Bailey says the team will quickly review the loss to the Saints and start the buildup to the annual showdown against the Magpies at the MCG.
“The Queen’s Birthday one is really important on our calendar and we need to get back to Melbourne, play on the MCG, and give something to our supporters who have stuck by us,” Bailey said.
He lamented two consecutive weeks of football, against Hawthorn and St Kilda, where the Demons have been competitive for large chunks of the game, but fell away at critical times.
Melbourne failed to register a goal in the second half against the Saints and went scoreless in the third term.
“I think if we can turn a half of good football against the two best teams into four quarters against Collingwood, I like to think we can be competitive and in the game for longer,” Bailey said.
He was pleased with the effort of his players but disappointed with their delivery, particularly by hand.
“I think our ball use was really poor in the second half, we had too many handballs, which really put us under enormous pressure,” Bailey said.
“They counter-attacked on our turnovers pretty well and you can’t turn the ball over against the good teams, they make you pay.”
But it was the Demons’ inability to score which was most troubling. They only registered six goals for the game, and just couldn’t find a marking target up forward.
Bailey was asked about the development of number-one pick in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft Jack Watts, but he is adamant the 18-year-old will keep playing in the VFL until the match committee believes he is ready.
“We are managing him I think in the correct way, I’ve got no shadow of a doubt at all that we are doing the right thing by a player who I think is going to be an important player for us,” Bailey said.
“The ability for him to play in the VFL against men has been a real advantage for him so when the time is right we’ll pick him.”
Bailey said there is also no guarantee that veteran forward Russell Robertson will return after being dropped to the VFL during the week.
“We will evaluate his game on everything, not just whether he kicks goals or not, but his pressure and chasing,” he said.
