If the Demons choose to part ways with under-pressure senior coach Simon Goodwin mid-season, it will cost them more than a pretty penny.
While winless Melbourne is off to its worst start in 13 years, relieving Goodwin of his duties during the campaign could cost it between $1.5-2 million.
The 10-year Demons mentor’s contract runs through until the end of next year, with chief Herald Sun football reporter Jay Clark explaining the ramifications of cutting him loose early.
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? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.
“It would be a very expensive decision for Melbourne to part ways with its premiership coach, because we can reveal today he has a full pay-out clause in his contract until the end of next season,” Clark told Fox Footy’s Super Saturday Live.
“Unlike Brett Ratten and Stuart Dew, who only got six months pay-out clauses, if Goodwin is sacked mid-season, the club must pay out the remainder of his contract value for this year and next year.
“That’s $1.5-2 million, depending on when the decision is made. The ramifications for this are quite serious, because any money that they would have to pay him out would be included in the $7.7 million soft cap.
“And if that tips Melbourne over the edge, it gets expensive, because then they’ve got to pay a luxury tax that’s 75 cents on the dollar up to $1 million.
“So, if they do sack him — and let’s be clear, Simon Goodwin is digging in; he is adamant he is the man to lead Melbourne out of this mess — it would cost Melbourne a hefty amount.”
Clark added there was “absolutely no way” Goodwin would consider resigning from his post despite his side’s grim start to the season.
“He’s as motivated as ever,” Clark said. “We saw Adam Simpson hang on from mid-2023 at West Coast to 16 rounds into 2024, because he had a similar arrangement — he also had the full contract pay-out — so Adam Simpson dug in … and Goody’s situation is similar.”
Clark said Melbourne would be attempting to “regain its hard edge” in a daunting Saturday afternoon bout with Fremantle at the MCG.
“They’ve been a soft footy club, a nice footy club, and (Goodwin) has made it a big theme this week to get some of that intensity and venom back,” he said.
Asked whether a Goodwin sacking was potentially on the doorstep, Clark said: “I wouldn’t say that. I would say it’s a consideration, however.
“The finances at clubs are important, particularly relating to the football department … they are capped, there is no unlimited money here, you have to pay the luxury tax if you go over.
“The club, for now, is backing Simon Goodwin in. It is a huge three weeks.”
Because of the financial ramifications outlined by Clark, triple premiership Tiger Jack Riewoldt said he couldn’t see Goodwin getting the sack early.
“This can’t happen in the foreseeable future, then … this is not going to happen,” he said.
“Because Brad Green’s leaving as president, Steven Smith is coming in, they don’t have a CEO at the moment — you cannot make a decision for $2 million without that part of your business shored up to make that critical decision.”
Clark did, however, add that if the Demons went down in uncompetitive circumstances against West Coast and Richmond across the next three weeks “maybe the situation becomes untenable”.
“If they get blown out of the water by two cellar-dwellers, there will be these sorts of conversations, no doubt about that,” he said.
Discussion about this post