VICE captain Nathan Jones says Melbourne’s first half against the West Coast Eagles was exactly the type of football the team is eager to play on a consistent basis.

Speaking post-match after his side’s 94 point loss at the MCG on Saturday, Jones said the first half was an “acceptable” standard.

“That’s Melbourne footy and that’s how we want to play. We want to be bold and we want to take it on,” he said.

“You see a few boys who come in and get their opportunity and really show, I think, that they belong. These boys are pretty inexperienced, but they really led the charge in the first half.

“That third quarter was not acceptable, but we’re going to continue to push and continue to fight, because what we showed in that first half is the footy we want to play, and we need a consistent four quarter effort. Until we get that, we’re going to forge ahead and the wheel will turn.”

Reflecting on the week, on the back of Melbourne’s 148-point loss to Essendon in round two, Jones said it had been a remarkable time, but one that included plenty of encouragement. 

“The support we got during the week – we felt a little bit isolated, particularly after last week and after a really poor effort by us,” he said.

“It was a pretty dark time, particularly for a player to lose by 25 goals, but I was really proud of the group to bounce back and I was proud of the support that the footy club showed.

“Off the ground, the message was just to continue to fight and as a playing group, we took a lot of heart out of the first half, but the third quarter was unacceptable. The signs in the fourth quarter were that we need to push forward and forge forward and put a four quarter effort in.”