THE LOSS came, and the scrutiny followed.

As has been the case on all but one occasion this season, it was another bitter blow for the Demons on the weekend.

On Sunday, it came at Patersons Stadium, when Fremantle smashed Melbourne by 90 points – its third worst loss of the season and a bitterly disappointing result on the back of an encouraging effort against Richmond at the MCG last round. 

Still, things could’ve got worst in the west, save for a reasonable second half by Melbourne, when it trailed by 71 points at the main break.

No doubt, this is one bloody tough period for any red and blue supporter, and it’s particularly difficult for those charged with trying to turn the fortunes of the club around.

For coach Mark Neeld and co-captain, Jack Trengove, they are trying their absolute utmost. And to get on the front foot and speak publicly about what took place again remains part of their job, but it doesn’t make it any easier, especially when the spotlight follows.

“People have their own views … you know that that comes with the territory,” Neeld said in his post-match media conference.  

“It’s not about me. We know what our roles are – we being the coaches.

“The job of being of an AFL coach – or at least, I know what it’s like to coach Melbourne … if I had the moments that everybody thinks I have during the day to read every newspaper article and [listen to every] podcast and everything that’s said on the radio … you just don’t have the time.”

But time is something Neeld believes in strongly. Yes, he wants results now, like every Melbourne person does, but he believes that is what’s needed with his inexperienced group. And he hasn’t wavered in his belief that his team is still on the right track, even if he acknowledged that the results haven’t been forthcoming.

“We know that we don’t have anything to put our hand up with, with results at the moment … it’s not as major an issue within the footy club. We’re really realistic with where we want to get to and how we want to get there. We also know [that] it is what it is,” he said.

“We’re not sitting around having a look at our player list going ‘we’ve got to cull this many players’ – [because] this is the group that will take the football club through.

“We’re not going to put our hand up for anything in the first half [against Fremantle], but we felt in the second half that there were things there … and the players are aware of that.”

For Trengove, who was appointed the youngest ever VFL/AFL captain last year, it has been a particularly trying and much publicised second season as co-skipper. But, in all the focus placed on him, the serious navicular stress fracture he sustained last December, which kept him out until the eve of the season, has perhaps been most lost.

Still, the 21 year-old pup has shown maturity beyond his years, saying that it’s not just a big period for him but “for everyone around the club at the moment”.

“No one wants to be in this position at the moment, towards the bottom of the ladder and not performing consistently well. The only thing we can do is control the controllables and keep working hard and persisting out on the track. That’s the same way I’m taking it,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“You have your 24-hour rule after a performance like that [against Fremantle], then you’ve got to forget about it, because that’s the modern day football – just move onto the next week as best as possible and remain upbeat and positive around the group.

“There is no point going in with your tail between your legs, because that’s just going to set the wrong tone for the rest of the boys, so I’ve just got to make sure that I remain really positive and keep moving towards success in the future.”

Still, his 20 touches and two goals against Freo under difficult circumstances were a positive.

“It’s hard to rate yourself individually after that team performance, because in the end, that’s what you’re judged on,” Trengove said about his performance.

“It was good that I could get my hand on the ball a few times and hit the scoreboard, but at the end of the day, we lost by 90 points and it was really disappointing from us.

“We have to keep persisting and keep working hard, because that’s the only way we’re going to get out of it.”

And really, that’s all that can be done.