DESPITE a heartbreaking four-point loss to Fremantle at Casey Fields on Sunday, Karen Paxman says there are plenty of positives for Melbourne to take out of the clash.
After trailing by 20 points at half-time, the Demons pulled off a stunning five-goal third term to get back on top, but as they fought against the breeze in the final quarter, they couldn’t quite hold on.
“Definitely the wind played a bit of a factor,” Paxman told Melbourne Media.
“The girls worked really hard to get back and we just went back to our brand of footy – very simple, hard, competitive.
“And I think we just moved away from that in the last quarter and the wind didn’t help our cause either.
“So as long as we bring that style for four quarters it’s going to be exciting what we can bring in the next few weeks.”
While the Demons showed glimpses of brilliance throughout the afternoon, momentary lapses ultimately cost them victory.
“I think if we can just stick to our style of footy and keep it nice and simple – the more consistent we can be, and the longer we can go with that consistency – we’ll be in good stead I think,” Paxman said.
Although the result didn’t fall the way of the red and blue, there was a notable buzz among the group.
With five debutants on display, the team culture was strong and there is plenty of momentum to take into the coming weeks.
“I felt like there was awesome energy right from the beginning when we arrived here this morning before the game,” Paxman said.
“Especially the new girls coming in brought really good energy.
“The second quarter we let it slip a little bit but the vibe was good and the energy was definitely there so I can’t fault that I don’t think.”