Mick McGuane’s AFL season reviews 2019: How ‘disappointing’ Melbourne can rediscover its mojo

After a season from hell, how does Melbourne rediscover the magic which took it to a preliminary final? Mick McGuane delves into the Demons’ struggles and pinpoints the positives from a disappointing 2019 campaign.

A dejected Nathan Jones after Melbourne suffered a defeat to Essendon. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.

It’s fair to say Melbourne was one of the biggest disappointments of 2019.

After surging into the finals last year, there weren’t a lot of positives to find in an injury-plagued season where they hit reverse.

Fully fit, I think they have got a competitive outfit.

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But there is plenty of questions hovering over their Dee-sastrous season.

We all respected them last year and their brand was based on contest and pressure — that was their mojo — and it went missing. The Demons really have to get to work over summer to get that back.

A dejected Nathan Jones after Melbourne suffered a defeat to Essendon. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images.

The players have got to take some ownership to do the work and come back in ripping order. They’ve got to get back to what they stand for and I reckon there’ll be a huge focus on contest, pressure and ball use, especially midfielders to forwards connection.

Their kicking efficiency was poor — the fourth worst in the league — and the conversion rate inside 50m another major issue, averaging less than one goal for every five entries — the worst in the competition.

So the spotlight shone on the Demons’ forward personnel. Tom McDonald kicked 18 goals from 15 games, but also seven times he was goalless. That’s not good enough as a key forward.

You wouldn’t see those sort of figures from Tom Hawkins, Jeremy Cameron, Jack Riewoldt or Tom Lynch when they’re flying.

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They missed Jake Melksham for most of the year and Sam Weideman needs to play, but only got in 11 games.

Obviously, personnel in front of the ball was a concern from a stability stand point.

Clearly, the dominant figure in their group is Max Gawn.

There is an argument he is the competition’s best ruckman.

Max Gawn shapes as Melbourne’s next captain. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Hit-outs to advantage is a really proactive starting point for midfielders, but you must capitalise on those opportunities as you must be able to hit the forward and that’s where the Dees fell down.

There is a lot of likeness about their midfield — Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw, Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver all crash in.

There is not much balance on the outside.

Their second layer around stoppages often collapses hence they get exposed when opposition go from inside to outside the contest.

Mick McGuane says it’s time for Steven May to show he’s fair dinkum about fulfilling his marquee recruit status. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.

It will be a big summer for Steven May.

If he’s fair dinkum about being a marquee recruit to earn the respect of the football public and also his teammates, he’s got to take full responsibility for the condition he comes back in.

There should be an enormous amount of venom in his body to rectify the wrongs of this year. If he doesn’t learn from that it might be the last time that we see him. Time to make a stand, step up or step out.

Originally published as Mick McGuane’s AFL season reviews 2019: How ‘disappointing’ Melbourne can rediscover its mojo