Demons caretaker coach Troy Chaplin has confirmed he will not pursue the permanent senior coaching position at the club for the 2026 AFL season.
While an aspiring senior coach, Chaplin told the media on Friday he understands the Melbourne board is looking to bring in "a new voice", but is excited to grasp the opportunity the next three weeks present for him in the interim role.
"I've spoken to the club and I won't be pursuing the role. I certainly have aspirations to be a senior coach one day, and to be able to lead the program with 'Richo' over the next three weeks is a great opportunity," Chaplin said.
"I'm looking forward to it. We've got three really good games at the home of footy as well, where our fans can come out and support us. It's exciting.
"I was pretty shocked initially. I want to be an aspiring head coach. I've got aspirations to do that and saw this as a great opportunity to get that chance. I was shocked when I first got the phone call, but understand where the club was coming from."
Chaplin shared that the decision not to join the long list of potential Simon Goodwin replacements was mutual between him and Melbourne, but he was nonetheless pleased to be given the opportunity to lead the playing group for the rest of the 2025 season.
"[The decision to not pursue] came from both parties. I went and spoke to them about it," Chaplin said.
"The history says that caretakers don't get that role, but obviously they know I'm an aspiring head coach as well, so they gave me the opportunity to lead the programs for the next three weeks.
"I also understand that they're looking for a new voice, so it's exciting for the football club and for the playing group as well."
Chaplin hinted that a decision may come relatively soon for the Demons, with the process of finding Goodwin's replacement seemingly already in motion.
"In the next five or six weeks, they're going to have a new coach that can drive the club forward," said Chaplin.
"Whether it's a younger coach or a more experienced coach, [the board] will have someone in mind and will go through that process.
"Whoever the coach is will be a lucky coach. They've got a really good group here, a really good senior core of players and then some young kids coming through as well. It's an exciting role for who that next person will be."
However, Chaplin admitted he was "shocked" by the Demons' sudden call to part ways with the 2021 premiership coach, especially following their 83-point thrashing of West Coast the week before. It was the second-largest winning margin leading to a coach's sacking in V/AFL history.
"It was a shock, I'll be honest. You come off an 80-point win, but you also understand that the board's responsibility is to govern and have the best interests of the footy club at heart. They've made the decision," Chaplin said.
"Footy is a brutal industry, you move forward pretty quickly, but what we do know is that Goodwin was really strong with the players and had a really strong connection. We'll continue to support him and reach out to him as well.
"He'll get another opportunity; he's a brilliant coach. But the board's made that decision and we move forward and support that decision as a football club, playing group and coaching group as well."
