IN LESS than two weeks, Melbourne’s AFL side will run on to the hallowed turf of the MCG to begin their 2025 campaign.
To get the Demon faithful ready for the season, AFL senior coach Simon Goodwin has sat down to answer all the fans’ burning questions ahead of Round 1.
Hear from our AFL senior coach below….
Fan: “Is Roo about to go crazy in 2025?”
Goodwin: “He certainly had a pre-season that would have you thinking he's going to continue to improve.
“Troy Chaplin's really tried to simplify his focus and how that sits within our system of playing forward of the ball and you can see that he's really embraced that.
“I think if anyone saw the trial game against North Melbourne, you can see Roo’s really improving in his game. So, we're looking forward to big things out of big Rooey.”
Fan: “Who’s the most promising rookie in your opinion?”
Goodwin: “That's a tough question. Certainly, the two high draft picks that we drafted in Xavier Lindsay and Harvey Langford, they look like they're ready to play some AFL footy at some point throughout this season.
“Aidan Johnson has come in and done a fantastic job as well in terms of his development and growth.”
Fan: “What’s the one thing you’ll be doing differently this year?”
Goodwin: “There isn't one thing. There are multiple things that we're going to be doing differently from how we look at our program internally, from how we play and hopefully the supporters will see when we play there’ll be subtle things in our game, in all phases of the game, that are a little bit different.”
Fan: “Best player you ever played with? Best player you ever played against?”
Goodwin: “Best player I ever played with, well there’s two - Mark Ricciuto and Andrew McLeod.
“Andrew McLeod is super smooth, played unbelievable in big games and Mark Ricciuto was just a bull and could play forward of centre and midfield and have massive impact in games.
“Best player I ever played against, it’s such a tough question. Nathan Buckley was a real challenge to play against with his ability to use the ball, find the ball and have impact in the game. He was a really tough guy to play against.
Fan: “Who's going to play full forward?”
Goodwin: “Jacob van Rooyen is clearly going to play there for a big part of the year, as is Daniel Turner and Matthew Jefferson. Those three guys, they're going to share a pretty big load in playing that part of the ground for us.
“We’re really excited about our youth. We think they're going to have a wonderful impact for us, and they've all developed at different rates and are all ready to go.”
Fan: “What was it like being involved in the Indigenous All-Stars game?”
Goodwin: “It was an Incredible experience, and I was so grateful to be involved in it. Being involved was special for a number of reasons.
“Firstly, it was about Kozzy, Mayzy and Ricky Mentha [Jnr]. To be away with them and to see the connection that they had and how proud they were to be part of it, it was something really special to be involved with.
“Secondly, just to see them all come together, and unite as one and the passion that they have for their communities and the game.
“And obviously working with different staff from different clubs, to get to know more people in the industry, to understand their role and to share the experience with them was also an invaluable experience.
“I loved being a part of it, and I was so proud of our footy club and how many people that we had that were involved in it and it's certainly something I'd love to continue to do.”
Fan: “What are you hoping for most in 2025?”
Goodwin: “This one is really simple for me. It's about making sure our players love the game. They have fun, they enjoy themselves, they smile, and ultimately, they reach their full potential.
“That's the biggest thing I'm looking for, for the players in 2025 to see the joy that they have for the game, and I'm sure if they're having fun and enjoying themselves, that our supporters are going to be smiling a lot as well.”
Fan: “How good is Clarry looking?”
Goodwin: “He looks pretty amazing, and we're pretty proud of Clarry.
“He's spent a lot of time working on himself as a person, but this whole summer has been about, not only that, but working really hard to have a full pre-season and get his footy going as best he can.
“He looks in amazing physical condition. He's done a power of work, he’s done 100% of pre-season.
“Now it's about transforming that into performing on field, but you can see bit by bit, he's working his way back into some really good form.”
Fan: “Are you looking at giving Kozzy more midfield minutes?”
Goodwin: “We certainly are. We want to share the load more in the midfield and Kozzy’s spent the whole pre-season training in the midfield.
“I think everyone in our playing group has seen how dynamic he is and what he’s been able to work on, but he's also really embraced learning the role.”
Fan: “Are you coaching from the box or the bench this year?”
Goodwin: “That's a great question and something I've reflected on a lot. I'm going to be doing a bit of both this year. There'll be times when I'm up in the box, working with the coaches really closely. There'll be times when I'm down at ground level, really engaging with the players.
“I'm going to feel for what the game needs at certain times and, certainly have an open mind to doing both.”
Fan: “How is it working with Nathan Bassett again after playing with one another before?”
Goodwin: “It's actually really good. Nathan and I had a lot of mutual respect when we were playing together, we were both in the leadership group together.
“Bass has gone in a different direction with his coaching, and he's had a fine career with Port Adelaide and taken them to a lot of success. I've seen him grow his coaching, and we've really enjoyed coming back together and working together.
“He sees the game a little bit differently, he has great ideas, he's curious and wants to get better, he builds great relationships with the players and he’s bringing a lot to the table from a coaching perspective and a method perspective.
“We're blessed to have him and I'm really enjoying working with him.”
