Summary

AFTER an opening round loss, Melbourne was looking to bounce back in a big way on Saturday night, but couldn’t challenge the Cats at GMHBA Stadium.

Geelong ran harder across the ground and was cleaner in the wet, booting 13 second-half goals to storm home with a thumping 80-point victory.

The Demons’ intent was noticeably stronger than the weekend prior, but their sloppy forward entries and inability to deny Geelong’s attack cost them dearly.

The numbers

DISPOSALS: Oliver 44, Brayshaw 33, Viney 27, Harmes, Salem 23, Jones 22

GOALS: Melksham 2, Brayshaw, Lockhart, Viney, Weideman

Another three debutants

There was a buzz in the rooms ahead of the Round 2 clash as three new Demons were presented their Melbourne guernsey's.

Kade Kolodjashnij, Jay Lockhart and Steven May all pulled on the red and blue for the first time in Geelong and had their loved ones in the rooms for the special occasion.

Melbourne has now had six players debut for the club across the opening two weeks of the season.

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Lockhart’s moment

Just 15 days after being recruited via the pre-season supplemental rule, Lockhart stepped onto the AFL field for the first time.

And he didn’t take long to get involved.

The 23-year-old slotted a classy running goal with his first kick of the game, providing a major highlight on a disappointing night for the club.

The contested game

Melbourne prides itself on the contested game and was flat in this area against Port Adelaide last week.

On Saturday night, the Demons failed to bring the intensity early with minus 24 contested possessions in the first quarter, handing Geelong a 23-point buffer.

To the Dees’ credit, they turned it around to lead in this category from that point on, showing some positive signs in the backend of the game.

Lopsided inside 50s

While getting the ball forward is usually the key to victory, the scoreboard certainly didn’t reflect Melbourne’s inside 50 numbers on Saturday night.

The Demons had a whopping 72 forward entries – 24 more than Geelong – but created just 20 shots from this onslaught at 28 percent efficiency.

This poor conversion was a result of the midfield’s inability to connect with the forward line, while at the other end the Cats scored freely when on the attack.

The standout

On a dark night for Melbourne, one Demon shone brighter than the rest: Clayton Oliver.

Oliver’s performance in the middle was outstanding, as the 21-year-old racked up 44 disposals, including 25 contested possessions and 14 clearances – a powerful individual effort in testing conditions.

Injury update

Unfortunately, May left the ground early in his first game for the club after suffering a groin injury.

The former Gold Coast captain did make a brief return to the field, but was rested in the latter stages of the game.

May will be undergoing scans to reveal the extent of the injury on Monday afternoon.

A step forward

From an external perspective an 80-point loss could rightfully be seen as a big step backwards.

But more so than in Round 1, the Demons were able to show signs of their brand, playing with a genuine intent around the ball and demonstrating an ability to push it forward.

Going into next week, the Dees will need to fine-tune their craft and be more efficient when looking to create scoring opportunities.

A word from Goody

“To lose by 80 points is certainly not what we want to stand for,” Simon Goodwin told Melbourne Media post-game.

“But in saying that, there are some elements of our game that are on the improve.

“The reality is we’re zero (wins) and two (losses) – we’ve got 20 weeks to go.

“We’re going to keep getting better, we’re going to turn those 70 entries into good scoring. We’re going to connect better and we’re going to defend our ground better.”

Looking ahead

Round 3 v Essendon @ MCG – Friday, 5 April, 7:50pm AEDT

Although Melbourne and Essendon sit at the bottom of the AFL ladder, both sides are coming off strong 2018 campaigns and will be desperate to register wins in Round 3.

The Friday night clash will be a great opportunity for the Demons to play on the big stage and look to take some momentum into the remainder of the year.