Simon Goodwin

Simon Goodwin
File:Goodwin246.jpg
Personal information
Full name	Simon Goodwin
Nickname(s)	Goody
Date of birth	(1976-12-26) 26 December 1976
Place of birth	Adelaide, Australia
Original team(s)	South Adelaide (SANFL)
Draft	18th overall, 1996 Pre-Season Draft Adelaide
Height / weight	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) / 86 kg
Position(s)	Backline, Midfield
Club information
Current club	Adelaide
Number	36
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Simon Goodwin (born 26 December 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer, who is a dual premiership player with the Adelaide Football Club and is now an assistant coach at the Essendon Football Club.

AFL career

Early career (1997–1999)

Prior to embarking on his successful AFL career, Goodwin was an accomplished junior cricketer, co-captaining the South Australian Under-19 cricket team. Recruited from South Adelaide in the SANFL with pick No. 18 in the 1996 Preseason Draft, Goodwin made his debut in Round 1, 1997, however his day was marred by a severe quadriceps injury which kept him out for months.

Goodwin returned to the side in Round 14 to face West Coast, holding his position until he was omitted following the Round 18 victory over Carlton at Football Park. Goodwin earned a recall prior to the beginning of the 1997 finals series, returning solid performances in all four of Adelaide's wins, including 19 possessions and a goal in the victorious Grand Final.

After a poor start to 1998 Goodwin blossomed in the second half of the season, showing glimpses of the prolific ballwinner he would become in later years and once again playing a solid role in all four finals on the way to Adelaide's second Premiership win in as many years, and had become an awesome player for the Adelaide Crows

1999 was to be a year of disappointment however, as Goodwin's performances mirrored that of his club. Despite featuring in 19 of Adelaide's 22 games, Goodwin's progress was marred by inconsistency as Adelaide finished a lowly 13th in what was the club's worst ever finish to a season.

Rising career (2000–2004)

Following his disappointing 1999, Goodwin emerged as a star in his own right in the 2000 season with a string of assured midfield displays earning both his first All-Australian guernsey and Gold Jacket as Adelaide Club Champion. Goodwin capped this watershed year with selection to the Adelaide Football Club Team Of The Decade.

Another All-Australian selection followed in 2001 with consistently good performances alongside fellow star midfielders Mark Ricciuto, Andrew McLeod and Tyson Edwards pushing Adelaide back into the Premiership reckoning for 2002 after three seasons where the club had finished no higher than eighth.

In 2002 Goodwin struggled for consistency, in part due to the extra attention he was receiving from opposition taggers. Highly prolific games such as his 39 possession/1 goal game against Collingwood in Round 14 were contrasted by his 17 possession game against Fremantle in Round 7. After suffering an injury in Round 19 against Essendon, Goodwin returned to the team in time for the finals, where despite high expectations the Crows were defeated at the Preliminary Final stage.

A member of Adelaide's preseason Premiership winning team, Goodwin's highly promising 2003 was marred by a broken arm suffered early in the Round 11 clash with Hawthorn at the MCG when he collided with the boundary fence following a contest. Upon his return to the side in Round 17 Goodwin looked to be far from his best, able only to provide a series of steady displays as the Crows, despite being one of the hot Premiership favourites, were knocked out at the Semi Final stage.

As with 1999, Goodwin endured another horror year to mirror that of Adelaide's in 2004. Sidelined with a adductor injury between Rounds 4 and 16, by the time Goodwin returned Gary Ayres had resigned and been replaced by Neil Craig as the Crows languished near the lower end of the ladder. To further rub salt into the wound Goodwin was cited for tripping Roger James and suspended for one week in Adelaide's 25 point loss to eventual Premier Port Adelaide in Round 22.

Career high (2005–2007)

Goodwin and Adelaide's fortunes turned around completely in 2005 as the side unexpectedly won the Minor Premiership despite being tipped by many for the wooden spoon. Individually Goodwin capped a superb return to top form, winning his third All-Australian guernsey and capturing his second Club Champion award. His stellar form continued in 2006, first winning the Michael Tuck Medal for best afield in Adelaide's preseason Grand Final loss to Geelong (the only player thus far to do so in a loss), before again performing brilliantly in the season proper, winning his fourth All-Australian selection and third Gold Jacket.

Captaincy (2008–2009)

In Round 2 2008, Goodwin kicked a career best seven goals in Adelaide's big win over West Coast. The Crows destroyed them by 76 points after their shattering Bulldog loss in Round 1. Score: 21.7 133 to 8.9 57.

In early December 2007, Goodwin was named the captain for Adelaide for the 2008 football season. This coincided with a move into the forward line to allow the club's young midfielders to gain experience and bolster a struggling attack. The move paid dividends with Goodwin enjoying a seven-goal haul in Adelaide's crushing victory over the West Coast Eagles, and ever since Goodwin has rotated between the forward and back half, increasingly the latter in order to allow young forwards to stake their claims for a permanent spot.

In Round 15, 2009, Goodwin played his 250th game. The Adelaide Crows celebrated by defeating Fremantle by 117 points, 19.16 (130) to 1.7 (13), shattering a number of records in doing so.

Retirement (2010)

On 25 May 2010, Goodwin announced he would retire at the conclusion of the 2010 AFL season.

Coaching (2010)

On 30 September 2010, Goodwin announced his appointment as assistant coach at Essendon Football Club for two years in Melbourne.

Controversy

On the early hours of 22 December 2005, Goodwin was involved in an incident with a photographer from The Advertiser newspaper while at a private function. Goodwin has since apologised for his threat to the photographer that he would "punch your lights out".

On 1 March 2007, Goodwin was fined a record $40,000 and ordered to undertake compulsory counselling for placing four bets involving AFL matches totalling $16,024.58. Goodwin, along with three other players, became the first players in AFL history to be caught for betting on AFL matches.

External links

• Simon Goodwin's playing statistics from AFL Tables
• Simon Goodwin's profile on the official website of the Adelaide Football Club