SIMON Goodwin is sick of losing.
Melbourne looked the better team for much of its Sunday afternoon clash with reigning premier West Coast at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs but trailed by 32 points early in the second term after frittering away numerous chances.
The Demons fought back but couldn't finish the job, eventually going down by 13 points.
Chris Masten and Alex Neal-Bullen chase down the ball. Picture: AFL Photos
It came a week after losing to the Western Bulldogs by eight points. A fortnight before that, a burst of brilliance from exciting Brisbane forward Eric Hipwood separated his side from the Dees.
Goodwin relayed the message he told his players in the aftermath of the Eagles clash.
"We've been in winning positions a lot in the last seven or eight weeks. We can either sit here and say, 'We're proud of the performance against a really good team, and we're moving forward' or we can say 'Enough is enough'," Goodwin told reporters.
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"The boys are hurting. We're hurting as a footy club again. We played well enough in a game of footy to get a result and we didn't, and that's why we sit where we sit.
"We're just not finishing our work off, both in an efficiency way, but also for long enough in the game.
"To be a really good team, and that's what we're aspiring to be, and that's what we're really confident of becoming, we need to change that. We need to become better at that."
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In a season Melbourne was supposed to be a flag contender, it sits above only Gold Coast on the ladder.
It's been apparent for a while the Demons won't make finals, but that hasn't dulled Goodwin's desire for victory.
"It sits uncomfortably with me today, the result, in terms of, we've been in this position too often and we need to start rewarding ourselves more with getting wins, because that's what this industry's about," Goodwin said.
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In his eyes, there's still a lot on the line.
"People say you can't really achieve much this year. We can achieve plenty, internally, in the way we want to go about our business," Goodwin said.
A horror injury toll, stretching back to the pre-season, has proven costly and contributed to the 5-12 record.
"We've had some challenges as a club," Goodwin said.
"You can see that we're starting to progress forward. You can see the little wins along the way.
"You can see players that are starting to improve, and what we've gone through has given us great opportunity, but right now, there's a frustration building in everyone at the club, based on the fact that we've been in winning positions, against a really good club mind you, in West Coast."
Co-captain Jack Viney (concussion) and defender-turned-forward Harrison Petty (left ankle) will be assessed ahead of next Saturday night's clash with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
