IT'S A Dee-molition.

Melbourne has responded to back-to-back hidings from Hawthorn and Richmond with one of the most devastating, dominant five-round stretches in recent memory.

If corny catchphrases aren't your thing, try this for size: the Demons rank No.1 in the AFL in an extraordinary 16 categories from rounds six to 10 – and some of them aren't even close.

Melbourne hauled in a gluttonous 18.8 marks inside 50 per game in the past five weeks. Next best in that time was Richmond with 13.6.

The men of the Grand Old Flag are averaging 133 points. The Tigers are second again, with a relatively paltry 98.6.

Their contested possession differential is plus-21.6 (West Coast's is plus-13.4), clearance points are 44.6 (Eagles 32.6) and intercept points are 84 (Richmond 68.8).

The numbers – not just the ladder – tell us the Demons are part of a 'Big Three', albeit with an asterisk, given the implosions against the Hawks and Tigers and the fact they last played finals in 2006.

Melbourne is ruthlessly dismantling sides, a formline against an out-of-sorts Essendon and lowly St Kilda, Gold Coast and Carlton that carried over to top-four rival Adelaide on Sunday.

Coach Simon Goodwin hinted after the 91-point win over an admittedly understrength Crows that football watchers overlooked the Demons' play based on the quality of their opposition.

"We've played some really good footy over the past four weeks and potentially it hasn't been recognised in the way today might," Goodwin said.

Demons on top

*The statistics Melbourne ranks No.1 in from rounds six to 10

The Demons' equal-record 83 inside 50s against the Suns also snuck under the radar, but it shouldn't have because it isn't an isolated case.

The numbers keep coming: the Adelaide and Carlton victories – by a combined 200 points – were the club's first consecutive 90-point-plus wins ever.

Melbourne last had two such successes in the same season in 1993, back when Garry Lyon was captain, Todd Viney and Allen Jakovich were stars, and David Neitz was named best first-year player.

Why not another?

The Demons' plus-19.1 contested possession differential this season is on track to be the second-best ever, behind West Coast's plus-20 in its 2006 premiership campaign.

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"We have built our club around contested ball and it was on show today. I think it was plus-40 (actually 46) in the contest, so that's a really pleasing number," Goodwin said.

"Contested ball is an area we've ingrained into our players and our footy club."

Melbourne could even eclipse Geelong's record for consecutive quarters won if it can claim all four against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

The Demons are three short of the Cats' 21 straight successful terms in 2010, but they also drew the quarter before their run of 18, so they actually haven't lost one for 19 in a row.

That is a long way removed from the side prone to mid-match lapses last year, as well as in the opening five rounds of this one.

The best streakers

Geelong, like Melbourne, dominated the stat sheet between rounds six and 11 in 2010, headlining the AFL in nine areas, including five of the same ones as the 2018 Demons.

Melbourne was one of the Cats' victims in that streak, but now it's Goodwin's crew who are the bullies.

Whether they're of the flat-track variety will soon be revealed.

Chasing history

Reigning premier Richmond extended its winning streak at the MCG to 14 games with a fighting 28-point defeat of St Kilda on Saturday.

The Tigers are now only three short of Melbourne's record run at the home of Australian football across the 1955-56 seasons.

Top team West Coast is also on a tear as it takes aim at 10 consecutive victories against those same Saints on Saturday.

It would be the first time the Eagles achieved that feat since starting 1991 with 12 on the trot, and they'd also become the first club since Sydney four years ago to do it in the same season.

Winning ugly

Promising Brisbane defender Harris Andrews is a relative veteran on a youthful Lions list and is one of Chris Fagan's most dependable players.

Andrews has played in only 13 wins out of 68 matches, so fixing that ratio is his major priority, but you have to enjoy the small stuff along the way.

The 21-year-old broke a game record that sums up his workmanlike approach.

His 23 spoils against Sydney on Saturday erased Josh Gibson from the record books, the ex-Hawk holding the previous mark of 21 from a 2011 semi-final, also at the Swans' expense.

Port Adelaide's Dougal Howard matched Gibson's effort in round one this year against Fremantle.