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'Waved the white flag': Demons savaged after latest 'disaster'

AFL greats have delivered a scathing assessment on the Melbourne Demons after their troublesome season was dealt another telling blow.

St Kilda delivered another dagger into the Demons with an inspired 40-point win at the MCG on Saturday evening.

The Demons led by three points early in the second quarter but the slick Saints piled on eight unanswered goals to set up the 15.5 (95) to 7.13 (55) win in front of 35,558 fans on Saturday.

Alan Richardson’s men harassed their opponents from start to finish in a lively performance that moved them to a 4-1 record that seemed unlikely to many outside the club before the season.

It was another uneven performance from Melbourne who were widely tipped to challenge for the premiership this season.

The Demons have plenty to work on after another worrying loss. Pic: Getty
The Demons have plenty to work on after another worrying loss. Pic: Getty

They are in a hole at 1-4 with four days to prepare for their Anzac Day eve clash with Richmond.

Melbourne great Garry Lyon insists the Demons have some serious soul-searching to do, if they’re to salvage the season.

“It’s time for reassessment. We say ‘upset’, (but) fifth versus 16th coming in was the reality — and we’ve got to face up to that now,” Lyon said on Fox Footy.

“This St Kilda side has really rebounded after a disappointing year — and Melbourne have barely fired a shot.

“Some harsh realities are slapping Melbourne fans right in the face here.

“Your eyes tell you when you’re watching this, this is a St Kilda side full of belief who know how they want to play and go and execute it really well and this is a Melbourne side that was sluggish, slow.

Channel Seven commentator and former Coleman medal winner Bryan Taylor was equally as brutal in his assessment on Triple M radio.

“Melbourne have waved the white flag I reckon. It is a disaster for the Demons at the MCG,” Taylor said.

Demons coach Simon Goodwin flagged some of the issues at three-quarter time during an interview on Fox Sports.

“We were poor around the ball, they’re transitioning the ball way too easily from one end of the ground to the other, we’re not connecting in the way we’d like and they’re stretching our defence and they’re scoring easy goals,” Goodwin said.

Jack Billings led the way for St Kilda with 28 possessions and two goals, with Seb Ross (27 disposals) and Shane Savage (27) also prominent, while Tim Membrey booted four goals.

The Saints celebrate their win against Melbourne. Pic: Getty
The Saints celebrate their win against Melbourne. Pic: Getty

Clayton Oliver (31 possessions) and Angus Brayshaw (27) were influential for the Demons, who struggled to get a contribution across the board once again in a frustrating start to the season.

Braydon Preuss was lively with two first-quarter goals, but Membrey matched him with a couple of his own as the Saints edged to a four-point lead at the first break.

The Demons pressed early in the second term but let themselves down time and again with skill errors.

The Saints didn’t need to be asked twice and went about taking the game away from Simon Goodwin’s men, who were made to look lacklustre and disorganised at times.

Billings made it a 15-point St Kilda lead at halftime and back-to-back goals to former Melbourne forward Dean Kent rubbed salt in the wounds as the margin blew out to 45 points at three-quarter time.

The Demons offered some resistance after the restart with a couple of goals to Jake Melksham, but that effort soon dissipated, leaving the Saints to enjoy an impressive win.

With AAP