Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says his side's first quarter against Gold Coast, when they conceded five goals to nothing, was "unacceptable" as the margin was held for the remainder of the day.
The Demons rallied from the first change until the final siren, managing to cope without Blake Howes and Harrison Petty for the majority of the day, losing both to concussion before half-time.
But it was too little, too late, and even a 5.6 final term wasn't enough to swing the result.
"You sit here with mixed emotions," Goodwin said.
"That first quarter was unacceptable in terms of our ability to win the ball, our ability to pressure the ball, our ability to get our hands on the ball.
"Gold Coast were unbelievable, but we were miles off early in the game, and clearly that was the game.
"At quarter time, you're 37-1 down, and we could have been more down.
"You sit here the last three quarters, really proud of the group. The grit, two players down with concussion, the ability to fight โฆ and you see a team grow.
"You walk away with a disappointing result in an outcome-based sport. It's frustrating."
A huge omission at the selection table was All-Australian defender Jake Lever, who was sent back to the VFL to improve his form.
Lever has been a mainstay in Goodwin's side since crossing from the Crows ahead of the 2018 season.
The Demons coach explained his reasoning as to why the 29-year-old played in the curtain raiser to the AFL clash.
"Since he came back (against Sydney in round 11), his form hasn't quite been to the level," Goodwin said.
"The mindset was to get him to go back to feel really strong about his footy โฆ and he did take a step forward today.
"He's a highly, highly valued member of our team and of our club, and we want to get him back in the team as quick as possible."
The Demons will remain on the road as they travel to South Australia to take on Adelaide on Sunday.