SIMON Goodwin says there was “absolutely no truth at all” that he offered his resignation as senior coach, after Melbourne’s pre-Christmas camp was cancelled late last year.

Speaking on the club’s podcast Inside Melbourne, Goodwin spoke of his frustration about the rumours circulating in the media.

“I think we’ve got to be really careful as an industry, when rumours become folklore,” he said.

“I think it can be really damaging to people and that’s something that was never a topic of discussion and it was never said.

“I think as an industry, we need to be really mindful and careful of those sorts of accusations. They’re rumours that fester over a period of time and then they’re presented as if they’re folklore.

“I think it’s important that we don’t hide behind some club sources and we actually come to the source and ask the question. And the question is really clear – it never happened.”

Goodwin said the pre-season camp was a non-issue inside the club.   

“Clearly, it’s a bigger issue for people on the outside. Internally, it was dealt with really quickly,” he said.

“We had some great learnings out of it as a footy club and we’re working really hard to build hard-working, competitive, resilient, humble people.

“It was a really small piece of the puzzle of a much bigger thing – these boys work incredibly hard and it’s topical, because it’s seen as a divide between coaching staff and players, and a whole range of things, which is the furthest thing from the truth. This group is incredibly united.

“What’s happened is that it was slow news through December and everyone was on holidays, and as we’ve got to the first week of round one, it’s become quite topical again. That’s the reality of the industry – they need something to talk about.”

Goodwin said the players were as close as he’d seen.

“They’re really focused on what they want to achieve,” he said.