MELBOURNE coach Dean Bailey was "relieved" after the Demons' 20-point win on Saturday but he says the true challenge will come next week when the players will be asked to replicate their intensity.

The Demons' second win for the season came after an emotion-charged week when it was revealed that club president Jim Stynes was battling cancer.

Bailey said backing up against Port Adelaide without a sentimental build-up would give his players an even bigger test.

"We take some confidence out of the game and how we played," he said.

"There are still some areas we have to improve. We're still missing some kicks and our phases of ball movement dropped down at times.

"The great challenge will be next week. Can we back it up with a fair-dinkum approach against a quick team who certainly move the ball very well when they're allowed? The clearances are going to be super-important to determine how we go.

"Next week is another game and you can't always rely on external situations ... it's time for us to take some responsibility."

The Demons surpassed their season tackling average of 51 before half time and ended the game with 89 to the Eagles' 72.

Bailey said tackling – as well as keeping the players’ emotions in check – was a focus going into the match after a disappointing few weeks.  

"It takes a bit of effort and a fair bit out of you, too, tackling, but it was going to be a large determinant on how we were going to go today, if we could make more of them stick," he said.

"The boys were hard at it – we gave away a few free kicks, but that emotion was going to happen anyway.

"You don't want to hold it in too much, but you don't want it to be over the top.

"We probably gave away a couple of extra free kicks, but the intention was pretty clear. I'd rather it be that way than the other way."

Bailey used Stynes' No.37 jumper as the motivating factor in his pre-match address.

The jumper, which Stynes was wearing when he infamously ran over the mark in his first season at Melbourne, had featured in Thursday's press conference where the ill president revealed he was facing another big challenge in his life.

"It happened to be [the club's] guernsey round and I just said to them that the jumper has got to mean a lot to you when you put it on," he said.

"Again, with the emotional build-up with Jim, it was something where we all needed to step up and he's expecting everyone to step up.

"At his press conference, he held his jumper up and it was the first time at the press conference he had a smile and a laugh."

Despite Saturday's win, Bailey said there was no reason why his players would be spared from dipping in the chilly Port Phillip Bay waters this week.

"It's worked this week, so we may as well 'up' the ante again for next week," he said.

"I don't see why we can't go back down there again. I don't think we'll be taking the foot off the accelerator just yet."