MELBOURNE will not shy away from the finals stage with the club confident it has what it takes to prevail over Geelong in its first September appearance in 12 years, coach Simon Goodwin says.
After a comprehensive 45-point win over Greater Western Sydney, the Demons will face off against the Cats for the third time this season in an elimination finals match-up that will have the MCG buzzing.
Goodwin said Melbourne's lack of finals experience would not be a factor in its September run, with a first-up assignment against the more experienced Cats to test that theory.
DEES DOMINATE GIANTS Full match coverage and stats
"It means nothing. It's a new tournament. It's a fresh start. We're basically playing our brand in the biggest game we can possibly play in against Geelong," Goodwin said.
"That certainly doesn't hold any fears for us; our first final. We go in knowing exactly what we're up against, we know exactly what style and brand we want to play so that holds no fears at all."
GET TO THE GAME All your finals ticketing info
Nathan Jones, Jordan Lewis, Michael Hibberd and Jake Melksham are the only Demons to have finals experience in the team that was selected against the Giants (Bernie Vince and Jeff Garlett are the other players, but Vince is out injured and Garlett is playing in the VFL).
Geelong has just four players – Ryan Abbott, Tim Kelly, Jack Henry and Mark O'Connor – not to play in a final during their careers from the team that played against Gold Coast in the final round of the home and away season.
Goodwin said he was confident the Demons' game style would stand up in September.
GAWN'S GREAT GAME Five talking points
"We've built our brand around the contest and clearances and stoppages and we know that's where finals are won," Goodwin said.
"We go in confident in our style and brand. I thought the boys tackled incredibly well today but they've established that over a long period of time. Some of those things are ingrained behaviours.
"That needs to remain strong for us."
Goodwin said the club would embrace the pressure of being back on the finals stage and urged Demons supporters to get behind the team.
WATCH Simon Goodwin's full post-match press conference
"I'm incredibly proud of them because they got over a big hurdle last week and I think the thing I'm most proud about with this club are our supporters," Goodwin said.
"They've had 12 years of misery and now they can get in behind a team that they really believe in.
"They (the supporters) play a big part for us now to inspire our players and make them even better and they're a big part of this journey now."
The Demons and Cats have played off twice already this season, with both games decided by a combined total of just five points.
Melbourne lost to Geelong by three points when Max Gawn failed to convert his set-shot in the dying stages of its round one clash; while the Demons again came up agonisingly short thanks to Cat Zach Tuohy's clutch set-shot after the siren in round 18.
"We've got great learnings out of both of those games and hopefully you've seen us implement some of those things over a period of time now," Goodwin said.
"We're in form, we want to stay in form and we believe that we can beat anyone really.
"Our playing group has got a formula that they stick to, they've got a brand that they know stands up, so they go in with confidence."
