Melbourne’s finals hopes are hanging by a thread following last night’s disappointing loss to Sydney.
The Demons went into the Thursday evening fixture in eighth position but lost to the Swans by 21 points in Cairns and finished the night out of the eight after GWS defeated Carlton.
Former Dees captain Garry Lyon said he had a bad feeling about the game from the outset.
“It was an opportunity for Melbourne to consolidate,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“The Swans played with some passion and some commitment. You would have thought they were the team who were playing for a position in the finals.
“The Demons were slow and lethargic. Once again Simon Goodwin has to come out and lament the performance. He says they were not at the standard and was ruing the fact that they go missing on occasions, which wouldn’t be pleasing to any Melbourne supporter.
“Right from the word go. Christian Petracca wins a free kick at the first centre bounce, handballs to Christian Salem who is running onto his right boot. This is the first three seconds of the game. He gets chased down from behind, ball gets turned over and I’m sitting there looking at it going, ‘Oh no, please, it’s not is it?’.
“And it was all downhill after that.”
Lyon, who was critical of the Demons’ first-half performance on Fox Footy, suggests such a frustrating performance is now almost expected.
“I’m not ‘dial-a-quote’ on Melbourne, I just give my honest opinion,” he added.
“It wouldn’t surprise a lot of Melbourne supporters because this is what they do.
“They get themselves into a position, they get inside the eight with four games to go against an opponent who has all their stars out, they’ve got young kids in there, the young kids from Sydney get a sniff and you can’t get it back.
“So, that is the frustration. You get what you deserve in this game and on that form, they’re not a finals contender. They have to deal with that.
“It’s frustrating to see Simon Goodwin again say we didn’t execute and we weren’t at AFL standard. Season on the line, four weeks out from the finals, a chance to do something and you come out and you’re not at AFL standard.
“Then players clearly have got to take responsibility, and the coaches, everyone.”
The Demons meet Fremantle at Cazaly’s Stadium on Monday night before taking on fellow top-eight chasers the Giants in Round 17 before finishing the home and away season against Essendon.
They must win all three games and rely on those sides above them losing in order to secure a finals berth.