Melbourne’s premiership hopes are shot after three rounds, writes Jon Ralph

Even if Melbourne somehow conjured a Sydney-style finals charge, winning the premiership is still too much to expect even if Simon Goodwin fixes the many issues the Demons have on the field, writes Jon Ralph.

Jack Viney and Nathan Jones lead the Demons off the ground after Friday night’s loss to Essendon. Picture: AAP

If Melbourne fans still hold hopes their team can win the premiership after a Sydney-style finals charge, they are in for a rude shock.

What so many forget about Sydney’s pulsating 2017 rally to the finals was it finished with the mother of all finals hidings.

John Longmire’s side won 14 of its final 16 home-and-away games then beat Essendon at home in an elimination final.

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But after Geelong put the Swans to the sword in a 59-point MCG semi-final demolition, John Longmire was frank.

“Our blokes looked a bit buggered tonight, to be honest,” he said.

“We’ve been going flat out for 18 weeks, playing elimination finals every week.”

Had Essendon been footy’s biggest loser on Friday night all the usual crisis headlines would have been unfurled this weekend.

Melbourne’s coach doesn’t need the full support of the board — he just needs 13 wins in the next 19 games in a season rapidly going nowhere.

The Demons have massive structural and tactical issues and even if they get them right they will surely use up too many petrol tickets to win four finals through September.

One rival CEO witnessed Simon Goodwin’s reaction when the Jesse Hogan trade finally went through and said it was like he had won the lottery.

Not because of Hogan’s departure but because it would seal the Steven May trade.

Now May is out for another fortnight and while Jake Lever will start full training soon he isn’t expected back until around the club’s Round 13 bye.

Tom McDonald looked out of sorts in defence against the Bombers. Picture: AAP

May is the easy target — Matthew Lloyd called him unfit and out of shape on Friday night — but it would be easier to play in the Gold Coast backline right now.

He has worked into elite shape after turning up in the condition of a park footballer, but his latest groin injury was caused by a wrenching, sudden change of direction rather than lack of condition.

Meanwhile, Melbourne’s backline continues to bleed goals highlighted by zone breakdowns and a midfield not prepared to pressure when they don’t have the ball.

As Goodwin said on Friday night, that is unacceptable but elements of the club’s defensive zone were downright bizarre against Essendon.

Oscar McDonald is not and will never be Alex Rance.

But in the first quarter he stood hip-to-hip 70m from goal with Tom Bellchambers as Essendon surged forward.

Incredibly, he charged 30m forward in an attempt to press, where the only thing he was guarding were four seagulls and a pristine patch of MCG turf.

Clayton Oliver is brought down in a tackle from Devon Smith. Picture: Getty Images

Bellchambers received the easiest of passes over his head and wheeled to hit up another Bomber.

Within seconds Orazio Fantasia, with just seven behinds to his name in the first fortnight, had the easiest of goals and confidence coursing through his veins.

Down the other end the issues are just as jarring.

Tom McDonald, whose 2018 form was so strong the Demons traded out Hogan, has 1.2 for the year, and didn’t register a scoring shot or score assist against the Dons.

The Demons only looked dangerous when they removed him from the forward line and put him on a wing.

Alex Neil Bullen has a single goal from a softish free kick and only a couple of Zac Clarke clangers and great accuracy 18.4 — kept Friday’s margin respectable.

In Round 15 last year, St Kilda did something near identical, cutting through the zone to score 29 times from just 50 inside 50s at the MCG.

Melbourne reconfigured, pushed Max Gawn into a sweeping defensive ruck position, kept Fremantle to 48 points the next week and didn’t look back.

This time around the summer’s most-hyped side has issues in all three facets of the game and surely has left its charge too late.