Melbourne and Max Gawn have a miserable day against Port Adelaide

Hyped all summer as a team to beat this season with the No.1 ranked list in the competition and the best midfield getting around, the question has to be asked: Did Melbourne get ahead of itself?

Did Melbourne get ahead of itself?

Hyped all summer as a team to beat this season with the No.1 ranked list in the competition, the best midfield getting around and one of the two top ruckmen in the game, expectations are high.

Yet the Demons fell well flat of them in a horror Round 1 performance against Port Adelaide where little went right.

SUPERCOACH: EVERY SCORE FOR DEMONS v POWER

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Melbourne looked unfit, its skill level was at times horrible, its defensive structures too often got picked apart, its midfield was smashed after quarter-time and its scoring power of last year disappeared.

In fact, the Demons did not kick a goal in the last 50 minutes or even record a score in the final term.

It’s only Round 1 and things can change quickly, but they desperately need to for this was not the Demons side that charged up the ladder to a preliminary final last year.

Port Adelaide’s Ryan Burton shrugs aside Charlie Spargo. Picture: Michael Klein.

A Geelong team coming off a win against Collingwood awaits next week and a 0-2 start would be far from ideal.

Credit where credit is due, Port Adelaide proved a surprise packet.

Sporting 11 changes from its Round 23 line-up last year, the fresh look and faces worked wonders.

It also helps when Tom Rockliff (44 disposals) has a blinder through the midfield and the underrated Justin Westhoff stands tall up forward.

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Demons coach Simon Goodwin says his side must quickly rectify its problems around contested ball and stoppages.

The Demons lost the contested possession count against a tougher Port Adelaide side 151-150.

“It’s our DNA. We want to play a territory-based game, we play a contest-based game, we’re normally good at stoppage,” Goodwin said.

“But that’s not happening at the moment so that’s what we’ve got to get right, how we get our territory back through the things that we value and the things that we’re normally quite strong at.

“That will be our focus as a footy club, without question.”

MAX HAS A MARE

He got the first hitout at the first bounce but Max Gawn’s milestone 100th game went all downhill from there.

One of the stars of the competition last season, Gawn did not look himself as he had a nightmare in the ruck manned up against Power pair Scott Lycett and Paddy Ryder.

Gawn averaged 16 disposals and 45 hitouts last year but could muster just 13 disposals and 21 hitouts yesterday.

Aside from a few clever tap downs, he had little impact on the game and was pushed around at every opportunity by any Power player that got near him.

Max Gawn had a shocker in his 100th game. Picture: AAP

NEW POWER FACES

There were six Power players making their debuts for the club and none looked out of place.

Former Hawthorn defender Ryan Burton — part of the trade to get Chad Wingard to the Hawks — made a strong start down back and will be better for the run.

West Coast premiership ruckman Lycett took the honours in the ruck against Gawn.

Then there was the four young players, making their AFL debuts.

Xavier Duursma, Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Willem Drew all had 13 or more disposals, Butters kicked two goals and Duursma one.

It’s early days, but the Power appear to have got their drafting right last year in Rozee (pick 5), Butters (pick 12) and Duursma (pick 18).

Nathan Jones marks in front of Jack Watts. Picture: Getty Images

WATTS GETS PHYSICAL

Port Adelaide’s Jack Watts was fired up against his old side and made his presence felt — both physically and with his own game.

In the opening quarter along he gave away a 50m penalty as he gave former captain Nathan Jones a late clip around the ears before collecting Clayton Oliver with a heavy bump minutes later.

Expect the latter to attract the attention of AFL match review officer Michael Christian, despite Oliver getting back on his feet and taking his free kick.

Having spent much of his first season last year in attack, Watts also looked at home in a new position down back, his quality ball use shining as he gathered 22 disposals and nine marks.

MELBOURNE 4.3 6.5 9.7 9.7 (61)

PORT ADELAIDE 2.2 6.8 10.9 12.15 (87)

BEST

Demons: Salem, Melksham, Harmes, Brayshaw, Oliver, Hibberd.

Power: Westhoff, Rockliff, Boak, Gray, Ebert, Watts, Burton.

GOALS

Demons: Melksham 2, Brayshaw, Fritsch, Jones, T. McDonald, Petracca, Sparrow, Weideman.

Power: Westhoff 5, Butters 2, Boak, Duursma, Ebert, R. Gray, Marshall.

Umpires: B. Rosebury, A. Stephens, B. Hosking.

Crowd: 38,866 at the MCG.