CLAYTON Oliver, Jack Viney and Angus Brayshaw all racked up double-digit disposals to quarter-time against Geelong on Saturday night.

Max Gawn already had 18 hit-outs, too. Sounds good, huh? Not so much.

The reality was Melbourne trailed by 23 points – conceding six goals to two – at a rain-soaked GMHBA Stadium and had an extraordinary 24 fewer contested possessions.

Twenty-four.

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As a reminder, this is the same side that averaged a League-leading 16.4 more contested possessions than its opposition a year ago, when it charged into a preliminary final.

The Cats were one of the Demons' finals scalps six months ago, and it wasn't close.

This was a calamitous night for Melbourne, which slumped to 0-2 with losses to Port Adelaide and Geelong, ahead of a fascinating date with fellow winless outfit Essendon.

The loser of that clash, between hyped pre-season rivals, can as good as kiss the top four goodbye and even a September berth will seem a mile away.

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Not only did the Cats out-hunt and outsmart the Demons, but the visitors were a disorganised mess at times.

James Harmes positioned himself just inside the defensive 50 at one stage in the opening term, only to realise Melbourne was one player short in the centre before the bounce.

His mad dash into the square salvaged the situation.

There was confusion again at the very next centre bounce, with Oliver then Jayden Hunt noticing the Dees were one down in their defensive 50.

Hunt raced into the backline, but not before they received a warning, as per the new 6-6-6 starting positions and the 45-second limit to be in your designated area.

That warning became a Geelong free kick in the third term, when co-captain Jack Viney inexplicably started between the centre square and his forward 50.

It was one of those nights when little went right for Simon Goodwin's men.

It was a grim night for Christian Petracca and the Demons. Picture: Quinn Rooney, Getty Images/AFL Photos

There was an eight-minute patch to start the second half where Melbourne had eight inside 50s to zip for the sum of three behinds, plus two wayward shots at goal from Jake Melksham that failed to score.

The Cats' first forward-50 entry shortly after resulted in a Gary Rohan goal. That was part of a devastating period where Geelong kicked 12 of the match's 13 majors.

Yet the Demons finished with more than 20 extra inside 50s. Not that it mattered when the Cats managed 14 goals off turnovers.

Prized recruit Steven May's red and blue debut was a disappointing one as well.

The former Sun was preferred as the third-man in rather than entrusted with manning one of Geelong's tall attacking threats, Tom Hawkins and Esava Ratugolea.

He had little influence before a mid-game groin injury that he originally returned from before eventually sitting for the night early in the fourth term.

Meanwhile, May's old Gold Coast teammate Kade Kolodjashnij managed five touches.

Back to the opening line.

Oliver, Viney and Brayshaw combined for 104 possessions, yet nine teammates each failed to reach 10.

Defender Michael Hibberd and the eternally touted Christian Petracca did manage to make it to double figures, but they were again underwhelming.

Petracca was thrust into the centre at the first bounce, possibly in a bid to get him going, but he was only pedestrian, as is too often the case.

Hibberd's night was encapsulated in a defensive goalsquare fumble in the third quarter that resulted in a Joel Selwood goal.

He hasn't been the same player who was a deserved All Australian in 2017 for some time now.

The footnote, or some sort of excuse, is that Melbourne had 13 post-season surgeries.

The Demons were always going to be a bit slow to start, but their first crossroads moment arrives at the MCG on Friday night.