Melbourne has a host of A-grade stars – but are they an A-grade team? Mark Robinson looks at the Dees vulnerabilities

Last year, a loss to Fremantle started a freefall Melbourne never recovered from. Mark Robinson examines their vulnerabilities as the Demons prepare for another crucial Dockers clash.

Are Max Gawn and the Demons the real deal? Picture: Getty Images

Twelve months ago Melbourne’s season of mediocrity kicked in.

It was May 28, 2022, and Fremantle set in motion a free fall which the Demons could not recover.

They were 10-0 then and looking every inch the back-to-back premiers.

The loss to the Dockers by 38 points preceded consecutive losses to Sydney (12 points) and Collingwood (26 points) and from 10-0 they would finish the home and away season 6-6 and then were straight set merchants in September.

That’s 10-0 to 6-8. The wheels, for some reason, became wobbly and then savagely sheared off.

In the pre-season, an upbeat Christian Petracca still called it a successful season. In US sports, anything above a 50 per cent win-loss record is considered a winning season.

In Australian rules, and especially when you’re the premiership defenders, bang bang in finals is hardly deserving of rich accolades.

Astonishingly, in the second half of the year, they didn’t play to their standards and while premierships don’t fall off the back of trucks in Thomastown, mostly everyone at Melbourne should’ve been disappointed.

Max Gawn reacts after the Demons came up short against Port Adelaide. Picture: Getty Images

To date, one flag is not enough for a team which contains Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, May, Viney, Brayshaw, Lever, Fritsch and which now has Grundy and the vastly improved Kozzy Pickett.

They’re all A graders or near enough, but are they an A grade team?

Since 2018, this mob, give or take a few players, has a preliminary final finish, has missed finals (Covid), a premiership and a finals flop.

You’ve got to make hay while the sun shines. Richmond won three flags and coughed up another (2018), Hawthorn won three and could’ve won five in the 2010s, Geelong won three and missed another one (2008), Brisbane won three at the turn of the century, further back Hawthorn won five through the 1980s and before them Carlton won three either side of the 1980.

Despite their 7-3 start to this season, their campaign has a feeling of vulnerability about it.

Now Melbourne once again awaits Fremantle at the MCG.

Demons coach Simon Goodwin might argue 12 months back is irrelevant. Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir would disagree. That it has been done means it can be done again and that surely has been chronicled by Longmuir in the lead-up.

Footy’s mostly mental isn’t it? OK, talent and mental. And system. But system thrives on mentality. And talent only gets you so far.

The MCG can be daunting for non-Victorian teams, but Fremantle’s past two games there were against Melbourne and the final against a rampaging Collingwood in front of 90,000 black and whites and they only lost by 20 points.

If it’s not vulnerability, there’s certainly a query.

Christian Petracca won’t have his running mate with him this week. Picture: Getty Images

No Oliver (massively) and no Lachie Hunter (moderately) will impair them somewhat.

The numbers are both positive and negative. The negative was highlighted by Fox Footy’s David King this week when he dissected the stats between wins and losses and how they are skewed because of beatings against West Coast, North Melbourne and Hawthorn.

King asked: Are they contenders or bullies?

The team’s character has also been questioned — first by colleague Glenn McFarlane in Sunday’s Herald Sun and then by King — over Melbourne’s perceived lack of comradeship for their captain, who Port Adelaide put in the gun last Friday night.

Goodwin dismissed it as a non-issue and while Gawn is big enough and handsome enough to fight his own battles, you can bet your last dollar if any team targets him over coming weeks, it won’t go unnoticed by his teammates.

Also, if Port players went after a first gamer, would the Demons have ignored him like they ignored Max? Nup.

It’s a pivotal game for both teams. Fremantle is out of the eight on percentage and Melbourne if it loses will be sixth if St Kilda and the Bulldogs win.

Last encounter, Melbourne led by 25 points at halftime and lost by six goals. Last week, they led by 11 points at three-quarter time and lost by four. Longmuir will also use that.

The loss to Fremantle kick started a run of mediocrity for the Demons. Picture: Michael Klein

Also, last week Melbourne’s much vaunted midfield — with Oliver — was upstaged by the young Port superstars. That won’t be lost on Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong.

Last time, Brayshaw had 28, six clearances and eight inside 50s. Lachie Schulz kicked four and earned three Brownlow Medal votes and Brayshaw two votes.

James Harmes returns for Melbourne and he could get either Brayshaw or Serong, while Pickett could get more time in the middle.

James Aish tagged Oliver, so could go to Petracca this time around? The last time Petracca didn’t have Oliver as a running mate was Round 18 last year. Before that it was in 2016. Petracca needs to be prominent.

Last week, Bailey Banfield tried to keep Geelong’s superstar defender Tom Stewart accountable. Banfield is 190cm and Steven May is 193cm, so that might work. Either May or Jake Lever.

And the result between Darcy/Jackson v Gawn/Grundy will be pivotal.

What a super game looms in the traditional Saturday timeslot of 2.10pm.

It’s not a must-win for the Demons, but they certainly are on the watch list. They play Fremantle, Carlton (MCG), Collingwood (MCG), and, after the bye, Geelong (MCG), GWS (Darwin) and St Kilda (Marvel). It’s a defining stretch.

Starting Saturday, we’ll find out if they are at all vulnerable.

Originally published as Melbourne has a host of A-grade stars – but are they an A-grade team? Mark Robinson looks at the Dees vulnerabilities