MIDFIELDER Col Sylvia says that overcoming West Coast Eagles at Patersons Stadium following next round’s bye will be a massive test for the Demons.
Melbourne has not had a win against West Coast at the venue formerly known as Subiaco Oval since round 19, 2002, but Sylvia believes that the upcoming encounter provides one of the team’s best opportunities for some time to break the hoodoo.
“It’s going to be a really big challenge for us,” Sylvia told melbournefc.com.au.
“We’re really starting to get better traveling on the road, so it’s good to have that winning culture, and then we can become a better team on the road.
“We’ll go over there and hopefully carry on from the last quarter against Gold Coast and get a win.”
After notching up a 90-point win against the Suns on Sunday, the Dees now have a break, before taking on West Coast on Thursday, 28 April.
Sylvia said that having the bye early in the season held some significant benefits.
“In the broader scheme of things, it’s pretty good to break it up a bit,” he said.
“It’s more to freshen up and then we’ll play on Thursday night over in the west against West Coast, so it’s only 10 days.
“We’ll really just use it to freshen up mentally and physically on our body, and then prepare ourselves for a huge game over in the west.”
Sylvia was one of Melbourne’s best against the Suns, collecting 31 disposals and nine inside 50s. But he wasn’t happy with his return until after half-time.
“Personally, I was a little bit slow early. It was a game played in two halves for me. But I was really happy with the way I finished the game in the second half,” he said.
“We got outscored in the third quarter, but to the boys’ credit, the way we finished off the game was really, really positive.
“We gained a lot of confidence from it, and that was really important to go into the break the way we did. That’s the way we really want to play - run over the top of them.
“It was really positive to finish off the way we did in the humid, warmer conditions.”
Melbourne has not had a win against West Coast at the venue formerly known as Subiaco Oval since round 19, 2002, but Sylvia believes that the upcoming encounter provides one of the team’s best opportunities for some time to break the hoodoo.
“It’s going to be a really big challenge for us,” Sylvia told melbournefc.com.au.
“We’re really starting to get better traveling on the road, so it’s good to have that winning culture, and then we can become a better team on the road.
“We’ll go over there and hopefully carry on from the last quarter against Gold Coast and get a win.”
After notching up a 90-point win against the Suns on Sunday, the Dees now have a break, before taking on West Coast on Thursday, 28 April.
Sylvia said that having the bye early in the season held some significant benefits.
“In the broader scheme of things, it’s pretty good to break it up a bit,” he said.
“It’s more to freshen up and then we’ll play on Thursday night over in the west against West Coast, so it’s only 10 days.
“We’ll really just use it to freshen up mentally and physically on our body, and then prepare ourselves for a huge game over in the west.”
Sylvia was one of Melbourne’s best against the Suns, collecting 31 disposals and nine inside 50s. But he wasn’t happy with his return until after half-time.
“Personally, I was a little bit slow early. It was a game played in two halves for me. But I was really happy with the way I finished the game in the second half,” he said.
“We got outscored in the third quarter, but to the boys’ credit, the way we finished off the game was really, really positive.
“We gained a lot of confidence from it, and that was really important to go into the break the way we did. That’s the way we really want to play - run over the top of them.
“It was really positive to finish off the way we did in the humid, warmer conditions.”
