COACH Mick Stinear says Melbourne’s work rate was not up to scratch in his side’s 34-point loss to Collingwood at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs on Saturday evening.

The Demons kicked two goals to nil in the opening term, only to register a scoreless second quarter and never regain a lead on the scoreboard.

“We thought we had set the tone in that first quarter and that would be what the rest of the game would look like,” Stinear said post-match.

“There are two teams out there and you’ve got to keep fronting up to every contest.

“The outcome was purely based on who was prepared to work harder and who wanted it more, and Collingwood thoroughly deserve the result they got.”

A second-consecutive loss interstate for Melbourne, Stinear gave full credit to Collingwood’s attack on the ball.

“It was just the ability to work contest-to-contest – Collingwood got the better of us in that department around the ground,” he said.

“It’s certainly disappointing, as it’s not a true reflection of what our group is capable of.”

The Demons struggled to regain confidence after half time, with Stinear adamant that things would have been different if his players could adapt.

“If you look at the first quarter – that’s how we want the game to look,” he said.

“We want to create repeat scoring opportunities and numbers around the footy supporting each other and being clean with the ball.”

“As the game went on, we fumbled balls that we normally wouldn’t and we were missing opportunities.”

Despite the disappointment, Stinear said the match still presented some positives.

“I thought the intensity and attack on the ball Harriet Cordner brought in her first game of the season was brilliant, and she lead by example,” he said.

“It was good to see Anna Teague get her first game in the jumper – she defended hard and played well for her teammates.”

Playing in the first ever AFL Women’s match in Alice Springs, Stinear was grateful for the opportunity in the Red Centre.

“To be in Central Australia, getting out and seeing how much footy means to the local community, it was a privilege to play here tonight,” he said.

“I’d like to think we will be coming back and getting a different result, but it’s been a great week.”

Melbourne will now head home after an eight-day road trip, having flown directly to Alice Springs from their round three clash in Perth.

Brisbane awaits next weekend, when the Demons return to Casey Fields on Friday night.