MELBOURNE, under Simon Goodwin, wants to be known as a team that is fierce in the contest and wins more than its fair share in those situations.
Goodwin has repeated that stance ever since he succeeded master coach Paul Roos after the 2016 season.
To the former Adelaide captain and five-time All Australian midfielder, football is a "simple game" where the sides that do the basics best succeed.
DEE-LIGHTFUL PERFORMANCE Full match coverage and stats
Goodwin's Demons enjoyed their exclamation-point moment with a 91-point spanking of the Crows at far-flung Alice Springs on Sunday that stretched their winning streak to five games and consolidated them in third on the ladder.
They did it with a total domination of the KPIs: winning contested possessions 163-117 and clearances 39-28, and having 123 more disposals, 24 extra inside 50s and more than double as many hit-outs.
"We've been in some pretty good form heading into this week and obviously we knew we were coming up against a strong footy team, so to put on a performance like that was really pleasing," he said.
"There were many elements of the game that I certainly liked as a coach, but we understand this game is about small margins – to be in form, but also to be out of form.
"It wasn't that long ago that we were struggling and had to find a way to get into form and to the boys' credit, they've set their weeks up incredibly well.
"I certainly wasn't thinking this was the be-all and end-all as a game or our coming out … but it was certainly an important week that we continued to progress forward."
Melbourne, which took 19 marks inside 50 to Adelaide's six, almost won the tackle count (60-66), too, despite having the ball so many more times.
The Demons, once too flaky to play a full four quarters, have also strung together 18 consecutive winning quarters – a streak maintained on Sunday by kicking the last four goals of the game.
The triumph over the Crows followed crushing victories against lesser lights Essendon (at least the Bombers were then), St Kilda, Gold Coast and Carlton.
"We've played some really good footy over the past four weeks and potentially it hasn't been recognised in the way today might," Goodwin said.
"But, as I said at the start, this is a game of small margins, so we can't just sit here and say our form's going to continue."
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Melbourne continued its theme of having an army of contributors, with losing coach Don Pyke suggesting the Demons had the 10 best players afield.
Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver and co-captain Jack Viney, in his second match back, all gathered more than 30 disposals, and Oliver, Viney and the other co-captain Nathan Jones won 24 clearances between them.
Max Gawn also strengthened his case to be the All Australian ruckman – one developing into a two-horse race against Brodie Grundy – with a dominant showing over Sam Jacobs.
WATCH Simon Goodwin's full post-match press conference
Brayshaw, the No.3 draft pick from 2014 whose career was threatened by multiple concussions, started the year in the VFL, but has become one of Melbourne's most important midfielders.
"He's had a fair journey, Angus," Goodwin said.
"We've worked really hard as a club to build his confidence around the contested side of the game.
"Then probably five weeks ago we set him free into the midfield and asked him to lead our midfield and really drive that area of the game and he's been outstanding."
Goodwin also reserved rich praise for defender Jake Lever after his first match against Adelaide since his decision to leave West Lakes.
"He was aggressive, and that's what we spoke to him about – about being aggressive at the football," he said.
"He's come into our footy club and we've got a great deal of admiration for him as a player and as a leader … and I thought today he set the tone of the game.
"I think that's important when you play each week; that you've got players who set the tone of the game (and) his first 15 to 20 minutes showed the aggression required to play a really successful brand."
