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"You didn't have any control": Parker on how players react to a coach sacking
Charles Goodsir • August 6th, 2025 1:01 pm
Following the sacking of Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin, SEN’s Corey Parker has explained how players react to a club’s decision to move on from a coach.
Parker played 347 games solely at the Brisbane Broncos between 2001-2016. In that time, Parker played under three coaches and two of them failed to see out their full tenure as head coach.
He describes the weeks leading up to the decision and the fallout as among the most difficult periods of his professional career.
“I played under two coaches who were given (the sack),” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.
“Those being Ivan Henjak and Anthony Griffin and I got along well with both of them.
“It was a difficult situation (before a sacking) because you wanted to go out there (and perform).
“You didn’t really have any control of the situation as a player. It was sort of imminent that they were going to be moved on.
“You just went out there and felt that you had to give it your all and do your very best. Not for them but for you.
“It’s incredibly difficult because you have those relationships with coaches and it’s a little different to how most people (on the outside) see it.
“You speak regularly with them and you might go over to their house for a beer or have a steak.
“When people get their job taken away from them and they move on, it’s difficult.
“There’s more to a game of football.
“Everyone’s different and there are those that can’t wait to see the back of them.
“I was very different. I found it very difficult at times.”
Goodwin became the first coach across both the major codes to be sacked in the 2025 season.
With a number of coaches in both the NRL and AFL under enormous pressure to retain their positions for next season, SEN's Gerard Whateley believes clubs will start to make tough decisions on their head coach in order to begin the process of future success.
“It was a bold decision (to sack Goodwin) and you can justify it because Melbourne are desperate for change,” Whateley said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“That change included the coach and I understand the timing because this is about making the decision with as much evidence as you can wait for.
“You can then get into the market for a new head coach.
“Once a board decides that you aren’t the guy, you should move (the coach) on and you should move decisively.
“The only thing is that you need to be right.”
