Melbourne’s devastation was there for all to see as old habits from a previous regime came back to haunt the Demons at the worst possible time.
After a year of attacking flair with goals galore, the Demons were unable to transfer that into their wildcard final against Carlton at the MCG on Saturday night.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Melbourne’s heartbreak continues with fifth straight finals loss
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Bursting out of the blocks with the first four goals of the contest within 20 minutes, Melbourne managed just three more majors and 13 behinds to go down by 19 points to a barnstorming Blues.
It culminated in a club-record fifth consecutive finals loss, going with their painful straight-sets exits in 2022 and 2023.
Channel 7 cameras picked up Steven King’s address to his players post-match with the image painting a bleak picture.
Melbourne players were shattered post-match. Credit: Seven
“This is an end of season all-in address, where we’ve fallen short, address the pain and I would imagine already be saying, ‘hey, this is the brutal reality of AFL football’,” Nick Riewoldt said on Seven.
“Steven King knows it. He’s been a part of winning grand finals. He’s been a part of losing grand finals. He’s tasted it all as a senior coach.
“A number of them were there for Melbourne’s premiership … five finals in a row now that they’ve lost. Straight sets (2022), straight sets (2023) vying for top four as recently as last week, losing a wild card.
“So they keep putting themselves there. You just have to keep taking the emotional risk to have your heart broken again the following year.
“And that I imagine would be the message here from Steven King.”
Even during top-four finishes in 2022 and 2023, former Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin regularly faced question over how their forward line was functioning.
The Demons would continually have clearance dominance and a stack of inside-50s, but their connection up forward was lacking.
On Saturday night, Carlton defenders Jacob Weitering, Harry Dean and Nick Haynes kept cutting off the Demons’ forward entries as Melbourne blasted away at goal.
After quarter-time, Melbourne went inside-50 32 times for a return of just 3.10.
Carlton defended vigorously, but the Demons were their own worst enemies – spraying easy chances and burning teammates in better spots for a chance at personal glory.
Although Jacob Van Rooyen hadn’t been starring in recent times, the young key forward’s three-game suspension for striking Port Adelaide’s Aliir Aliir might have ended the Demons’ season.
Van Rooyen takes one of the opposition’s best defenders and provides valuable ruck support for nine-time All-Australian Max Gawn.
The Demons had been lethal in attack most of the season, but were found wanting against Carlton. Credit: AAP
Matt Jefferson was also a key out, the young forward hurting his knee in a loss against the Western Bulldogs last week.
Instead, Melbourne had veterans Jake Melksham and Tom McDonald toiling away inside-50 in what ended up being their final AFL games.
For all the positive change Steven King created in his first season as Melbourne coach, he will be left wondering all summer why it fell apart once finals came around.
The Demons had made the MCG a fortress, winning 10 of their first 11 games at the venue this season, but losing their final two.
— with AAP
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