For the fifth week in a row, the Melbourne narrative has taken a further nose dive — this time reaching a 13-year low at 0-5, and now just one of two teams left yet to register a win this season.
Speaking to journalists post-game after his side’s 39-point loss to Essendon in Gather Round, premiership coach Simon Goodwin was as determined as ever to emphasise that the Demons’ poor run of form will turn around for the greater good.
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“We’re (going to keep) finding a way … and yeah, we’ll come out of it,” Goodwin said in his press conference.
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“We acknowledge we’re not where we (need to be). We know the areas that we need to fix, and we’ve got to get busy fixing them, but we need to show more fight than what we showed.
“We did it for a quarter, that’s all I’ll say. We did it for a quarter.”
His Melbourne side were again poor kicking inside 50, with a minuscule seven per cent of inside 50s in the first half against Essendon translating to goals. It makes for ultra-frustrating viewing for Demons fans, who saw their team kick inside the attacking arc eight more times than their victorious opponents.
But despite the normally-crucial stat falling in their favour, they on the contrary allowed Brad Scott’s Bombers to accrue 448 disposals; a number Essendon hasn’t had that high for a match in seven years.
It makes for a perplexing read, given the Demons actually also had more clearances than the Bombers, in particular nine more centre clearances. Nonetheless, Goodwin felt his side were lucky to be as close as they were at the first two intervals.
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“I thought we were lucky to be in it at quarter time, to be only two goals. Even in the second quarter, I thought we’re okay for about 10 minutes, but I thought our first half was average … our pressure on the ball wasn’t what it should’ve been,” Goodwin admitted.
“You saw a completely different team in the third quarter. Clearly, we were able to show some of the things we were capable of… but it’s just not there long enough at the moment.
“I think you’d all sit here and agree that third quarter was completely different to what you saw all game.”
The third quarter that was referenced several times throughout his press conference saw the Demons kick five goals that brought the deficit down to just 10 points.
As history now tells us though, the Bombers reciprocated a five-goal term in the last to blow an unlikely Melbourne comeback away and a 13-year low now a grim reality.
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Quizzed on his confidence around the club’s strategies in place to get back to their best, the premiership coach was resoundingly confident that they will get back to their best football.
“I’m incredibly confident. It’s not about me, it’s about the club, it’s about the team (and) it’s about these players. As I said during the week, we’ve had a lot of challenges through my time at the footy club. I’ve been pretty well serviced to see the club through that, and I feel pretty well credentialed to do that,” Goodwin noted.
“My focus is just on doing my job to the best of (my) ability, and I believe I’ve got the credentials to do it.”
“We need to get our most senior players playing their best footy, that’ll give us our best chance at success. Then, we’ve got to get the method and the fight to make sure you see clear identity, which you saw for a quarter (tonight). We’ve got to make sure we see that way more than what we’re seeing it right now.”
Melbourne’s next chance at a first win for 2025 comes next Friday night in Perth against West Coast — the only other club in the competition left without a victory.
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