After delivering Demon diehards a drought-breaking flag in 2021, Melbourne head coach Simon Goodwin appears to have secured his stewardship after abolishing the stresses of 12-months ago.
According to a Saturday afternoon report from Glenn McFarlane of The Herald Sun, the 44-year-old is on the precipice of agreeing to terms on a deal that will allow him to tie his future to Demons beyond the end of the 2022 season.
Speaking to McFarlane, Demons CEO Gary Pert claimed that while a date for obtaining the Jock McHale medallist's signature was not set in stone, all signs suggested that an official pact would be made ahead of Melbourne's Round 1 date against the Western Bulldogs scheduled for mid-March.
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โBased on the conversations (already had), I would expect we would put it (a new contract) to bed before the season starts,โ Pert said.
โWe have had a fair bit on our plates since the grand final."
The length of this latest extension is still yet to be determined.
Melbourne's first season as reigning premiers since 1965 will also act as Goodwin's sixth at the helm of the competition's oldest club.
The former Adelaide midfielder served his coaching apprenticeship at Essendon under James Hird and Mark Thompson before trading Tullamarine for Gosch's Paddock prior to the 2017 season.
While the dual premiership player had entered 2021 under heavy duress given the Redlegs' drastic dropoff in form during their condensed 2020 campaign, the rarely rattled Goodwin exited the year having been voted as the league's Coach of the Year by his pedagogical peers.
Goodwin has led the Demons into battle on 111 occasions for a total of 62 wins, 48 losses and a singular draw against Hawthorn in Round 18 of this year.
