FOR much of Melbourne’s Round 15 match against Geelong, senior coach Simon Goodwin was pleased with his side’s performance.
In wet conditions at GMHBA Stadium, the Demons and Cats battled it out in a fierce contest, with the travelling team leading at the final break.
But a quick swing in momentum saw Geelong take control of the game and seal a 15-point win on its home deck.
Joining media following the loss, Goodwin said he was disappointed that the Dees were unable to match the pressure of the reigning premiers for the full four quarters.
“For three quarters, there was a lot of optimism in how we played,” Goodwin said.
“I thought we played a good style of footy that suited the conditions…for big periods of the game we had a lot of dominance.
“But that last quarter, you walk away incredibly disappointed, because one team ramped up their pressure and we weren’t able to sustain it and win the critical contest that you need.”
During the Round 15 match, Melbourne also continued an inaccuracy trend of recent weeks, converting eight of its 23 shots at goal.
And while Dees fans may have been discouraged by this pattern, Goodwin instilled within the supporter base that there would be continuous work put into this area of play.
“We’re leaving a few chances out there, that has been a trend the last three to four weeks, there’s no doubt about that,” Goodwin said.
“We’re getting enough supply [inside 50].
“But it’s certainly an area we need to get better at and continue to get better at.”
Melbourne will now focus its attention to Round 16, where its set face GWS in the much-loved Heart of the Nation match in Alice Springs.