Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin stopped short of saying it.
But Goodwin could have justifiably uttered the phrase “I told you so” after a five-day stint in Adelaide which turned his club’s AFL season around.
Goodwin’s charges belted North Melbourne by 57 points on Sunday night at Adelaide Oval, after hammering Adelaide by 51 points at the same venue last Wednesday night.
After arriving in Adelaide in 15th spot, the Demons depart in ninth, with a game in hand on most other clubs.
Goodwin is praising the maturity of his players and staff to ignore the noise which followed them to Adelaide last Wednesday.
Club chairman Glen Bartlett had described their performance in a heavy loss to Port Adelaide as “insipid” with some commentators openly querying Goodwin’s tenure as coach.
Amid the criticism, and before the two games in Adelaide, Goodwin protested that Melbourne’s season was still well and truly alive.
He’s been proven correct.
“We have been really calm as a footy department around what our game was looking like and where were at and what we were starting to build,” Goodwin said after the Demons’ 13.14 (92) to 5.5 (35) thrashing of North.
“We haven’t got the results all the time. But we have played a certain way for a period now and we are starting to get those rewards now.
“We defended really strongly against (North); we are becoming a really hard team to play against defensively.
“And that is what is pleasing us most. A lot of our attack is built off good defence and good contest stoppage work.
“We think our game is coming together nicely.”
Goodwin was also heartened that the victory over the Kangas came without captain Max Gawn and vice-captain Jack Viney.
He expected both Gawn, battling a sore knee and a torn back muscle, and Viney (concussion) to press to play against Collingwood in Brisbane on Saturday night.
The Demons have only Marty Hore (thigh, indefinite), Harry Petty (groin, indefinite), Kade Kolodjashnij (head, indefinite) and Aaron Nietschke (knee, season) on their injured list.
“It’s a great position to be in,” Goodwin said.
“They guys did a power of work in the summer to put themselves in this position … we’re healthy, so we get a chance to maximise that through this compressed part of the year.”
Maurice
Guest
Sack Goodwin and ask Paul Roos for your money back, the side is still mediocre at best and nothing but a pile of pumped up stats from beating real ordinary sides is going to convince me otherwise. The article is pretty lame.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
No just no. Two wins in a row and only against 16th and 18th does not justify the writing of this article.
DTM
Guest
Freo have 4 more games at home - Hawthorn (today), Carlton then Sydney and GWS. Melbourne wont be coming back to Perth in 2020 so they will play Freo somewhere in Queensland or NT.
Enigma
Roar Rookie
I don't agree that Fremantle's best beats us "comfortably". To me, they bring others down to their level. The only exception that I've seen this year was the St Kilda game. Given the way the Saints have been going they deserve credit for that win, but otherwise I don't think Collingwood was firing on even half its cylinders last week. They only have one more home game to come so there is a 4/5 chance we get them somewhere other than Perth (and bearing in mind we've already been to Perth this year, I wonder whether we'll be sent back). I'm happy enough to back us in. You may well be right about needing 10 wins to make finals though. Only time will tell. As I said, if we don't make it, there's every chance it will be because of our two losses to Geelong and Brisbane. Had we won even one of those games, not only would we be sitting 6th or 7th on the ladder, we would have a lot more credibility. Alas, we didn't, so we're not, and we don't.
Cracka
Roar Rookie
I agree I think Melbourne have real chance of making the final 8 with games remaining, I think they have the side to win all of their remaining games, BUT Will they put together an outstanding block of games? Is the question, can the Dees get some real confidences from their last 2 wins and continue that form, I hope so.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
I have no faith in Melbourne and last night's game reinforced it
DingoGray
Roar Guru
They are coming from a long way back. Can't see them making it to be honest. I think they have to win 5 of their last 7, with games against Bombers, Dockers, Dogs, Giants, Pies, Saints & Swans to come. For me they are only winning 4 of those.
DTM
Guest
A couple of points (and I dont want to sound too negative towards Melbourne). Firstly, I think it will take 10 wins to make the 8 - Adelaide is a gimme for everyone. Secondly, I suspect at best you'll only win two of Freo, Essendon and Sydney. Freo's last 8 games only involve 2 current top 8 sides. They have lost close games to Brisbane and Essendon whilst beating Collingwood and St Kilda. Freo's best is good enough to beat Melbourne comfortably. Freo were also decimated with injuries - particularly in their back line where they have used Ryan as a tall defender. They have at least 4 genuine home games and when they head back to Qld, they could realistically be 7-7.
Enigma
Roar Rookie
We won't beat St Kilda: we struggle against them when they're poor, we won't get near them when they're good. But the rest are winnable. On current form I'd back us in to beat Fremantle, Sydney and Essendon, and probably one of Collingwood, the Dogs and GWS. To make finals we're either going to have to win those four games and maintain a decent percentage to try to make finals at 9-8. Otherwise we'll need to go 2-1 from the Collingwood, Dogs and GWS games (assuming we lose to St Kilda, which as I said, I think is a certainty). We can do it, but we probably won't, and if we don't then we'll rue the Geelong and Brisbane losses, both of which should have been wins.
The real SC
Roar Rookie
Melbourne have Collingwood (Gabba), Western Bulldogs (Metricon), Essendon, Sydney, and St Kilda, GWS and Fremantle. After struggling in the first half, I think Melbourne are finally on the road to winning a few games. I still think that Melbourne could start gaining more momentum. Clayton Oliver is playing good footy this year along with Steven May.
DTM
Guest
They probably need to beat both Collingwood and the Bulldogs because they still have GWS and Saints who will both be tough. On top of that they have to play other top 8 hopefuls in Essendon and Freo (who have an easier run home). To be honest, I think they will win 2 of their last 7 games and finish well out of the 8.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Yep! Melbourne looks OK against the rubbish teams but will continue to struggle against the average and the good!
Enigma
Roar Rookie
This irrelevant footy club sure does get a lot of media coverage. FWIW: we're absolutely in the finals hunt, given our ladder position and remaining fixture, but wins over 18th and 17th isn't exactly finals-quality football. Let's see us beat Collingwood who, even with their injuries, are a far sterner test than the sides we've just beaten.