AFL 2024: Collingwood’s 38-point King’s Birthday win leaves Demons with more questions

The Dees have hit a crossroads. After yet another disappointing effort against the Pies on a big stage, JAY CLARK asks, how can we trust them?

Jay Clark and Ronny Lerner

4 min read

June 10, 2024 - 6:34PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 10: Jack Viney of the Demons and Clayton Oliver of the Demons look on during the 2024 AFL Round 13 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Melbourne Demons at The Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 10, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

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Simon Goodwin confronts the biggest tactical crossroad of his coaching career.

Whether it’s just been a horrible fortnight, or a consequence of reverting back to a more familiar game plan in Monday’s loss to Collingwood, Melbourne will hit the bye this weekend forced to accept the club has gone backwards this season.

When it won the premiership in 2021, it looked like the start of a dynasty for Melbourne. Talent everywhere. A powerhouse in the making.

But this is a football team which suddenly looks clouded with doubt and confusion.

Against a half-strength Collingwood on King’s Birthday without brave midfielder Christian Petracca (ribs) in the second half, it was a clear case of deja vu for Melbourne as all of the Demons’ forward half inefficiency issues returned to haunt it in the 38-point loss at the MCG.

‘Goody’ might have to pull out a bottle of red and be up late in a bid to digest the breadth and scope of his headaches on Monday night because the finals are no guarantee. They look a mile off it, the Demons.

The Dees were blown away by the Pies. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

For two years the club has gone with Plan A, the contested and long-down-the-line game style which saw it bomb out of finals in straight-sets over the past two years.

So the club drew up something new over summer, to help sharpen the sword working more angles and uncontested marking. It was the new dawn. A strategic shift.

Except when that blew-up in a record loss to Fremantle last week, the Demons reverted back to its old game plan at the MCG on Monday in a bid to rediscover its footy DNA of contest and defence, only to see that fall apart too, amid some woeful conversion forward.

Now there are alarm bells everywhere. Bayley Fritsch and Harrison Petty are having little impact forward, Clayton Oliver was curbed early, Petracca has sore ribs, and Steve May was hammered by Will Hoskin-Elliott and Nathan Kreuger.

Club great Nathan Jones said on Channel 7 the defensive operations were disconnected and in disarray without Jake Lever. Jones said they were “lacking confidence”, had lost their way, and would struggle to find a “quick fix”. Holes are everywhere. Who is Melbourne anymore?

Those words must have hurt to come out of Jones’ mouth.

And now the team we thought the world of two years ago led by one of the top-three players in the competition in Max Gawn is in a race just to make the eight in 2024.

There have been distractions everywhere for the club, and perhaps the board room brawl and off-field issues have taken more of a toll than we realise.

But the inescapable conclusion from Monday night’s loss was that even if Melbourne snuck into September from this position, how on earth could you possibly trust it on the big stage? Especially against Collingwood.

Simon Goodwin faces a tough test. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

It will be the biggest question in the game over three final three months of the season when they will try to make a psychological switch and go from the hunted to the hunter. And find the system which best suits it.

Colt forward Jacob Van Rooyen was a shining light inside 50m as the only really effective tall forward bagging three goals.

Goodwin has not often dropped players to the twos, but it might be time for the selection shake-up for some. Or are they iust an average team again? Is it Plan A or Plan B again from here? Have they been up for too long?

Collingwood was exceptional on Monday despite the injury crisis in a way which brought back memories of the club’s qualifying final win over the Demons last year.

The boiling pressure could have cooked vegetables it was that good and the Collingwood second-string midfield won the clearance battle by 10. The Demons’ midfield has certainly lost its crown this year.

And the Magpies did it without much of a contribution from Nick Daicos who was shut down by Alex Neal-Bullen before coming off in the third term with a leg injury.

The lesser lights at the Pies continue to lead the way. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Collingwood had clarity around its system and used the slingshot switchblade method, preying on Melbourne’s turnovers and using electric ball movement and precision kicking to pick apart the Demons’ defence on turnover.

Fresh faces Charlie Dean and Harvey Harrison shone, Jeremy Howe patrolled the air, Steele Sidebottom showed there was still spring in the legs and Darcy Cameron slotted a set shot from the boundary, while Crisp stood up in the absence of others.

Without Jordan De Goey and Tom Mitchell and Scott Pendlebury and Brody Mihocek, Crisp took the honours over Oliver, Brayden Maynard was outstanding despite the boos, and Hoskin-Elliott played one of the best games of his career coming back from a hamstring injury.

When they get their stars back, lookout. That was the Magpies’ takeaway. The back-to-back is back on.

Melbourne, on the other hand, is in a rut, and it will take some character and clarity from here to find their way out.