Melbourne captain Max Gawn has spoken following the club's decision to sack coach Simon Goodwin on Tuesday, saying he was "shocked" but understood why.
The Demons announced they were interested in looking for "new energy... and a new voice" as Goodwin was shown the door after nine years in the hot seat.
The 48-year-old confirmed he was offered to see out the remainder of the 2025 season, but opted to step aside and give the players "clear air", which has allowed long-time assistant coach Troy Chaplin to take the reins.
Gawn, speaking on Triple M's Mick in the Morning, reveals how he learned of the club's judgment call.
"I found out Monday night," Gawn said.
"The test match was coming to a climax between England and India, and I get a phone call from Alan Richardson and David Chippindall saying, 'Can we come over?', and they knock on the door within a minute of the phone call, so I reckon they might have been out of the front.
"They walked me through the process, and I appreciate that I was involved in some early conversations. By Tuesday morning, it was all out there."
Gawn rebuffed reports that he was angered by the decision to let go of Goodwin after a relatively successful tenure, which included the drought-breaking premiership in 2021.
"No, definitely not angry," the seven-time All-Australian added.
"I'm a supporter of the team; I love the Melbourne Football Club. They've sacked people that I love before, and I move on, and so do they. This one is harder to take at present, but I have some great relationships with the people that have made the decision, and they've explained carefully to me 'why'."
"I'm excited for what's next. It's funny how quickly you move on in football. 'Goodwin sacked'... and I'm like, 'Geez, my life is over, what's happened here?', I'm down in the dumps on Tuesday morning. We train Tuesday arvo and again Wednesday, and today I can't wait [to play] the Western Bulldogs, can't wait for what we do in the trade period, and I can't wait to [see] what coach we get in. It's happened, now let's move on."
The Demons immediately turn their attention to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday in honour of the Pink Lady Match at the MCG.
