Simon Goodwin signs on with Melbourne and turns back on Adelaide - The Age

Simon Goodwin has joined the Demons. Photo: Sebastian Costanzo

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The hot favourite to take over as Adelaide coach has instead signed as Melbourne's senior assistant.

Simon Goodwin will round out his AFL coaching apprenticeship with two seasons as Melbourne's senior assistant before replacing Paul Roos in the top job for the 2017 season.

Good win was favoured to take the Adelaide job. Photo: Sebastian Costanzo

Melbourne announced on Thursday that Goodwin had signed a five-year contract, with the last three as head coach. Goodwin, 37, had spent the past four years on the Essendon coaching panel and would have been a leading contender to replace the sacked Brenton Sanderson as Adelaide coach. But when Goodwin's close friend and Crows director Mark Ricciuto made contact with Goodwin on Wednesday night after Sanderson's sacking was made public, Goodwin told him he was already committed to the Demons.