Melbourne have revealed senior coach Simon Goodwin had been left to feel "anger, frustration and hurt" in the wake of circling rumours of him using illicit drugs prior to the club's 2021 campaign.
Claims the club's board had considered sacking Goodwin before the commencement of the Demons' premiership season surfaced in February last year following a report by The Herald Sun that Goodwin's alleged alarming behaviour was brought to Melbourne CEO Gary Pert by former president Glen Bartlett.
The same publication released board minutes this week from a directors meeting from March 2021 where the club's top brass reportedly agreed to commence "scenario planning" for Goodwin's sacking.
In the wake of the report, the Demons issued a statement labelling the rumours regarding Goodwin to be "unsubstantiated".
"The leaked details of an MFC board meeting from three years ago outline follow up discussions to unsubstantiated rumours regarding senior coach Simon Goodwin," the statement read, per the publication.
"Those rumours were thoroughly investigated at the time, including being discussed with Simon by then-president Glen Bartlett and CEO Gary Pert.
"Simon categorically denied any of the rumours including the insinuation that he was using illicit drugs.
"At the time the rumours were put to Simon, he expressed his anger, frustration and hurt that people were circulating information about him that was untrue.
"He asked Gary to follow up directly with individuals who were sharing those rumours, and all of those spoken to by Gary indicated they had no proof of any of the claims they were making.
"Simon talks openly that this was one of the toughest times in his life as a leader, as he was trying to coach the team while at the same time he felt then-president Glen Bartlett was using the unsubstantiated rumours to target him as a way to terminate his contract."
Goodwin and Melbourne agreed to extend their partnership in August this year, with the premiership coach now contracted until the end of the 2026 season after inking a new two-year extension.