MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos has denied that his players were sidetracked by finals talk in the Demons' 20-point loss to Carlton at the MCG on Sunday.
Chasing back-to-back victories over the Blues and Geelong in the final two rounds of the season to keep its season alive, Melbourne failed to meet expectations.
The Demons were two games and 2.8 per cent behind eighth-placed North Melbourne and required the Kangaroos to drop their remaining game to Greater Western Sydney next Saturday night to be in the finals hunt.
"I don't think (the prospect of finals) was an issue for us," Roos said after the loss to Carlton.
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"We were going into the game two games out, plus percentage. I don't think any of the guys got ahead of themselves from that point of view.
"To be a top-eight team you've got to be more consistent game to game and you've got to have more consistent preparation."
The Demons were outhunted in the first term, and were minus 17 in contested ball (28-45) as the quarter expired, put to the sword by a Carlton side that was up for the fight.
Despite Melbourne's improved efforts across the final three quarters, it was playing catch up football and could not peg back the Blues' advantage.
"From a negative point of view we didn't seem as ready to play as what they were which seems strange in the circumstances," Roos said.
"But they're quite a mature team. There's a little bit of difference in the way Bolts has gone about it in his first year.
"It probably gives you an indication of how far we've come, but also how far as group we've got to go to get into the eight and be a good finals team."
Melbourne over-possessed the ball and made numerous mistakes, particularly out of the back half, in wet conditions.
"I thought early on they were bigger and stronger around the contest and that was the difference. We dropped four goals behind and there were some poor skill errors so we couldn't get back," Roos said.
Despite the disappointment of having their finals hopes snuffed out, Roos said this season could only be looked at positively.
The Demons already have three more wins than last season with one game against the Cats at Simonds Stadium on Saturday remaining.
"It's good that you're getting towards the finals, and the disappointment comes from getting so close," Roos said.
"That's something most teams have to go through. That's a good part, rather than being four games out with two games to go.
"You very rarely jump from being a seven-win team last year into the eight.
"The next lot of improvement is going to come in the pre-season with the growth of (Christian) Petracca, (Angus) Brayshaw and (Clayton) Oliver."
