Melbourne coach Paul Roos rapt with Demons resolve to hang in contest and sink Essendon

MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos said his team could be up to an 80-point better side than last year after its last-gasp win against Essendon.

Round 13: Essendon v Melbourne AFLR1314 Picture : Wayne Ludbey Christian Salem kicks the winnig goal

MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos said his team could be up to an 80-point better side than last year after its last-gasp win against Essendon.

Roos said the team would have probably folded when faced with the same 33-point deficit last year, instead of rattling off six straight goals as they did at the MCG last night to post their fourth win of Roos’ first year as coach.

It finished with what Roos described as the highlight of their season as the Demons went coast to coast on their last play and 18-year-old Christian Salem coolly slotted the matchwinner.

Roos acknowledged the Demons were fortunate to win as Essendon had 33 more inside-50s.

But he said the gritty comeback was a further sign of their much-improved resolve.

“If you had been watching Melbourne play like that in the last couple of years, it’s probably a 70, 80-point loss,” Roos said.

“So credit to the players; they didn’t get too down on themselves and they dug in the second half.

“We were pretty fortunate, but to come back and really compete and give yourself a chance to win ... that was a significant step forward.”

Roos said the Bombers’ inaccuracy was a significant factor in the triumph.

“They should have put us away,” he said.

“We certainly dodged a bullet at half-time. I think we only had 11 inside-50s and we were playing pretty poorly.

“Full credit to our guys. I thought that last passage of play was probably the best we’ve had all year.”

The last-minute goal started with Bernie Vince laying a tackle and Cameron Pedersen digging out a contested ball in the back pocket, then accelerated as Jordie McKenzie, James Frawley and Tom McDonald combined on the wing.

Roos said he was happy the play finished with Daniel Cross kicking to Salem.

“He’s got a really good reputation as a nice kick for goal and he seemed really settled,’’ Roos said.

“You looked at him and he seemed pretty confident.

“I was actually pretty happy it was in his hands surprisingly.

“And the great thing is we will now get free food at the family cafe for the rest of the week, so that’s fantastic.”

Salem’s family runs two cafes in Brighton.

Originally published as Melbourne coach Paul Roos rapt with Demons resolve to hang in contest and sink Essendon