Premiership window slammed shut for Goodwin after '21

But the foundations can quickly turn to sand.

Just ask Simon Goodwin's old club Adelaide, who are finally back in contention after paying a fearful price for 40 minutes of bad football in the 2017 grand final.

Likewise, four years ago Melbourne fans consoled themselves in the afterglow of their 57-year premiership drought ending, but in bittersweet circumstances. 

Sure, it wasn't ideal the grand final was played on the other side of the country because of COVID-19 restrictions.

But with a list boasting Gawn, Petracca, Oliver, Viney, Lever, May, Jackson, Brayshaw and Pickett, it was surely only a matter of time before they'd be running a lap of their spiritual MCG home with the premiership cup.

Instead, the MCG was Tuesday's venue for the press conference where the diabolical Demons explained the decision to sack Goodwin as coach.

What looked like the next premiership dynasty started unravelling spectacularly on February 8, 2022.

That was when leaked documents were first published, outlining concerns over off-field issues at Melbourne before their triumphant 2021 season.

Goodwin featured prominently in the reporting and then-president Kate Roffey was strident in her defence of him. Goodwin would also strongly deny rumours about illicit drugs.

But it also quickly emerged that Roffey's predecessor Glen Bartlett, who left the club suddenly in April, 2021, was not going quietly.

He would eventually sue club board members, alleging defamation, with the matter finally settled out of court in November last year.

When that settlement was announced, the club again strongly refuted "serious allegations" about Goodwin and social drug use that had been investigated while Bartlett was president.

On the field, Melbourne started their premiership defence well with a 10-game winning streak to open the 2022 season.

But soon after that streak ended, it emerged teammates Steven May and Jake Melksham had a fight outside a Melbourne restaurant.

Melbourne finished the regular season in second spot, but bowed out of the finals in straight sets. They would do the same in 2023 and have not looked like top-eight contenders since.

At the end of the '22 season, grand-final hero Luke Jackson was traded to Fremantle and Brodie Grundy took his place as the back-up ruckman to captain Max Gawn.

After just one season, Grundy went to Sydney.

The '23 qualifying-final loss to Collingwood was the last game for Angus Brayshaw, one of the Demons' most important players, who ultimately had to retire because of concussion issues.

Also in '23, star onballer Clayton Oliver was out for an extended period because of injury. As that season ended, it emerged Oliver had significant off-field issues - at one stage he was rushed to hospital because of a medical episode - and Melbourne considered trading him.

Geelong courted Oliver again in the '24 off-season, but he stayed at Melbourne.

Shortly after the '23 season ended, defender Joel Smith was banned after testing positive to cocaine. He was later accused of trafficking the drug.

As rumours swirled in October '23, Melbourne chief executive Gary Pert gave a radio interview where he declared their club culture was the best he'd seen in 40 years of football.

The next big hit came in March last year, when federal MP Andrew Wilkie used parliamentary privilege to allege Melbourne had tested players "off the books" to avoid the league's anti-illicit drugs regime.

On the field, as Melbourne's season spluttered, star onballer Christian Petracca suffered serious injuries in a collision during the blockbuster King's Birthday clash with Collingwood.

The injuries were life-threatening and, as Petracca recovered, there was rampant speculation he could leave Melbourne. He stayed, but Roffey went days after a train-wreck radio interview in September where she was asked about Petracca's future.

Shortly after her departure, Pert also left. For much of this year, the Demons have had an interim president and CEO.

At Tuesday's media conference, Goodwin referenced the need for stability. He also made mention the Demons still don't have one club headquarters - and that he will not miss the long drive to their training base at outer-suburban Casey.

For all the glory of 2021, the aftermath at the Demons has been hell.

Australian Associated Press