Melbourne back in finals mix after 40-point win over Port Adelaide

MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos has predicted the Demons are heading for a “real period of success” after the team kept alive its dream of an unlikely finals appearance.

Jayden Hunt on the move. Picture: AAP

MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos has predicted the Demons are heading for a “real period of success” after the team kept alive its dream of an unlikely finals appearance this season.

The Demons claimed their third straight win with a 40-point victory over the Power at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night to lift themselves to ninth position on the ladder.

The result, which followed wins over Hawthorn and Gold Coast, has left the finals door ajar for the Demons to sneak into the top eight.

Melbourne would need to win its remaining two home-and-away games against Carlton at the MCG and the tougher assignment of Geelong at Simonds Stadium, while also relying on eighth-placed North Melbourne to fall over.

Roos hailed the team’s growing consistency, but was not getting carried away by the prospect of an unexpected finals berth if results went their way.

“I guess mathematically (there is a chance), but we have still got a lot of work to do on our game to get up into the top bracket of teams,’’ Roos said.

“You talk about consistency, I think that was one of the best things about the weekend, to win our third game in a row.

“With a pretty young team, there is a always a bit of a worry that you drop off, but there is no signs at the moment. The fatigue doesn’t seem to be setting in.’’

The win was the Demons’ 10th for the season, another significant step forward from their four wins in 2014 and seven wins in 2015 under Roos.

It has been 10 years since the Demons last played finals — reaching the semi-finals in 2006 — but Roos was confident, regardless of what happens this season, there was success ahead.

“We can’t control what happens in the next couple of weeks to a certain extent,’’ Roos told Triple M radio.

“But there is real excitement in what the club’s building, excitement around our list, the ability to play against good teams.

“I think the excitement comes not only from this year but also looking at the next three to five years where the team and the club should go into real period of success hopefully.’’

Clayton Oliver and Angus Bradshaw are all smiles after a Nathan Jones goal. Picture: AAP

Roos will hand over the coaching reigns to senior assistant Simon Goodwin at the end of the season and said he would be not be looking over the shoulder of the new coach.

“I’m really conscious probably as I was with John (Longmire), the new coach needs some real clean air,’’ Roos said.

“‘Goody’ comes in, he is going to be a fantastic coach and he doesn’t need me looking over his shoulder.”

Melbourne forward Jack Watts said the turning point for the team’s form was the Demons’ six-point loss to West Coast in Perth in Round 18.

He said the players put celebrations after their Port victory on hold to focus on finishing off the season strongly.

“We had a nice big win on Saturday and we could have got out on the beers and stuff like that, but we decided that we really want to focus on next week against Carlton,’’ Watts told 3AW.

“It’s an important game for us, it’s more about keeping this momentum going and keeping what we’ve got as a team going onto next week and how ever far that might take us onto next year.

“We just want to keep building.’’

Originally published as Melbourne back in finals mix after 40-point win over Port Adelaide