The players were locked away in a meeting following the final siren, and didn't re-appear for almost half an hour.
With the club desperately trying to find an answer for the insipid performance, it was the first-gamer who took charge in the change rooms after earlier being one of the few Demons to impress on the field.
"Jack spoke to the players. He's got a mature head on his shoulders and he acquitted himself well on his AFL debut," coach Mark Neeld said on Sunday.
"The players got to hear from Jack a little bit.
"He is - if it's possible when you play your first game - he's probably been a Melbourne person for longer than anyone else in that room.
"He just spoke about that, which is from his heart."
Viney and fellow debutant Matt Jones each racked up 22 possessions (16 contested), and provided supporters with glimpses of what's to come.
Along with captain Jack Grimes, the trio was a shining light for a club that has plunged into darkness.
"We probably had three acceptable performances on the day and two of them came from debutants," Neeld said.
"It's hard to see a team positive in that."