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Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has revealed in detail for the first time how he lost passion for the AFL amid mental health struggles during the 2019 season.

Simon Goodwin has revealed how he lost passion for the AFL amid a mental health battle prior to becoming Melbourne's first premiership coach in 57 years.

The 45-year-old's job is now the safest among the 18 AFL coaches but the opposite was true for Goodwin not long ago.

For the first time, Goodwin has opened up in significant detail about the struggles he endured during the Demons' tumultuous 2019 campaign.

After leading Melbourne to their first finals series in 12 years in 2018, the Demons suffered a dramatic drop-off in form the following year as they tumbled down the ladder to finish 17th with just five wins.

Ahead of Melbourne's clash with GWS in May 2019, Goodwin abruptly cut short his weekly press conference, citing a dizzy spell.

"(When) we started to tumble down the ladder and lose games of footy, there was no doubt I started to become more of a recluse," Goodwin told Tackle Your Feelings Australia.

"I started to lose the passion for the game.

"I was standing there talking and trying to answer a question, and I couldn't get the words out of my mouth.

"I didn't know what had happened and when we broke it down, it was that I wasn't coping with the pressure, stress and anxiety that had come over me.

"I had to start to really address some of the things that were going on in my life and where I was as an individual."

Leaked documents in February this year revealed club hierarchy discussed standing Goodwin down from his role ahead of the 2021 season.

A club review at the end of 2020, conducted by Demons chief executive Gary Pert, cleared Goodwin to continue coaching.

But Goodwin revealed he was already back on the right path following the disastrous 2019 campaign.

"It can be a quite lonely, isolating job full of pressure, full of stress and full of anxiety and it took a while to work that out," Goodwin told Tackle Your Feelings Australia.

Goodwin last month signed a two-year contract extension, meaning he will be leading the Demons at least until the end of the 2024 season.

After breaking through to win last year's grand final, Melbourne sit atop the ladder with a 10-1 record ahead of Saturday night's clash with the Sydney Swans.

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