Melbourne players didn’t get stage fright but were shell-shocked by West Coast’s start, Max Gawn writes

WEST Coast hit us right between the eyes. We didn’t get stage fright, their start shell-shocked us and we weren’t up for the fight. MAX GAWN reveals what went wrong for Melbourne in its horror preliminary final loss and what it means for the future.

FIRST things first — we didn’t get stage fright.

What we got was hit right between the eyes. West Coast’s start to this game was something we had not seen for a long time.

The ferocity the Eagles brought to this preliminary final shell-shocked us and we were thoroughly outplayed in that first half.

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We were just not up for the fight at times, to be honest. The Eagles brought something that we weren’t expecting and we weren’t able to match that, which is really disappointing because it’s not at all reflective of our season.

As the game was quickly slipping away, the communication I was having with teammates about trying to wrestle the momentum back, stage fright wasn’t something I was thinking about.

West Coast’s stunning start to the game “shell-shocked” Melbourne players.

It was about trying to get 22 players to play team roles because that can go out the window when you’re 50 points down. People think it has to be won off their own boot.

I’m disappointed with how we played. To get jumped in that first quarter when we thought we were going to jump them really hurts.

It’s all very raw, but this hurt has to linger and it has to drive us.

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There’s a couple of emotions people can get stuck on. The first one we wanted to knock on the head is that we’re happy with the result … we’re not.

There needs to be a key message over the next few days that preliminary finals and Grand Finals aren’t just given to you. We need to get back on the horse and this needs to fuel us for next year. The fact that we got so close, but we’re still so far.

Max Gawn in action during the devastating loss to the Eagles.

We want to go further. People will want to congratulate us on the year and Melbourne supporters might even be quite chuffed, but that’s something we’ve got to ignore because we need this ending to be a driving factor.

Like missing out on finals in Round 23 last year, this has to burn.

Our rehab and development coach is Daniel Cross. Crossy played in three losing preliminary finals at the Western Bulldogs from 2008-10 and that’s something that can happen to any team.

I had a chat to Crossy while we were waiting for the bus to take us to Perth Airport.

He was saying the Dogs used it as a huge driving factor, especially the second one where they lost by seven points.

Ultimately, those players never got to a Grand Final and that’s probably Crossy’s No.1 regret in his life.

Gawn wants the preliminary final loss to be a driving force for the Demons. Picture: Getty

That’s exactly the message we have to get across to the players, coaches and the entire club because we can’t be happy with this.

But we still have a presence in September. On Sunday the Casey Demons will play in the VFL Grand Final against Box Hill and I urge everyone to get down to Etihad Stadium at 3.20pm.

I was hoping to be on the waters at the Brownlow on Monday night. Who knows? I might still surprise everyone and drink Mount Franklin.

We’ll next week go through everything we need to at the club and then I’ll get away for a break.

But unfortunately I’ve worked out that disciplined and hard pre-seasons equal good seasons for me, so it’s going to be a long summer of getting my body right to go again.

Indeed, we all need to go again.

Originally published as Melbourne players didn’t get stage fright but were shell-shocked by West Coast’s start, Max Gawn writes