MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos says he doesn't know the rules of Australian football any more and teaching players to interpret them is like "working on a Lamborghini".
Frustrated after his team's six-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday, Roos would not comment on two controversial decisions that cost his team dearly in a seesawing clash at Etihad Stadium.
The first was a deliberate rushed behind that was paid against Demon Rohan Bail when he was under pressure on the goal line, and the second was the decision not to penalise Bulldog Robert Murphy when he was caught with the ball on the edge of Melbourne's attacking 50m in the dying minutes.
"What can I say? What I'll say is I don't know the rules," Roos said post-match.
"The Bulldogs deserved to win today – they played better – but in terms of the laws, I don't really have a clue what they are any more.
"I can't concern myself with that. What we've got to concern ourselves with as a footy club is what we can control."
Roos said members of the Laws of the Game Committee visited the Demons during the week, and his players were still confused by certain interpretations.
He said he was unable to teach his players about the technicalities in the modern game.
"It'd be a bit like me working on a Lamborghini," he said.
"If someone said, 'Mate, can you fix my Lamborghini?' I'd say, 'Well, I'll drive it for you but I'm not going to fix it for you because I've got no idea'.
"I feel for the umpires. There's been that many rule changes and interpretations … it's an enormously complicated game that they (the AFL) have purposely over-complicated.
"The AFL says there's no rule changes, and then they get you on a technicality."
The Demons conceded seven unanswered goals either side of quarter time on Sunday, falling 37 points behind before storming back into the contest in the third quarter.
Roos described his players' effort in the first half as 'diabolical', highlighting turnovers from senior players, including a howler from midfielder Bernie Vince that led to a Bulldogs goal.
He said Melbourne had improved enormously as a team this season, but the players couldn't accept their performance on Sunday.
"Three of the blokes who turned the ball over in the first half were our three best kicks," he said.
"I can't explain it but that's what I'm trying to fix.
"That's my job and I'm just not getting the job done at the moment because it's just not acceptable.
"I'm paid to teach these guys what AFL footy is. They had no idea. So that's my challenge, to be able to do that and teach them as quickly as we possibly can."
