Gold Coast scored its maiden win at the MCG with a 60-point thrashing of the Demons in the Mother's Day twilight clash.
Garland was left asking the same questions as supporters in an attempt to find out why such inconsistency continued, but he had few definitive answers.
The reality, he said, was that if the team did not have 22 genuine competitors take the field each week, history would continue to repeat itself.
It was a tale all too familiar to Melbourne supporters but it was honest and heartfelt. Right now, the problems appear bigger than any player – even one as committed as Garland – to solve overnight.
"It's just game day that is our problem," Garland said. "We feel that we're switched on and we just did not come to compete on the day and it is just not acceptable."
Sunday's 10-goal loss to the Suns has put the heat on Melbourne coach Mark Neeld and done little to challenge interim CEO Peter Jackson's claim that turning around the Demons is the biggest challenge in football.
However Garland said the game plan was not an issue and that Neeld was keeping things basic to ensure players took the game on.
Unfortunately, only the young players seemed to be attacking the game with the sort of freedom required.
Garland said the players were letting themselves and their supporters down as much as Neeld. However he understood it was the coach who would attract the heat.
"He deserves better than what he has got at the moment," Garland said.
Garland admitted it was not much fun being a Melbourne player during this period and he felt for the supporters, but his love for the club remained undiminished.
"The only way we're actually going to get through this as a club is if we stick together because if we start segregating into little groups or people start sniping for this person or that, that is when we are really down the proverbial," Garland said.
