Melbourne veteran Jordan Lewis questioned whether the playing group returned to pre-season with the right attitude.
After year’s preliminary final appearance, the Demons sit 17th on the ladder with just five wins next to their name.
“We’ve clearly got the playing list; we saw that last year,” Lewis told Sportsday.
“Through a few things that happened in the pre-season and then in-season we probably just didn’t move with the times.
“Players may not have come back with the right attitude and the sense that finals was just going to roll around again.
“They’ve been dealt a harsh lesson this year and I wouldn’t be surprised if the attitude was changed coming back to the pre-season.”
Lewis will play his 319th and final game against North Melbourne on Saturday having called time on his decorated career.
Listen to Jordan Lewis’ chat on Sportsday in the player below