NO MATTER how many transformations the game makes – and how many advancements are made – goalkicking remains a tough nut to crack.
Inaccuracy in front of goal frustrates the living daylights out of everyone: players, coaches and supporters alike.
And on Saturday, that’s exactly what the Demons did.
Melbourne had six more scoring shots than Essendon, yet lost by nine points at the MCG.
It was a grating loss for anyone who bleeds red and blue, given it was a great opportunity for Melbourne to win its fifth match of the season.
Star Demon Bernie Vince, who continued his outstanding 2015 with a game-high 35 disposals, said it was a “very disappointing” result.
“We set ourselves a task and we weren’t up to it,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“The third quarter let us down a bit, in terms of where we were in the contest.
“We let ourselves down in that quarter and they had a run on, which in the end cost us, but we weren’t quite good enough.”
Vince said his team quite simply didn’t capitalise on its opportunities in front of goal – or inside 50 – and missed a lot of gettable shots.
“It was all about taking opportunities and we didn’t,” he said.
“We had plenty of inside 50s and we didn’t hold it in as well as we should have.
“You can look at it two ways – we weren’t entering good enough or we weren’t holding it in well enough.”
Melbourne had eight scoring shots in the second term to three, but only won the term by five points. Conversely, Essendon won the third term by 29 points, having had nine scoring shots to five.
The difference was that Essendon booted 6.3 to Melbourne’s 1.4.
Still, Melbourne’s ability to get back to within two points in the final term – after trailing by 24 points at three quarter-time – was better than what has happened so often in the past.
But it mattered little in the end, according to Vince, who said a victory was all that counted.
“One of the positive was that we kept at it and we were able to respond in the final quarter and get back into it. But we can’t afford to have any lapses against any team,” he said.
“It’s disappointing to not come away with the win because it was winnable right up until the end.”
“Any game like that, where you put yourself in a winning position and end up losing, is disappointing.”
As for Vince’s form, who has had four 30-plus disposal performances in his past five matches, said he was more concerned with the team than his own efforts.
“I was that disappointed after the game that I don’t really look at myself. We’ll have a look at the video during the week with the coaches,” he said.
“I just want to see the team back winning – it’s only been a couple of weeks since the Geelong win – but we’ve had a few of these winnable games that we’ve let go this year and I’m sick of letting them go.
“We’ve got to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
