Melbourne coach Paul Roos says three-point loss to Port Adelaide a massive step forward for Demons

PAUL Roos hailed his team for its courageous performance against Port Adelaide yesterday, despite coughing up a late lead which cost it the game.

AFL - Port Adelaide v Melbourne at Adelaide Oval. Chris Dawes and Jack Hombsch. Photo Sarah Reed.

MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos hailed his team for its courageous performance against Port Adelaide yesterday, despite coughing up a late lead which cost it the game.

Roos described the three-point loss — sealed with a goal from Power forward Jay Schulz with 111 seconds left on the clock — as “a massive step for our footy club’’.

POWER SNATCH VICTORY TO MAKE DOM’S DAY

While Roos said his players were “really disappointed’’ to lose their fifth consecutive game after fighting back from a five-goal deficit, he said the positives far outweighed the negatives.

“To come over here (Adelaide Oval) twice and beat Adelaide and play Port and lose by three points shows we’ve come an enormous way as a club,’’ Roos said.

“It’s not dropping your standards like we did last week (against Geelong) and the week before against Freo.

Jack Watts celebrates his 60m bomb. Picture Simon Cross

“Obviously they are really good teams, as is Port, but for us it’s about maintaining high standards as a group, playing together as a team and learning from mistakes.

“I’d much rather be sitting here having won but I’d much rather be sitting here having lost by three points than 66 against Geelong when we were non-competitive and didn’t give ourselves a chance to win.

“Today (against Port) I thought we were super, a really competitive footy team.’’

Roos was proud of how his side fought back from a five-goal deficit midway through the second quarter to be leading with two minutes to go.

But he lamented missed opportunities late to hold on to the ball which resulted in Schulz getting the chance to kick his matchwinning goal.

Dom Tyson celebrates his last term snapped goal. Picture Simon Cross

“For our guys, given the past two weeks, it was a really good effort for us to get back into the game,’’ Roos said.

“Then when you get so close you dissect the game pretty closely at the end and it comes back to probably a little bit of their composure and a couple of mistakes we made.

“Neville Jetta got that free kick, we played on (advantage) when we’re three points up. You don’t want to be taking advantage in that situation.

“We had a chance to just kick it down the line but we kick it inside and it gets marked (by Port).

Sam Blease celebrates a goal. Picture Simon Cross

“They are probably the little things in a game which in the end cost us.

“But that’s why they are where they are (fifth) and that’s why we’re where we are (16th).

“But overall it was a terrific effort against a team which has been playing well and playing well on their home turf, so that’s the sort of standard we have to try to set as a footy club.’’

Roos said he did not see the controversial free kick paid to Power forward Chad Wingard against Jack Watts for high contact just before three-quarter time which cost his side a goal.

“But I got a few text messages about it,’’ he said.

“I didn’t see it because I was leaving the (coaches) box but I did get about a dozen text messages (from friends) about it.

“I’ll have a closer look at it later but it is what it is. I keep saying that about the umpires, that you just put up with it.’’

Originally published as Melbourne coach Paul Roos says three-point loss to Port Adelaide a massive step forward for Demons