MELBOURNE youngster Cale Morton says his side might need to reassess the way it approaches both the ball and its opposition after free kicks played a part in his team’s demise to Carlton on Sarurday.

The Demons lost by 41 points, 15.11 (101) to 9.6 (60), but they did get within 19 points in the third quarter.

That was after trailing by as much as 45 earlier in the term as the Blues capatalised on a flying start courtesy of the opening five goals of the match.

Carlton’s Setanta O’hAilpin opened his side’s scoring account before the ball had been bounced when Demons defender Matthew Warnock infringed in a bit of push and shove.

While O’hAilpin’s set shot drifted left, it set about a chain that led to the Blues booting 5.1 before Brad Green would open Melbourne’s account.

Morton admitted his side was sluggish at the start.

“[It’s] probably more of a mental thing,” the 20-year-old said.

“[It’s about] just being switched on right from the first bounce ... today I think we gave away  a free kick before the first bounce and then we gave away far too many free kicks around the ground.

“That probably resulted in goals, so that’s something we’ve got to watch now.”

Morton said his side was no more fired up “than any other week” but knew it had a chance to push a claim for a spot in the eight, perhaps leading to some players being overzealous at the contest.

“I think today we thought we had a real good chance at having a crack at a good side and we were pretty confident heading into the match,” he said.

“Some things are out of our hands, like umpiring decisions, but we’ve just got to change the way we attack the footy and how we attack our opposition.”

To their credit, the Dees did respond in the third term. When the rain started to bucket down, Melbourne’s intensity seemed to lift.

“When it rains it is more simple, it’s all about getting the ball forward and surging the ball forward ... and giving our forwards a chance one on one with their defenders,” Morton said.

“But when the opposition have got more of the ball than you that’s hard to do and also when you’re not winning the ball, but certainly [giving away] free kicks doesn’t help that.”

Morton, the No.4 in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft, played a big role in the third-quarter revival.

Playing just his third game back from a knee injury, he had 13 disposals during the third term as Melbourne booted five goals to two.

He finished with 23 touches including five rebound 50s and two inside 50s to show the youngster drafted as a midfielder is getting used to playing a defensive role.