“IT WAS a cracking game of footy, it’s just never good when you’re on the other side of it.”
That’s how Melbourne’s senior coach Simon Goodwin saw his team’s four-point loss to Carlton on Saturday night.
In what was a highly contested game, the Demons were unable to match their opponents on home soil, falling painstakingly short when the final siren sounded at 9.6 (60) to 8.8 (56).
“Those type of games, where two teams value similar things in contest and defence, they’re arm wrestles, they’re tight and it does come down to moments,” Goodwin told media post-match.
“The team that generally wins more of them, comes away with the result.
“Tonight, I thought our start was pretty average, we were probably pretty lucky with the scoreboard.
“We were able to absorb for a big period in that first quarter and there were patches where we had momentum, but the start of the last quarter wasn’t quite to the level we’d like.”
The opening bounce hit the ground at 7:30pm (pushed back five minutes to allow fans time to watch the Matilda's quarter final) and a competitive and contested game of footy ensued.
Melbourne was able to take advantage of Carlton's inability to capitalise on opportunities and the deficit was never greater than 18 points.
This deficit came at the beginning of the final term, and the Demons were able to fight back to within the four points that they ultimately lost by.
Goodwin said his group would take the loss as another example of their ability to battle it right until the final siren.
“We take enormous belief from the game as well,” Goodwin said.
“We’re building a team that continues to come and fight and scrap and find a way into the game and we gave ourselves a chance again late [in the game].”
Melbourne will now turn its attention to its penultimate game of the home-and-away season, facing Hawthorn on Sunday afternoon in the club's much-loved Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) Match.
Round 23 will also see the return of BCNA's Field of Women for the first time since 2018, with fans encouraged to get involved to be a part of the special experience.
