After Melbourne knocked off finals contenders Essendon in Round 13, there was a wave of praise and optimism for the Demons.
Their apparent development under new coach Paul Roos was framed by many pundits and fans as one of the big stories of the AFL season.
Yet, as much as they have become a more competitive and defensively-effective team in 2014, the Dees remain utterly toothless with the ball in their hands.
This was laid bare last weekend when they managed to scrape together just five goals in a resounding 66-point loss to Geelong. Kicking five majors in a match would typically be a season-worst effort for a side. Yet the Demons have had four other games where they have scored that many goals or less.
In the first three rounds, they scored just six, four and seven goals respectively against St Kilda, West Coast and Greater Western Sydney.
Against competition heavyweights Sydney and Fremantle they conjured just five and four goals respectively. And in a truly insipid display against the inconsistent Collingwood in Round 12, the Demons could muster only three majors.
Over their final six games, they face top-eight teams Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and North Melbourne, as well as having to travel to Perth to play the resurgent West Coast.
They have very winnable games against Brisbane and Greater Western Sydney to come also. But it’s hard to see them finishing with more than six wins.
Granted, that would be a significant improvement on their two victories last year. But the Demons were at such a horrendously low ebb at the end of 2013 that it did not seem possible they could get any worse.
Their low scoring this year is partly a result of Roos’ clear strategy of making them a sturdier side. Their floundering efforts in recent seasons have been marked by a propensity for blowout losses, where opposition sides kicked 20-plus goals with a minimum of fuss.
Last season Melbourne conceded 122 points per game. This year that has been slashed dramatically to just 85 points per match, which places them 10th in the competition for points against.
That is an achievement which Roos and his players can be proud of. It is borne of greater desire, stronger commitment and better on-field organisation.
At some point, though, they must integrate a greater degree of aggression and flair into their play. If they are to become a finals contender in future seasons – surely that is the aim – they cannot employ the stilted style of ball movement which currently blights their matches.
Possession football, punctuated by frequent sideways passes, can be effective at times. But even those teams which have used it successfully in the past were prepared to bolt forward with abandon when the opportunity presented itself.
The Demons, however, seem so intent on keeping hold of the football that they don’t even seize the obvious chances to dash up the field.
In Chris Dawes and Jeremy Howe they have a pair who can be decent aerial targets in attack. But their forwards are severely hampered by the laboured ball movement the team favours.
It’s time Melbourne took more risks with the ball in hand. Now that they have greatly improved their defensive structures, they can afford to do so.
The safety-first brand of football they are playing will not haul them much further up the ladder.
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