Melbourne milestone man Ed Langdon said he was "shocked" when he learned that the club had decided to part ways with coach Simon Goodwin on Tuesday.
The Demons' board came to the decision Monday evening and alerted Goodwin of their stance in the midst of another poor year on the field.
Following the historic drought-breaking premiership in 2021, the proud Victorian club has withstood wide-ranging speculation surrounding their star players, which contributed to the Demons' dramatic downfall last year, and has continued in 2025.
Melbourne held an external review of the football department at the end of 2024, which indicated many problem areas, but ultimately provided a way forward for Goodwin and the Demons.
But the Round 20 loss to St Kilda, which will go down in the history books as the AFL's biggest ever comeback (46 points) from three-quarter time, was enough to signal change, and ultimately a need for a "new voice", according to the board.
Langdon, who is set to play his 200th AFL game on Sunday against the Western Bulldogs, attempted to digest the news.
"It was obviously a big day yesterday, we were told in the morning in a Zoom call. We managed to get around to most of the other players as well before that dropped," Langdon said.
SEE MORE: The 12 games that changed the fortunes of the Melbourne Football Club
"It was a big emotional day, of course (it felt different on Wednesday morning), we've got a different coach coaching this week, and we all loved Goody, he was a big part of the club.
"(I was) definitely shocked, it's not the news I thought I would be waking up to. As I said, we are all very close to Goody, won a premiership with him."
Interim president Brad Green penned a letter alerting club members to the decision, saying, "someone else with new energy and new ideas" will be brought in, a phrase that the wingman cannot quite grasp.
"I'm not sure I would agree with that, but that's the board's decision," Langdon said.
"I can only comment on the players' relationship with Goody, which was always positive. We always respected him and loved him as a coach.
MORE: The 9 names likely to feature in Melbourne's search for their next head coach
"If that's what the board thinks, then that's what the board thinks.
"All I'll touch on is how much I love Goody and how much respect I have for him.
"He's been pretty influential in my career. I've only got good things to say about Goody and what he achieved and what he did for this football club."
Goodwin will be replaced by long-serving assistant coach Troy Chaplin, who will steer the Demons for their final three games of the 2025 season, starting with the Western Bulldogs on Sunday at the MCG.
Chaplin joined the Demons ahead of the 2017 season after playing for 13 years across Port Adelaide and Richmond.
"The board is going to go through that process (of finding a new coach), the next three weeks we've got Troy Chaplin, he's been around for a long time, he's an experienced assistant coach," Langdon said.
"(Chaplin is) again pretty close to the players, so looking forward to the next three weeks and what we can achieve."
The Demons will also take on Hawthorn and Collingwood.
