Melbourne great David Schwarz insists Simon Goodwin is not to blame for the Demons’ winless start, declaring it’s a result of the culture problems over the past two seasons.
The Demons are winless after five rounds, the latest defeat coming against Essendon in Adelaide on Saturday night.
They have slumped to 17th on the ladder, above only West Coast, and their long-time scoring issues continue, for they average only 60 points per game.
Max Gawn leads the Demons off the ground after their loss to the Bombers.Credit: Getty Images
“Where do I start with the Dees? I would have thought that Melbourne would have banked the win,” Schwarz told SEN on Sunday.
“I thought that they would have been able to bank it and bank it quite easily.
“It’s not a Simon Goodwin thing, and I don’t care what you say, it’s not about the coach. By all accounts, the players are playing for him.
“I think it’s a holistic part with the club, where the club has just got a lot of things wrong over the last 12 months, and it’s playing catch-up with them now.”
The Demons endured more drama last season over the futures of prime movers Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, while former president Kate Roffey and chief executive Gary Pert stood aside.
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They have yet to settle on a replacement for Pert, with several industry figures declining an option to challenge for the role.
“It starts with culture, and it starts from the top down. We know that Melbourne have had massive problems with their board,” Schwarz said.
“They were in a legal dispute for many years … they’ve got no CEO, they’ve had all new line coaches, so all the players are dealing with new coaches.
“That is some sort of adjustment. They are professional players, but they have got a lot wrong over the last couple of years, and it’s now coming home to smack them.”
Goodwin insisted on Saturday night that he was still the right man to guide the club through this challenging time.
“We’ve had a lot of challenges through my time at the footy club,” Goodwin said.
“I have been pretty well serviced to see the club through that and I feel pretty well credentialed to do that.
“We’re in a challenging spot right now and we acknowledge that, but my focus is just doing my job to the best of my ability and I believe I’ve got the credentials to do it.”
The Demons host Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday.
