Melbourne premiership coach Simon Goodwin has detailed the mental health challenges he has faced after his side failed to live up to the expectations that were set in the years following the club’s memorable 2018 preliminary final run.
The Demons plummeted down the ladder in 2019 and were sitting second last on the ladder after round six, leading Goodwin to start withdrawing from those around him.
“We hit the 2019 season just not prepared for what the game was going to demand,” Goodwin said. “When we started to tumble down the ladder and lose games of footy there’s no doubt I started to become more of a recluse, I started to lose the passion for the game.”
Goodwin said a May 2019 press conference, where he experienced an “overload of anxiety”, was the catalyst for him seeking external assistance and making some changes in his life.
Despite missing the finals in 2020, Melbourne rebounded strongly in 2021 as Goodwin led the club to its first premiership since 1964.
A Tackle Your Feelings Story: Simon Goodwin from Tackle Your Feelings Australia on Vimeo.
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