THE rumours are right — sort of.

Foxfooty.com.au understands Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin did offer his resignation following last year’s training camp debacle — but the comment was in the heat of the moment.

His off-the-cuff remark was immediately rebuked by chief executive Peter Jackson and the club’s hierarchy set about formulating a plan to put the drama behind them.

Multiple sources confirmed Goodwin threatened to leave, but said his words were amid a flurry of emotions after it became clear the players went behind his back to get the training camp cancelled.

Round 18

He never truly contemplated abandoning his post.

In the corresponding two-night pre-season camp in Goodwin’s first pre-season in charge, Dom Tyson dislocated his knee and Christian Salem had a brick fall on his head. Both players were injured but there was no immediate medical assistance on hand to assist them.

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Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin. Picture: Michael Klein Source: News Corp Australia

When several players made independent contact with AFL Players’ Association staff after the 2017 camp was announced, the AFLPA knew something was wrong.

Whatever the players’ concerns were, they felt they hadn’t been heard by Melbourne’s football hierarchy. Not every player felt this way, but enough to prompt the AFLPA to prompt delegates Tom McDonald and Dom Tyson to open dialogue with the club.

Melbourne assured Tyson and McDonald everything was OK. But it wasn’t.

The players — as many as 14 — remained deeply concerned. The prospect of repeating the camp filled locker room conversation for days.

AFLPA boss Paul Marsh then called captain Nathan Jones, who went to Josh Mahoney and Goodwin. The camp was then pulled a week before it was due to commence.

It was at this moment Goodwin threatened to resign, albeit fleetingly and flippantly. It was laughed off by Jackson, but it didn’t take long for rumours to spread far and wide that he had handed in his notice. These suggestions are off the mark and misrepresent the moment.

The club had made a deposit believed to be as much as $15,000 for the camp and had planned to spend at least $40,000 on the entire project.

Internally, Melbourne has well and truly moved on from whatever the camp did or didn’t achieve. The playing group is generally fit and motivated and the coach is respected and liked.

McDonald, who is unlikely to be fit for Round 1 due to a sore toe, and Bernie Vince are no longer part of the leadership group.

Its two JLT performances were strong and there is legitimate optimism around the club. Fair or unfair, the lingering training camp narrative won’t go away.

In football, winning solves most problems, including this curly one.