MELBOURNE coach Dean Bailey will let his players stew on Friday night’s loss before delivering his post-game assessment of the side’s 48-point loss to Essendon.
“It might be a chance for them to think about it over the weekend and we’ll go through it on Monday and watch and evaluate the tape,” he said.
“We’ll evaluate like we have with most other games and we’ll be pretty precise and pretty blunt with how we saw the game.”
On first impression, the Demons’ coach said the side’s inability to counter the Bombers’ third term surge, and a lapse in concentration late in the second, proved catastrophic.
From the 25-minute mark of the second quarter to the end of the third the Bombers outscored the Dees eight goals to one to put the result beyond doubt.
“Just a lack of concentration and errors in the last two minutes of the second quarter and they went in 16 points up,” he said.
“Then, the start of the third was really disappointing. I think our possession count was low and we kept kicking the ball back to them.
“Lucky for us they didn’t kick goals because that flattered us on the scoreboard.”
Bailey said the fact side was able to match the opposition in patches, yet was hammered in others, was as frustrating in the coaches’ box as it was to the loyal Melbourne fans who trekked to Docklands.
“It’s disappointing we can’t continue to play like that for longer periods of time, that’s the disappointing part,” he said.
“The players are trying to play like that for as often as they can. I think they’re trying to do it, but a couple of mistakes and we became hesitant in the third quarter when the scoreboard started ticking over against us. We didn’t really take it on when we got to three or four goals down which is something we should have done.
“But, when you turn then ball over it just costs you and that’s still an area of the game we work on and will continue to work on.
“We need to reduce the number of turnovers and I think the difference in the scoreboard will start to get closer than what it is now.”
With one win from 12 matches, the Demons face the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba next week and Bailey hinted No. 1 draft pick Jack Watts might not make the trip.
The prized recruit kicked two goals from nine possessions but looked out of his depth at times.
“We just have to be measured with him and manage him well enough,” he said.
“He’s busy with his schooling at the moment so we don’t want to physically and mentally tire him. He’s a real management, week-to-week.”
The coach was happy with the debut of young indigenous forward Liam Jurrah who kicked a brilliant goal and flew confidently for his marks.
