- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
A season of promise ended in incredible heartbreak for Melbourne, after an almost unimaginable turn of events in the very last round.
Were the Demons just on the wrong side of the coin in 2017? Or did the young list get exactly what they deserved?
What I predicted
“The Demons simply didn’t offer a level of effort consistent enough to be a finals team [in 2016], and that’s something they might need more than one year with their ‘new’ coach to fix.”
Prediction: ninth
What actually happened
The home roof was raised in Round 1 when the Dees knocked off fellow up-and-comers St Kilda by 30 points.
But the club only managed three wins over their next eight games to sit precariously at 4-5 heading into the business end of the year.
The lid came off quickly, with the Demons going on a four-game winning streak that included a 57-point demolition of the reigning premiers and a stunning three-point win over the Eagles in Perth, but another poor run – four losses in six – removed all room for error.
They got the job done against St Kilda and Brisbane, but folded badly against Collingwood in the last round, before watching the Eagles steal their September spot in the season’s last game.
On the personnel front, Melbourne were up against it for much of the year, with long-term layoffs to Max Gawn and Nathan Jones particularly unhelpful.
Jesse Hogan’s run of luck in 2017 was so wretched that Netflix won’t need to film a second season of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The Dees did, however, get superb return out of some of their new faces, with Jordan Lewis providing spirited, if ill-disciplined, leadership, and former Bombers Michael Hibberd and Jake Melksham playing almost every game.
While Melbourne’s best got significantly better in 2017, their worst didn’t quite catch up.
The Dees were held to just the one goal in ten quarters this season, while going goalless in an additional four – and not just against the competition’s best.
That accounted for more than 15 per cent of their total quarters yielding fewer than two goals.
Best win
Round 14: West Coast Eagles 14.12 (96) def. by Melbourne 15.9 (99)
Of all the breakthroughs Melbourne made, this was one of the most significant.
In one of the matches of the season, the Demons prevailed by three points in a contest that capped off an impressive four-game winning streak.
It was the club’s first win in Perth since 2004 – ending a run of 17 consecutive losses by an average of 46 points – and their first away win against the Eagles since 2002.
[latest_videos_strip category=”afl” name=”AFL”]
Worst loss
Round 23: Collingwood 14.15 (99) def. Melbourne 12.11 (83)
Was there any other candidate?
With just the Pies between them a return to September football, the Dees were ice cold from the opening bounce – heading into the first break trailing 41-9.
They fought back in the second half to give themselves a chance of making the eight on percentage, but they missed out and only had themselves – and this performance – to blame.
What needs to happen next year?
What Simon Goodwin can control next season is some necessary tweaks to the gameplan.
The Demons, unsurprisingly, run a Paul Roos-esque style of play, putting massive numbers around the ball. They rely on constant tackling to win the ball and utilise the handball more than any other club to move it.
The problem is that they often get beaten at their own game.
As impressive as a tally of 71.8 tackles a game – second-best in the competition – was, they were actually tackled 73.6 times a game. Some teams are capable of absorbing this pressure, but Melbourne’s disposal efficiency was the league’s fifth-worst.
For a team ranked first in handballs and only 13th in kicks, that is worrying.
Early prediction
Like 2016, Melbourne were good enough as a club and on paper to play finals but, due to their own inconsistencies, failed to do so.
If the astonishing collapse of this season proves to be the kick up the backside it should be, the Dees should rise next year.
Prediction: 5th-8th