MELBOURNE captain Brad Green says the Demons' slow start against Hawthorn put them in a position where winning was nearly impossible.
The Hawks booted the first five goals of Sunday's match and eventually won by 54 points.
Green said the Demons allowed them to have the perfect springboard for a big victory.
"When you give any team, let alone Hawthorn, a five-goal start you are chasing tail for the rest of the day trying to work your way back into it," Green said.
"I thought we started getting back into it but once you give a team five goals it's tough going."
The Demons had brief bursts but were unable to sustain their efforts for entire quarters let alone the whole game.
Green was one of the most effective players in the third quarter, booting three of his four goals for the day.
"There were patches where we did play well. Good teams hurt you when you don't play well and they are a good team," he said.
"They got a lot of stoppage goals. Their good players played well and we needed to compete harder in the middle and we probably missed a few tackles. That was probably where it was won and lost."
Green and fellow forward Jeremy Howe were probably Melbourne's best two players in the loss.
The Demons skipper said he had been impressed by his rookie teammate since he arrived at the club.
"He's got a great work ethic, the way he works the ground. He's got a great set of hands and he finishes off well. He is a first-year player and he has been fantastic for us since he came in," he said.
The Hawthorn game was the first of four games against top-five teams the Demons have awaiting them.
Green said he was conscious of the tough month ahead and said it would provide a great test for his team.
"You look at it week to week and you look at the block. You look at it as an exciting challenge and a scalp. We'd love to play Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn and West Coast every week," he said.
"I think that's where you learn to play resilient footy and get to earn respect against the best teams. That's where you've got to perform if you want to play finals. You've got to beat the best."
Luke Holmesby covers Melbourne news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_LHolmesby
