BASIL Zempilas has apologised to Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin after not letting him speak during the presentations following the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final.

After accepting the Jock McHale Medal from John Worsfold, Goodwin should have given a speech as is tradition for the premiership-winning coach, but Grand Final MC Zempilas continued on.

Zempilas told Triple M he frantically tried to make amends once realising the error.

"As they were having the team photo, I asked one of the people to go and get Simon, let's get him back up and let's do it," he said.

"And I said 'Simon, my apologies, that was crazy' and he said to me 'there's so much going on, it's fine, it's fine'.

"And he stood next to me and we tried to get the PA down to be able to get Simon to say what he wanted to say in front of the crowd or whatever he might have been going to say.

"The PA I couldn't reach, the cup had gone, and 'BT' (Channel Seven commentator Brian Taylor) was down side of stage and said 'I'll grab him' and Simon said 'hey, no problem at all'."

Zempilas said he prides himself on getting the big moments right and described the incident as "regrettable".

"I don't want that to be remembered as the moment from Melbourne's great premiership victory," he said.

"I realised that Simon Goodwin hadn't spoken. Now that was regrettable, and that was a mistake.

"In the end - I've played this over lots and lots of times, as you do - I will say that despite what people might say, I pride myself on this sort of work.

"I pride myself on getting these big moments right. I've done four Australian Open presentations, five Melbourne Cup presentations, they're big moments and you want to get them and that didn't go exactly to plan, clearly.

"So that's regrettable and it's disappointing for Simon."