Dean Bailey under the pump after 186-point loss

 

By , 31 Jul 2011

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A record-breaking 186-point AFL loss to Geelong has ramped up the pressure on embattled Melbourne coach Dean Bailey to keep his job.

Out of contract at the end of the season, Bailey presided over the second worst loss in VFL/AFL history at Skilled Stadium on Saturday as the rampant Cats won 37.11 (233) to 7.5 (47).

Geelong’s total score was the fourth largest of all-time, while the only bigger winning margin ever recorded was 190 points by Fitzroy – also against Melbourne – back in 1979.

And the most comprehensive victory in the Cats’ history could hardly have come at a worse time for the Demons – who began the round in 11th spot and still in finals contention – or for Bailey.

“A loss like today’s doesn’t augur very well for anyone who’s in the last year of their contract,” said Bailey who has held the top job at Melbourne for four years.

“My responsibility is going to be getting these players back together again, gelling them again and getting them united again to confront an opposition next week.

“It’s going to be painful for the next three or four days.

“There will be a dark cloud sitting over all of us until next week’s game (against Carlton) comes along.

“Today we were incredibly embarrassing, the Melbourne football club had a really dark two hours today.

“… I need to be judged on everything I’ve done and today too – there’s no hiding that fact.”

But Bailey insisted he wanted to continue as coach.

“The board will make the decision in the best interests of the Melbourne football club and the decision they make will be what it is,” he said.

“There is no greyness in it, it’s black and white.”

The contest on Saturday was effectively over by quarter-time when the Cats led by eight goals to nil, although incredibly that turned out to be the home side’s lowest scoring term of the match.

Steve Johnson led the way all day with 34 possessions, seven goals and a stunning nine goals assists.

Key forwards Tom Hawkins and Cameroon Mooney also booted five apiece as the Cats had 14 individual goalscorers.

Veteran forward Mooney’s goals were his first of a frustrating season and came in the absence of regular spearhead James Podsiadly.

Joel Selwood racked up 43 possessions, Corey Enright had 36 coming off half-back and Joel Corey had 35.

A total of nine Cats had more possessions than Melbourne’s most prolific player – Jordie McKenzie with 25.

“With our decisions with the football, we lost confidence as quickly as they gained it,” said Bailey.

“We all saw the ease with which they scored goals and that can be a pretty demoralising, confidence-sapping game that they played on us.

“Our level of effort, and anything you want to talk about today, was at such a low level it’s just unacceptable.

“That’s why I started with the word embarrassing.

“… I’m not sure there would be too many other losses of that degree or that magnitude.”

The Demons’ dreadful day was perhaps best encapsulated when midfield tyro Brent Moloney was subbed off at halftime suffering from the flu and without a single possession to his name.

© AAP 2012
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