat read. Speaking about the ordeal earlier this month, Voss said it exposed the dark side of working in the footy world. 'I always felt like football made you feel like you belong – and that's what football clubs are all about,' Voss said. 'You have a sense of belonging, it's about families, about communities. It's about bringing people together. 'I also remember as a 12-year-old at Morningside Football Club and having a brand new footy … it was like the best gift I ever got, it was my first brand-new Sherrin. 'I used to smell it and always have it in my hands. It sort of really inspired me to ultimately follow my dreams – and that was really impactful on me. 'And then I've also seen the dark side of football, where we blame, we become victims, and it's this environment where things are quite toxic. We think showing passion is about anger – and it's not about that at all. 'There's a way we need to behave and there's a way we need to go about it – and when things are tough, you've got to show that support the right way. Not the wrong way.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
See the chilling photo at the centre of yet another death threat against an AFL coach
Melbourne have reported an online threat made against coach Simon Goodwin to the AFL Integrity Unit following the Demons' 'devastating' defeat to St Kilda on Sunday. Leading by 46 points at the final change, Melbourne lost following a remarkable Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera goal after the siren to give the Saints the biggest three-quarter-time comeback in AFL history. A post from an anonymous account on X, formerly Twitter, implied someone was waiting near Goodwin's car ready to harm him and showed a picture of the coach's vehicle parked in an underground garage. The Demons are aware of the post and have reported it to the AFL integrity unit, declining to comment further. It comes just two weeks after a Collingwood supporter was banned from the MCG for five years for making threats against Carlton coach Michael Voss. The image was posted by an anonymous account named Kozzy Owns You, referring to Melbourne forward Kysaiah Pickett. "You need to communicate, get organised, and we didn't get that done." Simon Goodwin unpacks the dying moments of Melbourne's loss post-match: — AFL (@AFL) July 27, 2025 The chilling image and threat was posted by a Melbourne Demons fan account called Kozzy Owns You after Melbourne forward Kysaiah Pickett. Footy fans were quick to condemn the post and have also called for the identity of the Demons supporter behind it to be revealed. 'I know passionate supporters can get upset sometimes, but this isn't acceptable,' one posted. 'This is a terrible look mate it's just a game no need to say that,' added another. Another commented: 'Delete this mate, terrible take'. The post surfaced during Goodwin's press conference, where the shattered 2021 premiership coach was trying to piece together how Melbourne blew their seventh win of the season. 'Sometimes in your darkest moments can be your biggest growth,' Goodwin said. 'When you have a last quarter like that, it's a pretty devastated group in there. 'It's a pretty devastated group of coaches, because we're here to win.' Wanganeen-Milera calmly slotted his third goal after flying for a soaring mark with less than 20 seconds remaining. That levelled the scores, before a 6-6-6 penalty in the middle was paid against the Demons, to the confusion of all players. Saints ruck Rowan Marshall was able to perfectly pick out Wanganeen-Milera running inside 50 to take a mark just before the siren sounded. Any score would have given the Saints victory, but Wanganeen-Milera went back and kicked the goal. 'Clearly, we didn't get that right,' Goodwin said. 'It's a pretty simple process to get 6-6-6 done. You need to communicate, get organised. 'We didn't get that done ... that's on us to get that done the right way. 'We'll have a look at why it happened, how it happened, and make sure that it never happens again.' St Kilda kicked nine unanswered goals in the last quarter, but a calamity of errors from Melbourne helped them pinch the win. The Saints had the lead for a little more than a minute of the entire game after slotting the first goal of the match. Experienced midfielder Clayton Oliver had a chance to almost ice the game when he had a shot on the run with the Demons still in front by six points, but he sprayed the kick completely and failed to score. Melbourne superstar Kysaiah Pickett also got stranded on the bench in the dying stages, only returning with eight seconds left. 'When you've had seven or eight goals kicked against you in a row, you need to find a way to execute those things under pressure, and we didn't do that,' Goodwin said. 'We'll learn from it clearly and grow from it, but it's unacceptable at the same time.' In a bizarre season, Melbourne went 0-5, then won five of their next six games to put themselves back in the finals picture. But the Demons have lost seven of their past eight matches, the only victory in that time coming against lowly North Melbourne.
AU Financial Review
5 days ago
- Sport
- AU Financial Review
Carlton's $10m pokies windfall undermines its domestic violence drive
Just over a week ago, Carlton Football Club players donned their navy and orange jerseys, as well as orange socks, for the annual 'Carlton Respects' game, which was played against the Melbourne Demons. In its 10th year, the club spruiks the initiative as promoting gender equality and ending violence against women.
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Christian Petracca is one of Australia's fittest footy players - here's how you can use the AFL superstar's training secrets to reach your goals
Melbourne Demons star Christian Petracca is one of the most complete players in the AFL - explosive, consistent, and elite in high-pressure moments. But none of that happens by accident. His training regime blends physical intensity with recovery, mental fitness and nutrition, and he's built it through trial, error and commitment. The best part? Much of his approach can be copied by everyday athletes, weekend warriors and gym regulars. Petracca's schedule is mapped around his game day. If he plays on a Saturday, his training week looks like this: Monday: Recovery: Sauna, light mobility work, yoga or Pilates at home. Tuesday: Lower-body strength session and touch skills: Stationary drills to sharpen decision-making, followed by gym. Wednesday: Rest or light session: Optional yoga, reformer Pilates at home, or shooting drills. Thursday: Main training session: Covers 6–7km of game-style running, stoppage drills, full-contact ball work. Friday: Captain's run/light training and mental prep: Brief tactical work, goal-kicking, then mindset reset. Saturday: Game day. Sunday: Active recovery: Sauna, stretching, family time, cooking nutritious meals. How to replicate it: If you play social sport on the weekend, build your week around it. Add: One main workout (full-body or skills based) Two strength sessions (legs and upper body) Daily recovery habits (see below) A rest day or active mobility session Skill Focus: Get Specific and Repetitive Petracca zeroes in on skills he wants to master. For example, it could be goal kicking, inside-50 delivery and stoppage sharpness. He works closely with coaches and teammates like Max Gawn to simulate game flow. He doesn't wait for team sessions - on off days, he meets with an assistant coach for technical kicking drills, snap shots and pressure simulations. How to replicate it: Pick two weak points in your game or workout. Whether it's passing, kicking, footwork or acceleration, isolate and work on them deliberately 2–3 times a week for 15–20 minutes. Less volume, more precision. The mental game: Training your brain like a muscle Petracca says footy is '90 per cent mental' and it shows in his preparation. He writes in his journal daily, listing things he's grateful for. He uses meditation and visualisation to reduce anxiety and boost clarity. He sees a psychologist regularly through the AFL Players Association. He watches film and breaks down decision-making patterns. He credits this work for increased composure, confidence, and self-awareness on the field. How to replicate it: Download a mindfulness app like Headspace or Smiling Mind. Start a daily five-minute journal: one goal, one win, one challenge. Watch back footage of your games or training sessions - reflect without judgment. Talk to a mental coach or psychologist if possible - it's performance work, not therapy. Body maintenance: Rest smarter, not just harder Whether playing elite footy or training casually, building a repeatable weekly plan is the foundation for long-term success Petracca has learned not to over-train, a mistake he made early in his career. Now he listens to his knees, his hamstrings, and monitors his sleep quality. If he's sore, he rests. If he's energised, he pushes. Recovery tools he uses: Infrared sauna sessions at home (aids circulation and recovery). Pilates reformer (for strength and mobility). Yoga studio visits (for breathwork and stretching). Nightly 15-minute stretch routines. Deep tissue massage and physio access. How to replicate it: Pick two to three nightly stretches (hip flexors, glutes, calves) - hold each for 60 seconds. Take one hot-cold contrast shower or bath weekly if you don't have a sauna. Schedule your training around how your body feels, not just what your plan says. The three pillars of recovery Hydration, nutrition and sleep are non-negotiable for Petracca, who follows a daily routine for rest and recovery Petracca's rule is simple: nail sleep, hydration and nutrition every single day. Sleep: Goes to bed and wakes up at the same time every day. Avoids screen time before bed. Sleeps eight to nine hours per night. Hydration: Starts each day with water and electrolytes. Sips water throughout training sessions. Rehydrates after sauna, gym, or cardio. Nutrition: High-carb, high-protein focus - essential for endurance athletes. Cooks most meals at home - Italian roots dovetail with his performance focus. Avoids fad diets - performance over aesthetics. Shares simple, balanced meals via social media, often featuring lean meat, vegetables, olive oil and rice. How to replicate it: Aim for at least 7.5 hours sleep in a cool, dark room. Drink 2.5 to three litres of water daily (more in summer or post-exercise). Build meals around this formula: protein + veggies + carbs + healthy fat. Pre-season grit and off-season reset The star midfielder uses infrared saunas, Pilates and stretching to stay mobile and reduce injury risk throughout the year During the pre-season, Petracca ramps up his regime with 10–12km track runs, plyometric sessions, and long gym days. But he also uses the off-season to mentally reset, often by going on holiday, before attending high-intensity camps to rebuild endurance. How to replicate it: Use breaks between exercise programs to reset, travel, and then rebuild your engine with cardio, mobility, and strength work. Don't coast, refresh. Routine builds greatness 'Build a strong routine that you're happy with and can stick to,' Petracca said. He credits his routine with turning him from a raw recruit into a genuine AFL superstar. Whether it's his diet, gym work, or mindfulness - the structure helps him stay consistent, even on tough days. Replicate it: Choose your wake/sleep time and stick to it. Train on the same three to four days each week. Plan your meals and rest ahead of time.
