Melbourne’s display ‘not to AFL standard’
Coach Goodwin laments ‘non-existent’ Demons in shock FNQ loss
A FRUSTRATED Simon Goodwin says his Demons were not up to AFL standard and “non-existent’ during their shock loss to Sydney on Thursday night.
Melbourne gave up its spot in the top eight when it was upset by the Swans, just days after it looked to have turned the corner against St Kilda with a stirring victory.
Goodwin said his side was outworked and could not afford to drop another match if it wanted to feature in the finals.
“I thought our start was really poor — our ability to win critical contests in the first half was costly,” Goodwin said.
“We got outworked and our execution wasn’t to AFL standard, and we paid the price.
“We’ve got to perform better. We can’t have games or halves where we’re non-existent … that’s far from a team that’s going to challenge.
“This season has thrown up lots of challenges and we have no excuses … we need to perform better as a club.”
Melbourne great Garry Lyon was also critical of the Demons after the loss.
“This Sydney Swans side are not playing finals this year, but I tell you what — there’s a lot to like about them,” he said on Fox Footy.
“A 21-point win over a team that could have played finals, but on the back of that performance don’t deserve to.
“You get what you deserve in this game.”
The Demons have a short turnaround before tackling Fremantle in Cairns on Monday night.
“I think we are getting to the stage of the season where every game is a must-win,” Goodwin said. “It is four days’ time, we are looking forward to responding.”
Melbourne may be without experienced on-baller Nathan Jones and midfielder Angus Brayshaw, who both finished under injury clouds.
Brayshaw (ankle) and Jones (quad) will both be assessed at the weekend, Goodwin said.
Melbourne’s forward combination of Mitch Brown and Sam Weideman could not take advantage of the Demons’ midfield work, collecting more inside-50s than their Sydney opponents.
Defender Steven May was sent forward late on, taking a couple of key marks and kicking a goal. But Goodwin said if May was to stay forward, it would hurt his defensive unit.
“It is always an option for us to play him forward, but he is an All-Australian key defender,” Goodwin said.
The Dockers had a light training session yesterday at Watsons Oval.
“The boys have settled in really well, we’re finding our feet and really enjoying it so far,” Fremantle defender Taylin Duman said. “The boys have really embraced the challenge of being up here.
“The final couple of rounds we just want to play our brand of footy and make sure everyone plays their role for the team. Every week is another opportunity to get better.”