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Melbourne great Garry Lyon is concerned his former club are in the top eight by default.
The Demons wasted a fantastic opportunity to establish themselves in the top eight yesterday but were wasteful in kicking 10.18 to lose by nine points to Sydney on a sodden MCG.
The result has Simon Goodwin’s side sitting seventh on the ladder with two matches remaining but the magnitude of the match and the way the Dees again failed on the big stage has triggered major worries for Lyon.
“One of my favourite sayings in footy is, ‘you get what you deserve’,” said Lyon on SEN Breakfast.
“Sydney got what they deserved because they’re a great footy side who know how to win and know how to be there at September at the right time of the year.
“Melbourne don’t right now. They didn’t handle the occasion, they haven’t handled the occasion and they’ve got two weeks to try and handle an occasion.
“The bottom line is they just don’t handle big occasions.”
Lyon said he raced home from calling the North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs game to see a Melbourne team seemingly going through the motions.
He added: “I turn the TV and I think: ‘Am I going to see my team that I barrack for playing for their football lives?’
“It was like a practice match when I turned that TV on late in the second quarter
“Is this a team that hasn’t played finals for so long, who are in a top four with other teams around them falling over with injuries, and they were just going through the motions.
“I was expecting to see a fight to the death attitude from my side given where they were.
“I saw a passive acceptance of Sydney kicking the ball to whoever they wanted, wherever they wanted, and once again, they gave up seven goals in a row.
“That’s the disappointment right there.”
In 2018, Melbourne have not beaten a team currently placed above tenth, which is also a massive worry for the former club captain.
“They’re in there without beating a top nine side, that’s almost being there by default,” Lyon concluded.