MAX Gawn says his side put in a strong, head-to-head performance against Port Adelaide, despite its 10-point loss at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
Describing it as a “pretty interesting” and “fun game to play in”, Gawn put the enthralling battle down to the contested nature of football preferred by both teams.
The ruckman said the Demons were able to play to this trademark, even with the result not going their way.
“We didn’t trash our brand like we have in previous games,” Gawn told Melbourne Media.
“In the Hawthorn, Richmond and Collingwood games, we didn’t play the way we wanted to. We did play the way we wanted to tonight, but unfortunately just the inside-50s stuff let us down.”
Melbourne finished with 68 inside-50s compared to Port Adelaide’s 39, while the Demons had 23 shots on goals. Despite the vast difference in entries, Port Adelaide managed one more goal attempt.
Gawn said there were several parts to this statistic.
“We bombed the ball in, we couldn’t keep the ball in and Port’s backs were too good,” he said.
“It’s been a strength of ours, especially with Tommy Mac (Tom McDonald) marking the ball up forward and stuff like that, so it’s relatively disappointing.”
Coach Simon Goodwin also acknowledged the skewed figure, deeming it a “defining factor” in the game’s outcome.
“I thought Port’s defenders did a great job, as they won and neutralised a lot of contests,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“Obviously, if you get that supply [of inside-50 entries], you’d like to score more.
“But first and foremost, the way that we wanted the game set up, in terms of getting that supply, I thought was outstanding.”
In it’s first of two games at Adelaide Oval this home-and-away season – the Demons will return to play Adelaide in round 19 – Melbourne were met with a passionate opposing crowd.
Goodwin was pleased with how his players responded, in what he described a “hostile environment against a really good club”.
“The way they played and the behaviours they’re instilling in the way they played were really strong on the night,” he said.
“You’ve got to review the game with the right mentality around what you’re actually looking at.
“I was happy with how the players played.”
Melbourne will now return to the MCG to go up against St Kilda on Sunday, 1 July.
The team will be on the hunt for its first win since round 11 – the red and blue had a bye following the Queen’s Birthday loss to Collingwood.
With the forward-half numbers set to be a talking point, Gawn said capitalising on opportunities will be a key focus of the week ahead.
“Hopefully we can put it on the training track and work out that inside-50 differential, and then go a little better next week.”
