Melbourne veteran Jake Lever has revealed the news of Simon Goodwin’s sacking became public while the leadership group was mid-way through a Zoom meeting about the decision.

The 2021 premiership coach was told on Monday night that he had lost his job at the Demons despite having a year to run on his contract, and by Tuesday morning, the entire AFL world knew too.

Speaking to Triple M on Sunday, Lever said he was disappointed and “absolutely” surprised it got out so quickly.

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“I think you’ve got to have some sort of question around it,” Lever said when asked if he would seek to find out how it leaked.

“It probably hasn’t been the timing for it (to ask why it got out) because there’s been a lot of other stuff going on.

“But I’m sure as a leadership group we’ll sit there in the next three or four weeks, or however long is left in the season, and make sure that we actually do ask that question.

“Because you’ve got to understand that there are things that might be privy to (the) leadership group and people high up in the football club for a reason, and you don’t want that sort of stuff getting out.”

Lever said he knew something was awry when he woke up to a message early on Tuesday morning asking him and the other leaders to get in to the club early.

But even they — with the exception of skipper Max Gawn — were only told just before it leaked to the media.

“When it did get out, when we were mid-leadership zoom, it was a question where you look back and go, geez, if it’s something that you want to keep in-house, you definitely want to stamp that out,” he said.

Gawn was told the night before, just after Goodwin found out, as he revealed to Triple M earlier in the week.

“I found out Monday night, the Test match was coming to a climax between England and India, and I get a phone call from Alan Richardson and David Chippindall saying, ‘Can we come over?’, and they knock on the door within a minute of the phone call,” he said.

“They walked me through the process, and I appreciate that I was involved in some early conversations. By Tuesday morning, it was all out there.”

Gawn said the decision came as a “shock” for most people but believed that showed good management from the club.

“If you did see it coming, it means things were leaking and the board are struggling to keep things in-house,” he said.

“I’ve had some great times with Goody; we’ve had nine years (together as a coach), and as an assistant coach it’s 11 years.”