MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 26: Melbourne player run out before the round 23 AFL match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Melbourne Demons at Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 26, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon has blasted the Demons' loss to Collingwood on Saturday afternoon that saw them ultimately miss out on a September berth.
Melbourne just needed to beat the Pies to secure seventh position on the ladder and their first finals series since 2006, but trailed by as many as 41 points midway through the third quarter before eventually losing by 16.
“The game started at 1.45, the twist came at about 1.52 for me. Seven minutes into the game that’s where you just went, what in god’s name is this mob doing?” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast on Monday morning.
“It is an indictment on every individual player that played in that game on Saturday to say I wasn’t at the required intensity to get the job done when it mattered most, and that is pitiful.
“They were red hot favourite, everyone thought they were going to win and they didn’t deal with the expectation again.
“You just can’t trust them. Just win when you thought you could trust them, when the season’s on the line you can’t trust them.
“I don’t care if they lost, it’s the way they lose.”
Melbourne were still in the finals race with just minutes to go on Sunday afternoon, with the Eagles only leading Adelaide by 17 points late in the game, a margin that was small enough to have Melbourne in eighth.
West Coast kicked the final two goals to seal the fate of the Demons, who will have this result live long in their memory.