On a cold, dreary Saturday evening, I sat in front of my television and tortured myself watching the Melbourne Football Club get so close to beating the 2015 grand finalists nearly 3500km away.
Pain etched into every crease of my face, I punched the couch, threw a pillow and my hands continually ran through my hair in agony as the Demons lead the Eagles in every statistic – except the scoreboard.
As the seconds ticked down, it became apparent that Melbourne were not going the get the four points. In a mixture of anger, frustration and grief, I furiously spat out “But we deserved to win.”
Ever since I have followed the Melbourne Football Club, I can’t think of a time when I have uttered that phrase.
I have seen losses in excess of 100 points, I have seen Melbourne suffer losses with 20 seconds on the clock and I have seen losses to teams made up of mostly VFL footballers.
Every loss I have experienced as a Melbourne supporter (which has been quite a few), I have never said after the match that Melbourne deserved to win.
The games against St. Kilda, against Essendon and Port Adelaide, games the Demons were penciled in to win, while angry and frustrated, it never once crossed my mind that Melbourne was the better team.
But against the West Coast Eagles, 243 uncontested possessions to 168, 66 inside 50s to 37 and 18 tackles inside 50 to 4 tell a tale of dominance for most of the game from the Demons.
Melbourne beat the Eagles everywhere, except where it counted.
On the scoreboard.
And for the first time as a Melbourne supporter, I felt robbed.
“We deserved that.”
Yet through those feelings of unjustness, anger and exasperation, hidden under all of that emotion, were hope and a clear sign of improvement.
I remember clearly in Round 3 of the 2013 AFL season, Melbourne trailed West Coast by only 10 points at halftime, after being belted by Port Adelaide and Essendon the previous two rounds, the latter destroying the Dees by nearly 150 points.
A valiant effort by the Demons, they were soon blown away by the Eagles, falling victim to a 94-point demolition. Many critics saw it as an improvement, a spirited effort.
Week in and week out, Melbourne was blown away by an average margin of 77 points. Week in, week out, I would torture myself along with my father, who would sit in front of the television, knowing his beloved Demons were about to get annihilated, but willing himself to watch it nevertheless.
Our season that year was optimised by a young fan in tears as Melbourne were crushed by an professional Essendon outfit. As fans relentlessly booed the players, he sat in the stands and cried.
Now, three years on, Melbourne, while not winning every game, are improving. The football they are playing shows a young side, inexperienced, but talented as hell. Players such as Jesse Hogan, Jack Watts, Jack Viney and Christian Petracca are leading the next generation of Demon greats, whilst Nathan Jones and Bernie Vince show their class and determination week after week.
Jack Watts and Dean Kent have both renewed their contracts, while Jesse Hogan looks likely to resign. It is this which gives people like my father, like that young fan, and like me, hope.
Hope that Melbourne could one day contend for a premiership. That the Demons could possibly be apart of a dynasty that would rival that of Hawthorn’s.
Their improvement is slow. There have been setbacks, and games in which Melbourne’s football has been atrocious.
But there have also been games where the Dees show glimpses of greatness. Jack Viney will burst through a pack, Max Gawn will out-body his opponent and Jesse Hogan will take a strong mark. And that, that alone gets supporters off their feet, clapping in ecstasy.
Melbourne have been scrutinised this year for inconsistency, for not putting together a string of good football. While the challenge of consistency will stick with the Demons throughout this year, the games of getting smashed week after week are well in the past.
Much like Melbourne’s improvement, consistency will take time. It will be slow, and Melbourne supporters will need to be patient in order to reap the rewards.
So while Melbourne’s loss to West Coast is frustrating, the signs are there to show the Demons are getting better.
Experience and consistency are the next step for the club. They will come in due time, but for now, there is hope.
Three years ago, Melbourne lost the Eagles by 94 points. On Saturday afternoon, the Demons lost by a straight kick playing up in Perth. In three years time, who knows where the Melbourne Football Club will be.
But the signs look promising.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Collingwood led by a point with minutes to go, Kyle Langford had the chance to be the hero with a set shot, however, he missed, and we saw the first draw of the season.
The AFL has confirmed the right decision was made after a ball ricocheted off a boundary umpire's leg during the third quarter of Melbourne's…
There's an old saying that you should never argue with an idiot, because they'll drag you down to their level and then beat you…
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
Brisbane forward Charlie Cameron has been handed a one-match suspension for a dangerous tackle on Jake Lever during the Lions' Thursday night win over…
19 months ago, a banged-up Brisbane came to the MCG as heavy underdogs, faced a formidable Melbourne outfit that stood among the premiership favourites,…
