Essendon coach search: Simon Goodwin opts out after talks

Essendon made the call to Simon Goodwin. The answer, at least publicly, is no.

The former Melbourne premiership coach has confirmed he spoke with president Andrew Welsh, then stepped away from any formal run at the Bombers job before the weekend speculation got properly loose. The Age reported Goodwin has opted out of the process rather than letting his name sit there as a maybe.

For Essendon supporters, that is the bit that bites. A familiar, credible coach was sounded out. He took the conversation. He is not going further, while the club is still trying to sell the next phase of a rebuild that already has enough smoke around it.

On SEN, Goodwin was direct about the contact.

“I’ve had enquiries and a chat with Andrew Welsh. That’s not a process at the moment that I’m going to lean into.”

Simon Goodwin, SEN

There is a difference between a name being thrown around on radio and a club president actually making contact. This is the latter. Goodwin’s public answer gives the Bombers a clean enough no, even allowing for the usual AFL caveat that things can shift once a search gets serious.

The link had logic. Goodwin spent four seasons at Essendon from late 2010 to 2014 and coached one senior game during the 2013 supplements saga. He later won a premiership at Melbourne. That sort of CV carries a bit more weight than the normal coaching-carousel name tossed into a Thursday news cycle.

It also explains why the knock-back lands harder than a loose rumour fading out. Essendon are already being judged on whether this search looks organised or reactive. Every fresh name becomes a small test of the room, and right now the room still looks unsettled from outside the club.

Why it matters for Essendon now

The football backdrop is grim. Fox Sports noted Essendon have one win from their past 29 games, a number that hangs over the coaching call even when the club would rather talk about process. Supporters can live with a wide search if it looks decisive. They have a lot less patience for a vacancy that stays in the news without obvious momentum.

Goodwin’s second line on SEN sounded less like a money or timing issue than a fit issue.

“It’s got to feel right for you as well and the club. As I sit here now I won’t be entering that process.”

Simon Goodwin, SEN

Goodwin is at Sydney as an assistant now, and any experienced coach looking at Essendon would be asking the blunt questions: how much control comes with the job, how long the rebuild bites, and whether the club is properly lined up behind the next coach. From where we sit, that quote does not sound close.

The Age’s report framed Goodwin as another established figure to step away from Essendon’s process. The Bombers may still see the search as broad and disciplined. Outside the club, each public rejection narrows the story and makes the next move matter more.

None of this means the search is cooked. Coaching races turn quickly once interviews start and one candidate decides the heat is worth it. But Goodwin was plausible, he took the call, and he is out. Essendon need the next step to look cleaner.